Page 27 of Luna's Forgotten Vow

Quickly, relationships developed. Eric and I...we have a bitter sweet relationship. He's become like the sibling you constantly think of strangling. Sometimes, he is friendly and sweet. Other times, he is an asshole who fights me on everything and I hate him most when he has to fill in for Soren and train me. He's a damned sadist.

His newest love interest and girlfriend, on the other hand, Lilia, is a dear and has quickly become a friend. I have others, wives of Betas and Alphas, but I don't trust them as far as I can throw them, so I keep them at arm's length. Mostly.

"And Axel? Has Liv given any inkling that he might be joining the strays?" Soren asks, matching my pace as we clear the sixth mile, heading towards the wilds.

I wipe cold sweat off my forehead. "You know Liv. She speaks of everyone else but her family. I couldn't get it out of her."

Alpha Axel has been absent from most gatherings, even the mandatory summons from Soren for the council. One might think he took Soren's threats to heart. And there's the message from Soren's spies that says he's been meeting with the Southern Head Alpha a lot lately.

I duck under a branch. "Where are we going? My back is killing me—oh." I freeze at the 'thump' on the right side of my belly.

Soren is instantly in front of me, eyes scanning me with worry. But I start grinning. "He kicked."

An odd excitement flickers across his face and he places both hands on my belly. Around. Under. Concentrating hard enough to pop a vein. "Where? I don't feel anything."

I swat his hands away. "Maybe because he's scared of you."

Soren scowls, his full mouth drooping into a frown. "Why? Except you're whispering terrible things to her at night. You know pups can hear you speak, even before they are born."

"It's a boy," I argue, heading down the path more carefully. My abdomen feels heavier and I think I might need to pee again. "Soren?—"

"We're almost there," he promises.

Five minutes later, we halt before a massive tree with branches that seem to be reaching out into the skies. Beyond it is aclearing of land so vast, I can barely see where it ends. I stand straighter, lips parting in surprise as I note canopy after canopy, shrouding it from the sun and snow so that it remains green and untouched. "Where are we?"

Soren's voice comes from beside me. "My favorite place in the world." And in one smooth movement, he takes off his shirt.

My mouth dries as my eyes devour him. Broad, thick shoulders, massive arms large enough to crush my skull, a well-defined torso. My fingers itch to separate the lines between each peck. And goddess, that v that disappears into his spandex. His nipples are a dark pink and the wildest thought pops into my head. Would he groan if I dragged my tongue along them?

His fingers move to the waistband of his pants and when he begins to push it down, I turn around sharply. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Undressing," he deadpans.

"I know. I mean why?!"

His shirt and pants land on a tree branch and his briefs join them a second later. When he speaks again, I have a funny feeling it's inside my head. "Turn around, Sera."

"What? No! You're butt-naked!"

An irritated growl comes from behind me this time and I decide I'll look in his eyes and nowhere else. Only, when I turn, Soren isn't standing there. It's the biggest wolf I have ever seen in my life, nearly as tall as I am and twice as large. Maws snap inches away from my face and I scream, falling back on my ass.

Soren's laughter slips into my mind, making me scream again. "Get out of my head! How can you even do that?!"

The eyes of the wolf are a piercing gold with a rim of green so deep, it appears black. It blinks twice, regarding me and it suddenly takes a step forward, causing my heart to jump. It—He nuzzles my neck and licks my face. Twice.

"Gross," I complain and it kicks me the third time.

"Get on," Soren speaks into my head, managing to still surprise me. Has he always been able to do that? "I have somewhere I want you to see."

I stand, wincing at the sudden pressure in my bladder, but it is gone as quickly as it came. I walk around Soren awkwardly, trying to figure out how to sit on him. "I've never heard of using a wolf as a ride before." I sit on his furry back and swing my leg to the other side like one would with a horse.

The pain in my back lessens significantly enough that I sigh.

"Hold the pelt. Tightly. I won't have you falling off."

I scowl, but do as he tells me. His fur is soft and it is difficult to keep a hold on it, but I grip tightly. Soren lurches forward and my knees dig into his side as he runs through the wilds in a blur.

I've never been able to tap into the animalistic side to me before, never been able to run with the wolves. Sitting on Soren's back with the wind whipping my hair back and forth, the air clean and cool as I breathe in, I admit that it would have been nice to be born as something other than an Omega. This is beyond exhilarating. Freeing. We pass by a few wolves also running through the wilds but none of them go as far as we do.

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