Page 74 of His Claim
The sound of a gunshot cracked through the mountain air like thunder.
I froze mid-step. The echo rolled across the valley, bouncing between ridges, fading into the sky. For a long heartbeat, I stood perfectly still, my hand gripping the knife at my belt, my pulse pounding in my throat.
The forest went quiet after that—too quiet. The wind stopped, even the birds fell silent.
It could have been anything. A hunter. A trap. A wolf patrol. Something else… Maybe even…
Varek.
I hoped, by some miracle, he was alright…
My heart twisted, my throat tightening with hope and fear. I turned back toward the sound, scanning the trees, but there wasnothing but the whisper of pine needles and the faint hiss of raindrops dripping from the branches.
“Keep moving,” I whispered to myself. “You can’t afford to stop.”
But as the day bled toward dusk, the exhaustion began to set in. My muscles ached, my injuries burned, and the adrenaline that had kept me going finally began to fade. I needed rest. Shelter. Food. Warmth.
I found a small clearing tucked between boulders, the ground soft with moss and pine needles. The smell of rabbit was faint but fresh. My stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten since morning.
I sighed and began stripping off my clothes, folding them neatly on a dry patch of earth. The cold air bit at my skin, but the mark on my shoulder pulsed warm beneath it, steady as a heartbeat.
“Alright, wolf,” I muttered. “Let’s see if you’ve learned anything.”
The shift came easier this time. It started in my chest, a pulse of heat that rippled outward until every muscle trembled and every bone cracked and realigned. My skin prickled, then split into fur. The air filled with the sound of my own breathing.
When my shift was done, the world looked different. Clearer. More alive.
I could smell the forest in layers starting with pine sap, damp stone, the faint sweetness of rain, and there, beneath it all, the warm musk of rabbit.
I lowered myself, muscles coiling, and followed the scent. My paws sank into the soft ground, silent as a shadow.
The rabbit was feeding near a fallen log, its nose twitching as it nibbled at the wet grass. I crept closer, every nerve alive with anticipation, the thrill of the hunt buzzing through me. When it lifted its head, ears flicking, I pounced.
The kill was quick. Clean.
Warm blood filled my mouth. I ate enough to appease the gnawing in my gut, then licked my muzzle clean before turning back toward where I’d left my clothes.
I found them easily and shifted back, skin slick with sweat, muscles trembling from the change. My breath came in soft, uneven bursts as I pulled my clothes back on. The wolf in me wanted to curl up right there under the trees, but the human part of me knew better. I needed shelter.
Not far off, I found a cave, a narrow slit in the rock, almost invisible until I brushed aside a curtain of ivy. Inside, it opened just enough for me to move, the air cool but dry. A small bend near the back made it perfect for hiding, shielding it from the wind and prying eyes.
I made my way inside and sank down to the ground. The rock was cold against my back, but it felt safe. Solid. I should have gotten up and made a fire, but I was too tired to stand. Instead, I wrapped my arms around my knees and stared at the mouth of the cave. The sky outside was turning violet, the first stars blinking through the dusk.
For a moment, I let myself pretend that maybe Varek was alive. That maybe he was still out there, following my trail, close by. The idea comforted me.
I don’t remember closing my eyes.
When I woke, there was light.
A warm, flickering glow.
My eyes snapped open, and for a heartbeat, I didn’t understand what I was seeing.
A small fire burned near the mouth of the cave. The scent of smoke mingled with pine and rain. And sitting on a rock across from it, broad shoulders lit in gold, head bowed slightly as he turned something over in his hands… was Varek.
My breath caught.
He looked wrecked. His shirt was torn, streaked with dirt and blood. His hair hung damp against his face. But his eyes—when he lifted them to me—were the same silver I had come to love, bright and alive.
