Page 104 of Campfires & Canines
"I wanted to talk to you," I say. He nods. "That was kind of incredible." I breathe out, exhilarated.
"You are amazing. You did so well," he praises me, "but I'm sorry, I don't have any clothes stashed around here."
A giggle escapes me. I cross my arms over my chest. "Maybe I don't care about getting dressed."
"You're running high off your first shift," he murmurs.
"I’m pretty sure my current feelings have more to do with you," I tease. He slides his hands to my waist and around to my back. I shiver. Greedily, I touch his bare chest, running my fingers down his pecs and tracing the creases of his abs.
"Hazel," he whispers, "your mark is almost completely gone."
Craning my neck, I try to catch a view of the pink scars. I can see the very edge, and they're barely visible. Grief over losing this sign of our relationship wells up, choking me. But we can still solidify it or even redo the claim marking, I remind myself.
"It's okay," he says. "You're a part of this pack. You don't need to be claimed." He lowers his head and kisses my cheek. I stay still, his words echoing in my head.
"Are you serious?" I blurt. "We are mates, aren't we?"
Slate drops his hands like I’ve burned him. "You get to decide that."
"I'm your mate," I repeat, thickly. Why is he bringing this up again? I tried to be extremely clear that I want him. I choose him.
His hair falls over his forehead as he ducks his head and stares at the ground. Maybe it isn't that he doesn't believe me. What if he's the one who wants out? My throat catches. "Why don't you believe me?" I ask.
"What do you mean?" He frowns.
"Why are you saying we don't have to be mates? After everything we've been through and how we feel about each other?" I can't stop myself now and it’s no longer euphoria I’m feeling.
"Hey, it's going to be okay. We can talk about this later, not right after your first shift," he insists. I want to strangle him and also climb him like a tree.
Before I can put together a coherent response, the sounds of wolves approaching distract me.
I freeze. "What do we do?"
Slate shrugs. “Nudity isn't a big deal in the pack. But generally, we try to keep clothes nearby to put on. We don't exactly all hang out naked."
Back to my wolf form it is.
Before our friends reach us, my eyes drift shut and I call up the wolf instincts swirling right below the surface. Shifting is easier the second time. Their emotions wash over me and I relax into them. I let their joy carry me along.
Slate is already bounding toward our friends as they burst through the trees. Onyx's black wolf is massive, beside his reddish-brown brother. Marigold looks like Cedar's match, with her coat a lighter version of his. She dances around me, brushing against me and circling again.
The wildness I am becoming so familiar with is heavy in the air between all of us. It's coming from within me, and also oozing from them too. I don't know who moves first, but suddenly we are all running along the creek.
We weave through the trees, coming closer together and spreading out again. It's the freest I've ever felt. I can't believe I've gone my whole life without this.
Slate
I can feel Hazel's irritation across the room. She stands by Cassia and Aven, the furthest apart we have been since her return.
Last night after our run, she was exhausted. I held her close and listened to her breathing until I couldn't stay awake myself.
Shadows smudge under her eyes and she is pointedly not looking at me. Maybe she’s taking my suggestion seriously. She is free for whatever future she wants. She doesn't have to be chained to me.
The claim is over. The mark was completely gone this morning. I have no right to her. And she doesn’t need my protection any longer.
Never mind that I could never give her up. But I'd willingly love her from a distance if it meant she was happier.
"Aven and Fisher, take the west side. Vale, take the east border with Hawthorne. I want eyes on Zephyr." Heath directs his wolves like the general he is.
