AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“All she does is work,” Valarian mutters and my heart twists painfully at his words.
“I promise next time. It isn't safe right now,” I tell him, and he looks at me as I sit on the couch, putting my sneakers on.
“If it isn't safe, why are you going then?”
“Because I have to, I need to shift. You know that, we've talked about this before. Sometimes mommy needs to.”
“Fine,” he says, straightening his pencils before reaching over and doing the same with Casey's. She frowns at his compulsive behavior. “You promise next time I can go too?”
I sigh and nod my head. “I promise.”
“Pinky promise,” he asks, holding up his little pinky. I chuckle, getting up and capturing his pinky with mine.
“I pinkie promise,” I tell him, kissing his cheek.
“Now, behave for Auntie Zoe, and I will be back soon. We can watch that dinosaur movie tonight if you like after dinner.”
“Ooh, and I can make caramel corn,” Zoe tells the kids, who nod excitedly.
“Stay away from the fence line,” Zoe says, concerned. I look at the clock and nod.
“Two hours max,” I say.
“Any longer, I’ll send a search party,” she replies. I know she would too. Anxiety amongst us rogues is at an all-time high.
Giving one last glance at Valarian, I walk to the front door and hurry down the steps to the path at the bottom. The hotel backs onto the reserve and I head toward the fence line. A large hole had been cut in the mesh fence at some point, which makes it easier for those working here to sneak into the back of the reserve.
The reserve itself is a wetland near the city’s border fences. It's also neutral territory, and the only place considered safe for us rogues to shift without causing a disturbance to the packs, which to me makes no sense. Shifting is natural to werewolves, yet we're restricted on where we can go because packs don't want to share any of their safe, protected land with us.
We're considered the undeserving, the nuisances of the city. So we get this one place and one place only, and it just had to be the most dangerous part of the city. The “rogue-approved” territory is on the longest stretch of the border fence line. It's also the weakest, least monitored, and easiest to break through. I plan to steer clear of those fences; we all do, carefully avoiding attention from those on patrol and any possible forsaken wolves that may be lurking and looking for a way into the city.
I have yet to see a forsaken one and I don't want to. The rumors are enough to make me try to avoid them at all costs—cannibalistic, rabid, and crazed. The parts of them that once had humanity are gone, forever stuck in their shifted state, forever the monsters humans once painted us to be.
Slipping amongst the trees, I look around before pulling my clothes off and tucking them into a hollow log before kneeling. I've been finding it difficult to shift the longer I go without my mate. It takes more concentration and feels forced, and unnatural. My body no longer agrees to do as it's told, no longer strong enough to change on demand.
It's a battle made harder each time. I shudder when I feel my bones start breaking—the process is painful, and it shouldn't be. It's like my first shift all over again, and I curse that I ever met Valen as I morph into my wolf, hands becoming paws, two legs traded for four. My vision changes and adapts following the shift. All I want is rest. I'm exhausted already, but I force myself to run.
I run for about an hour before I can barely move. I collapse on the ground next to my clothes before eventually shifting back and changing into them. As I walk slowly back to my apartment, I feel a strange mix of exhaustion, sadness, and anger. The run doesn't seem to have helped as much as I hoped. My feet are dragging as I turn the corner and suddenly smack into a wall. I know this place like the back of my hand and that shouldn't be here. I stumble backward, having bounced off the firm body. Disoriented, I feel a warm hand grip my arm, pulling me back before I land on my ass on the pavement.
A gasp escapes me when sparks rush up my arm and my nostrils are filled with that familiar, intoxicating scent. His breath is warm and heavy in my ear.
“I was looking for you, and the cleaner said your apartment was…” He looks around before looking up at the stairs and pointing to mine and Zoe's apartment.
“This one,” Valen says, and I brush away his hand that's holding my arm, my heart thudding in my chest when I hear the kids playing. Valen looks up at the apartment.
“You live with someone?” he asks, cocking his head to the side.
“Yes, Zoe and her kids,” I tell him, needing him away from my apartment before Valarian realizes I'm home and rushes out.
“Well, are we going to stand here?” he asks, and I glance at my apartment. “I just want to talk. Please just hear me out.”
“We already…” I trail off, stopping suddenly. Valarian pulls the curtain back to stare out, and Zoe quickly closes it, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. She pulls Valarian away just as Valen turns to look up. He waves to Zoe briefly, and she smiles awkwardly.
“Uh, yeah, fine, but my office,” I tell him, walking off to the central part of the hotel before he can argue.
ChapterTwenty-Four
Valen stares around my office. It used to be Valarie's apartment, but we converted it into office space. I found it challenging to come in here before—memories always brought back heartache—so we revamped it, and now the place doesn't haunt me.
