Page 37 of The Wolf Moon

I didn’t like to be called small, slow, or weak. I narrowed my eyes at him.

“What are you doing after this?” I asked Logan, pointedly ignoring my urge to respond to his provokes. Logan paused and then lifted his hands until his palms were resting against mine. I blinked in mild surprise, feeling the pulse of power under his skin against mine.

“A few of us are going to the hunting grounds to gather some provisions. It’s a good way to let off some steam, so I volunteered as well,” Logan stated, tilting his head as he watched my reaction. The thought of hunting intrigued me. The thought of hunting with the wolves seemed like something I shouldn’t do, and something I had been forbidden to do. But the way Logan watched me said he knew my desires before I did.

“Can I go?”I finally asked despite myself.

Logan smiled deviously.

“If you can hold your shift for thirty seconds, you can go,” He told me, much to my dismay. I took a deep breath and frowned in concentration as I looked at my human hands. I reached for that power again, forming those unnatural claws and pulling at the beast under Logan’s skin which still remained against mine. He waited a moment and then pulled his grip away, taking that power with it.

I felt my form falter, but I really wanted to go to this hunt. I pushed at the power, demanding and demanding that it remain even if the danger wasn’t as close as before. I recognized the difference. I was usually relieved to go back to my normal form, but if it was a desire to remain changed, it was easier to hold the partial shift.

“I knew you could do it,” Logan reached forward to poke my nose, causing me to lose my focus for a moment. My hands reverted back to normal as I blinked at him. “Come on then. We should probably go before Beta Caleb finds you again.”

I followed Logan across the grounds eagerly while simultaneously keeping an eye out for Caleb, who would no doubt be looking for me by this time. I usually couldn’t get away with more than an hour with Logan before he would show up to scold me, though something told me Caleb was allowing it more than being outsmarted by the likes of me.

When we arrived at the edge of the woods, there was already a small group of wolves waiting. A couple of them were in full shift, stepping carefully around the group impatient to start. The few that remained in human form greeted Logan expectantly before pausing when spotting me.

“She isn’t allowed to go, is she?” One man questioned Logan uncertainly.

“Of course not, she can’t even shift,” Another interrupted before reaching to shove me away. Logan snatched his wrist and glowered at the man, the intensity in his silent threat enough to cause the wolf to back up. I myself was a bit surprised. It had been awhile since anyone in the pack tried to do anything to me besides look away or bare necks.

“Tala here is with me. Let’s just go as usual,” Logan released the man and gestured for them to move away. Then he turned to me with a knowing look in response to my own expression. “That’s Vio. He’s one of the wolves who wasn’t in the range to submit to you. Probably doesn’t enjoy the idea of a previous human being around here.”

“He’s not the only one,” I grumbled unhappily. The small pack of wolves began to enter the trees, each one either already shifted or beginning to. I hesitated, watching them land on all fours before lunging into the forest easily. Logan was the last to go before me, looking back before gesturing for me to follow.

“Try to keep up.” With his final advice, I watched as he shifted as easily as breathing into a large domineering wolf with coat of silver and black. It had been awhile since I’d seen Roman in such a form, but even knowing that he must be even larger, it was hard to remember when seeing Logan like this.

I tried not to let them intimidate me, reaching to my waist to clutch my knife reassuringly before stepping into the trees as well. I paced myself, racing behind the wolves quick enough to not lose them entirely but slow enough to not over exert myself.

The weather was finally beginning to warm as spring approached. Animals which normally would be hiding out among the snow were now finding the courage to wander outside of their homes, so I suspected the game collection wouldn’t be too bad after this hunt.

I was used to my type of hunt. As it wasn’t allowed beyond a certain point, many humans focused more on growing crop than the less dependable option of meat. So I didn’t usually have anyone with me in my own hunts. The wolves hunted as several members, but in the end it was more like they were one. They would use tactics to draw out prey, even if it meant not getting the kill for themselves. They also traveled as far as they wanted, without any concerns of potential attacks or other dangers.

I enjoyed the feel of it; the freedom of racing through the trees, pausing to inspect tracks, before searching for whatever beast waited among the forest. At some point, I felt entirely immersed in the hunt, focused on putting in effort to prove myself useful to the group. I landed swiftly behind a sheltered bush area, pausing when hearing the shuffling of greenery not too far off in the distance.

I reached for my shoulder, pausing when realizing I didn’t have my bow this time around. Instead, I lowered my hand and grasped the blade at my hip, pulling it from its sheath carefully as I moved slowly towards the noise. I breathed ever so slowly, afraid any false sound would scare off the potential game.

However, with a short step, my presence was made known with a small snap of a twig. I tensed, expecting the creature to run the opposite direction. Instead, I started with surprise when the beast let out a horrific screech and began to charge at me. A beast I had never seen before burst from its shelter, short but large and fitted with long tusks along its opened mouth as it came at me.

I leapt to the side, dropping my blade like an amateur, and cursed myself. The beast didn’t run away after passing me. In fact, it turned to charge at me again, fully intent on injuring and killing me itself if necessary. I grasped for my blade once, twice; panic setting in.

Normally, I would have just used my gift to halt the beast, but for some reason my thoughts went blank at such an unfamiliar creature. I felt in danger, but also I felt it was still my prey. I focused on my right hand, calling my own beast within me until I felt my hand twist and shift into something more dangerous than a blade.

Just as the beast would ram into me, I swiped at its face, sending it reeling into the ground with a loud cry. Deep gashes remained across its flesh in response, leaving it panting with its injury painfully. I paused, standing straight and feeling my hand already receding into th

Seventeen

Chapter 16

Iscarfed down the food on the plate before me with vigor, pausing only to drink from the glass nearby before continuing my feast. Cynthia sat across from me patiently, quietly watching me as I devoured the meal prepared for me. We were seated on the stage within the abandoned temple yet again.

Caleb had me on lockdown at this point. After finding out the situation during the hunt, both Logan and I were on his bad side. I was officially no longer guest status, nearly kept as a prisoner at this point. If it weren’t for Diana, I’m pretty sure Caleb would have left me in a dungeon cell until Roman came back.

As for Logan, I knew he was being punished, though I didn’t know how. I also knew his punishment had nothing to do with killing a pack member. I had almost been hurt during a pack hunt. It was two broken rules at once.

I felt guilt for several reasons. If I hadn’t gone on the hunt, it wouldn’t have created an opening for a wolf to try to hurt me, so Vio would still be alive. Logan wouldn’t have been punished, halting any training I had planned with him. And Caleb would not be waiting for his Alpha to come back and delegate a punishment suitable for his Beta for not being as alert as he could be around me.

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