Page 57 of The Barren Luna

“What’s the coolest legend she told you?”

“Well, the one that always stuck with me was one from her pack in Wales, Pembrokeshire. They claimed that true love can break a mating bond,” I said and paused to see his reaction.

Everyone I told this legend was shocked by it. David frowned.

“Wait, what? Whose love is breaking whose bond?”

“So listen, if two people are bonded to each other but it’s an awful relationship because one of them is terrible, true love between one of the mates and a third party can break the bond and forge a new one between the lovers if they are both pure of heart.”

“Hmm, so I guess if neither of them sets out with the intention to break the bond or be a cheater, right?”

“Right,” I confirmed.

“Huh. That does sound... fair. I’ve never heard of it happening, though.”

“Me neither, although I have wished for it to be true many times over the last year.”

“I bet you did,” he said and put his arm around me.

“Thank you for asking about her, David. It means a lot. I miss her so much.”

“Thank you for sharing those memories with me. I would like to hear more about her in the future. Any wolf important to you is important to me as well.”

“Can I ask you something then?” He nodded. “When you disband the Spruce Mountain pack, if you feel that Lucy, Calum, and Liam would be good additions to this pack, could you please offer them a transfer here? I’m not sure whether they would accept or not, but I would like to have them here.”

“Of course, love, I’ll ask them.”

“Thank you, thank you,” I got on my knees, put the handkerchief in my pocket, and hugged him as hard as I could. “Now, let’s go for that run.”

We walked away from the greenhouse, towards the edge of the wooded area by the pond. I then hid behind a tree and undressed before shifting, and David did the same. My shift was slightly painful, not as bad as the first one, but I was definitely rusty. I had forgotten the rush and absolute unbridled joy that came with running in my wolf form. She immediately ran out to greet her mate, and she almost knocked him over in her enthusiasm.

He loved it, though. He kept nuzzling and licking her, and she basked in the affection. She then tried running away, but he immediately chased her down and nipped her neck, which made her still and then suggestively grind against him. Would our wolves mate before we did? I honestly didn’t mind. I wanted her to have a good time because I was feeling extremely guilty over how confined and miserable she'd been for over six months. I didn’t deserve her.

I could feel her arousal pooling, and so could David’s wolf, who promptly mounted and mated her. Their pants and howls filled the forest, and as he finished, he roared and marked his mate’s neck. As soon as he pulled out of her, she jumped on him and marked him back. They then rolled around in the snow, showing each other their bellies, chasing after snowflakes, and generally being way goofier than two wolves had any business being.

When we finally shifted back, long after sunset, David’s face was lined with worry.

“Gina, I’m so sorry -”

“For what?” I looked at him in horror as I expected him to deliver some horrible piece of news.

“What my wolf did, it was - ”

I laughed before he managed to finish that sentence and he looked puzzled.

“My wolf was extremely happy being with her mate and I'm happy that she is finally happy again. David, our wolves know what they want, and things for them are much simpler than they are for us. I’m glad it happened, both the mating and the marking.”

“Me too,” he admitted, blushing slightly.

I took his hand in mine.

“I can already feel some of your feelings,” he said, tilting his head as if listening to something. “You really aren’t upset.”

“I really am not,” I agreed and kissed his mouth briefly. “Let’s go eat.”

That night we slept in David’s bed, spooning in our human forms, both of us much calmer now that our wolves had marked each other. I was already dreading the nightmares he wouldn’t be there for to soothe me afterward, but I was also incredibly excited for the next months of my life. With those conflicting thoughts warring in my head, I fell asleep, surrounded by the intoxicating smell of the blue sea.

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