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“I can’t really have meetings in my bedroom.” I chuckle, unable to help my smile.
“I will happily have all my meetings with you in the bedroom.” He grins and waggles his brows. “But seriously, we’ll set you up in an office. Whatever you need is yours, firecracker.”
“Thanks,” I say, leaning back into the cushioned seat. My grin stretches across my face as I look out at the trees, my wolf rising to the surface at the call of the deep woods.
The Langley sleuth might be in the middle of nowhere, but they weren’t stupid when setting up their place. There’s only one road in and out, giving them the upper hand when it comes to surveillance. I have no doubt that there are guards standing in the trees, monitoring the point of no return and relaying it back to Aldric—which is why we decided to steer clear of the road altogether.
A light shines beneath a beige sign indicating the entrance to the park, a popular campground for both the non-shifting supernaturals and the shifters in Endcliffe. Gravel crunches beneath the tires as we pull into the main parking lot. With summer nearly over, there are far fewer cars here than normal, which is great for us. I scan the few vehicles scattered around and direct Arsenio to the most advantageous spot. It’s inconspicuous, yet away from the other cars in the lot and partially hidden by a few large maple trees.
Silas pulls in on the other side, giving us cover on that side as well. While two blacked-out armored vans may raise a few curious brows, there would be even more interest in us if someone spotted the new Alpha of the Draven pack here, so the sooner I can shift, the better.
“We only have a few minutes,” Arsenio says as he turns off the engine, reminding me of the tight schedule we’re under. Since we aren’t able to drive any closer, we mapped out the best route to get us there through the park, which just so happens to border the land where the Langley sleuth has set up their base. So if we want to get there and back undetected before it gets too late, we have to leave now.
I shrug off my jacket as Arsenio opens his door, tucks the keys into the side, and pulls off his own brown leather jacket. I’m glued to him, memorizing the way his muscles bunch under the thin beige fabric of his shirt. My lips part as he pulls off the shirt, my throat drying and skin heating as I rove over his bare skin, wishing I could sweep my fingers across every inch of him. I grasp the hem of my shirt, about to pull it off, until a rumble emanates from Arsenio’s chest, making me pause.
“I won’t be able to keep my mind on the mission with you staring at me like that, firecracker,” Arsenio groans, his tone teasing yet laced with disappointment like he wishes he could act on the palpable lust humming between us.
Well, that makes two of us.
“Fine.” I sigh, choking back a laugh as he looks over his shoulder at me and raises a curious brow … only to see me pulling my silk shirt off and revealing the lace bra beneath.
“Fuck,” he curses, snapping his head back like he’s just been burnt. “I need to get out of here before we have to reschedule the whole damn night.”
Before I can say another word, he shoves down his pants and boxers in one swift movement, kicking his shoes off, then the clothes as I admire his firm, muscled ass.
“Dammit,” he mutters under his breath, clearly feeling my gaze still on him as he hurriedly shoves the clothes onto his seat without meeting my gaze.
He slams the door closed and leaps away as if his life depends on it, ducking under the cover of the large tree beside us as though it can save him from the desire rushing through him and threatening to throw a wrench into our plans.
I huff out a breath of amusement as I pull off the rest of my clothes and open the door, preparing to shift.
I hop out of the car and close the door behind me, my wolf already begging to be set free as the fresh scent of pine trees tickles my nose. The cool night air pricks at my skin, coaxing goosebumps with its soft caress. I don’t waste any more time, craving the warmth of fur to fend against the mild chill.
My vision sharpens and my canines elongate as I begin my shift. Fur sprouts from my skin, and I lower to my knees, readying for the change of my soft human hands to strong, lithe paws and claws. The scent of pine invades my senses with a heightened sense of smell when my nose elongates, forming my tawny brown snout.
