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River, standing tall and composed, awaited her approach. He understood the advantage of his larger stature, but he knew better than to underestimate Odette. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, his excitement clear in his gaze.
As Odette neared, she seemed to blur, the ground beneath her feet barely making a sound. She deftly sidestepped River’s outstretched arm, her nimbleness a testament to her training. Despite how small and weak she looked, she was taunting him. Coaxing him to go after her.
River’s eyes narrowed, his focus sharpening. With a sudden burst of energy, he lunged forward, his arms aiming to grab Odette in a controlled hold. But she was one step ahead. With a twist of her body and a leap in the air, she slipped out of his grasp, hurtling to the ground.
Odette gave a bright laugh, hopping on each of her tiny feet. “Too slow!” she said gleefully.
“Exactly,” River said as he got back to his feet. “I may have strength and size on Odette, but if she can keep evading me, she’ll wear me down until I can’t go after her anymore. You see that, Marley?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I’m not nearly as fast as her, though. I don’t think I could do the same kind of thing.”
“Not in the beginning, but if you keep training and doing the same methods with your mate and your own pack, you’ll get there,” he said. “Why don’t you come have a turn with me?”
“I—ah…well,” I stammered.
“Come on, you can do it!” Odette exclaimed. “No time like the present!”
I gritted my teeth and wandered into the center of the circle. Odette beamed at me and patted my shoulder as she moved back.
“Ready?” River asked, his eyes gleaming with challenge.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. “Ready,” I replied, my voice steady despite the butterflies in my stomach.
With that, the pursuit began. I darted to the left, but I didn’t have the same agility and grace as Odette. Instead of landing easily, I went sprawling on the ground between two of the people watching us. The pack members watched with bated breath, their eyes fixed on the action unfolding before them.
I panted and looked back at River, figuring we’d be preparing to reset and try again. But River wasn’t stopping. He was back on his feet in seconds, coming right at me.
I yelped in shock and leaped to my feet, sprinting away from him.
River was quick, agile, and persistent. He matched my every step, never giving me a moment to catch my breath. The circle of pack members unfurled and watched as I ran.
Odette called above the noise in my head. “If you’re running a footrace, you’re always going to lose!”
I didn’t know if that was a sound bite from other training sessions or what, but I was too panicked to draw any real conclusions from it. I just kept staying the course.
I used every trick in the book, leaping over obstacles, twisting and turning, trying to stay just out of River’s reach. But he was relentless in his pursuit, closing in on me with every stride.
My heart pounded as I felt River’s fingers brush against my shoulder. He had caught up to me, and there was no escaping his grasp. The pack gasped as River tackled me to the turf and we slid across it. He straddled my hips as I fought him. He grasped my wrists and pinned them to the ground, gently restraining me and signaling the end of the chase.
I was panting beneath him, my heart hammering, my stomach flipping. He was grinning down at me, but as I lost myself in a moment of panic, the smile faded.
His brow tightened. “Hey, hey, Marley, look at me. You’re all right, you’re safe,”
I fought against his grip, but he didn’t let go.
“Easy, easy. I’m going to let you go, but I need you to calm down before I do. I can’t have you clawing my eyes out,” he said. “Breathe, Marley. You’re safe.”
I blinked, forcing myself to take a deep breath.
“There you go, good,” he said, lifting his hips off of me. “Do that three more times, okay? You’re safe, you’re among friends. No one is going to hurt you. You understand?”
I nodded and took two more deep breaths. “I’m sorry,” I said.
“No apology needed,” he said. “You back with us?”
I gave a terse little nod and exhaled slowly. “Yeah.”
He let go of one of my hands, and once he was sure I wouldn’t lash out, he let go of the other. “I’m sorry for freaking you out. The first time is overwhelming for a lot of people.”