My wolf hums—no, we hum—in delight at the heightened sensations, the shift now complete. We trot around to the front of the van, glimpsing Arsenio as he moves from the cover of the tree. We really hadn’t had much time to examine the red wolf the last time we saw him, but he’s truly magnificent. He’s the same size as most alphas, towering over the height of a normal wolf, his red fur the most unique shade I’ve seen. Normally a red coat is mostly a ruddy brown color, but if it wasn’t for his size, I would almost think Arsenio is a fox, especially with that sly gleam to his eyes as they spark with interest.
We take another step towards him, overcome with the pulse of the mate bond drawing us closer. We want to nuzzle into his thick red fur, craving the softness and connection, but the woosh of a car door opening behind us stops us in our tracks. Silas opens the driver’s side door, and Seline follows, climbing out of the passenger’s side and striding towards us.
“Seline will shift as soon as you both leave,” Silas lets us know as he slides open the van’s back door, and we dip our heads in understanding. Since we can’t have our phones on us in this form, Seline will communicate with us via the pack link in case anything happens and we need backup.
With a last parting look to Silas and Seline, we pad towards Arsenio, taking a second to brush up against him as we head into the woods. A low hum of approval slips from his mouth as if he craves the smooth caress of our body against his as much as I do. But as we gain our footing, our vision shifting to best take in the dark woods, we remind ourselves that we don’t have time for that. We need to get in and out without being caught, which means we need to keep on high alert.
Arsenio’s footsteps are silent as he moves beside me, his eyes glowing, and a silent conversation passes between us as we take off. We weave through the trees soundlessly, taking in every scent and noise, and allowing our senses to take us west towards the bears on instinct. The forest is ours, our home, where our wolves thrive, where the earth sings, humming in harmony with our souls.
Time seems like a distant memory as we let go, trusting the forest to bring us where we need to go, our hearts like a compass, keeping us on track. I never knew it could be like this—not until Zeke helped me reconnect with my wolf. Our mind and body are so in tune now, not only with each other but with the earth and goddess above. Our muscles burn with the effort as we run with the air rushing through fur, exhilarating us further.
We glance at Arsenio, the moonlight gleaming off his red coat, his muscles bunching with each stealthy step he takes. I wish I could speak to him in my wolf form, like I’d be able to if he was pack—but that can’t happen, at least not yet. He may have an alpha role in the Whitlock pack, but the only person who can forge the link between our two packs is Everett. Although we might be getting closer to that point, we both still have a barrier up, neither of us willing to drop the stubborn tension between us just yet. So that won’t be happening any time soon.
Everett and I clearly both want each other, but is that feeling just sexual? He’s seen some of my deepest scars, but I haven’t seen any of his yet. And until I break through that frozen exterior, there’s no way I’m going to solidify the bond with him.
Arsenio lets loose a low huff, drawing our attention back to him. His steps slow, easing towards the thick trunk of a tree, and we follow his lead, ducking behind the one next to him. Our heart thunders as we search around us, our senses already on high alert.
Our head snaps to the right as a crack echoes through the otherwise silent night. It takes a moment for us to spot the source of the sound through the trees, but the shift of dark brown fur draws our attention straight to the target. A large bear prowls forward, their claws sinking into the brush in the clearing before turning and stalking back the way they came.
We’d been so lost in our thoughts, so overcome by the thrill of the run, that we didn’t realize we’d reached the Langley’s land, let alone their storage bunker. We scan the clearing, spotting two more bears to the left, along with a shifter in their human form off to the side, nearly hidden completely by the brush. The bunker looks even bigger in person. It has to span at least fifty feet long, twenty feet wide, and ten feet high, low enough to not be easily spotted amongst the towering trees but long enough to house a myriad of stolen goods. Judging by the size alone, this has to be their main storage, housing all the goods they’ve stolen from our packs these last few months.
We scan the distance, noticing the main road about a hundred feet from the bunker, making it nearly invisible to the passive eye through the trees. No wonder we hadn’t noticed this place on the drive to the Langley stronghold. Especially at night, there’s no way this place could be seen amongst the trees and brush surrounding it if you didn’t know it was there.
