24 Chapter 24: Provoking the Wolf
“Seraphina!” Orion’s heart hammered against his ribcage as his clothes melted away. His bones cracked and reformed, fur sprouting across his skin as he shifted into his wolf form.
He bolted through the forest, paws thundering against the earth. The scent of honey and vanilla grew stronger, guiding him like a beacon. Fear gripped him tighter with each step. What if she jumped? What if he was too late?
The trees opened to a small clearing, and relief washed over him. Seraphina stood there, alive, and whole, not at the cliff’s edge as he’d feared. Her back was to him, her blonde hair catching the fading sunlight.
She hadn’t shifted. She hadn’t jumped.
She was just… standing there.
Orion shifted back to his human form, grabbing the spare shorts he kept tied to his ankle during shifts. He pulled them on quickly.
“What are you doing out here?” he demanded, his voice harsher than intended. The remnants of fear made him sound angry.
Seraphina turned, her blue eyes widening briefly before narrowing with cold detachment. “I needed air.” Her gaze dropped to his bare chest before snapping back to his face. “Why are you following me?”
“You told the guards you were going to shift.” He stepped closer, searching her face. “Near the eastern boundary.”
“And?” She raised an eyebrow. “Last I checked, I’m still allowed to shift.”
“Near the cliff?” He couldn’t keep the accusation from his tone.
Understanding dawned in her eyes, followed by something like disgust. “You thought I was going to jump.”
Orion didn’t answer. His silence was confirmation enough.
“Well, I wasn’t, she said flatly. “Sorry to disappoint you.”
“Disappoint-?” He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “For fuck’s sake, Seraphina. I came to make sure you were safe.
“I don’t need your protection. She turned away. “Go back to the house. Go back to Lilith.” “I’m not here because of Lilith.”
10.62
<
24 Chapter 24: Provoking the Wolf
“Then why are you here, Orion?” She spun to face him, arms crossed protectively over her chest. “To torment me some more? To remind me what a burden I am to you and your brothers?”
“I came to shift too,” he lied, grasping for any excuse to stay.
She let out a humorless laugh. “Right. The three mighty Alphas always shift together. Try again.”
“Maybe I wanted to shift alone for once,” he countered.
“In the exact same spot I chose?” She rolled her eyes. “What a coincidence.”
Orion clenched his jaw. She was right–his excuse was pathetic. But he couldn’t bring himself to admit he’d been terrified for her safety. Not when she was looking at him with such cold disdain.
“Have you ever actually seen my wolf form?” he asked suddenly, changing tactics.
Of course I have. You’ve shifted in front of the pack dozens of times.”
“No, I mean up close. Have you seen me–just me–shift?”
Her brow furrowed. “What does that matter?”
It didn’t, not really. But Orion realized with a start that he’d never seen her wolf form either. Not properly. She’d been hiding it since her father’s fall from grace, keeping to herself during pack runs. Even during their mating, she’d remained human.
“I’ve never seen your wolf,” he said quietly.
“So?” She lifted her chin defiantly. “Did you follow me here hoping for a peep show?”
“I’m curious.” He stepped closer. “Is she as small as you? Probably some pathetic little runt, right?”
Her eyes flashed with anger. “My wolf is not pathetic
“Prove it,” he challenged, sensing her rising to the bait. “Show me.”
“No.” She stepped back. “I don’t have to prove anything to you.” “Scared?” He smirked. “Or embarrassed? Is she weak? Malformed?”
“Shut up!” Seraphina’s hands clenched into fists. “My wolf is beautiful.”
“Then show me, he repeated softly. “Unless you’re lying”
She glared at him, anger brightening her blue eyes to electric intensity. “Fine. You want to see my wolf? You’ll see her.
Without warning, she reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. Orion’s breath caught in his throat as she revealed a simple black bra. His mouth went dry as she
10 1
<
24 Chapter 24: Provoking the Wolf
unhooked it, letting it fall to the ground.
Her breasts were perfect–full and round with pink nipples that hardened in the cool evening air. She kept her eyes locked on his as she unbuttoned her jeans and pushed them down her legs along with her underwear.
Orion couldn’t look away. She was exquisite–her skin smooth and flushed, the curve of her waist flaring to shapely hips, the soft triangle of blonde curls between her thighs. His body responded instantly, his shorts growing tight.
“Like what you see, Alpha?” she mocked, noticing his reaction. “Too bad it’s not yours to touch.”
Before he could respond, she closed her eyes and let her shift take her. Her body contorted, bones cracking and reforming. Fur sprouted across her skin–not the dull gray he’d expected but a rich, lustrous brown.
Where Seraphina had stood moments before, a magnificent brown wolf now watched him with intelligent blue eyes. She was larger than most female wolves, her form strong and elegant. Her fur gleamed in the fading light, the same color as freshly turned earth after rain.
Orion’s wolf stirred within him, recognizing his mate in her true form. A primal urge to shift and join her, to run alongside her through the forest, nearly overwhelmed him.
She was stunning. How had he never noticed?
“Beautiful,” he whispered, taking a step toward her.
The brown wolf held her ground, head high. Her voice came through the pack bond, clear and crisp. “You’ve seen it. Now leave me alone.”
Before he could respond, she turned and bounded into the forest, a flash of brown disappearing among the trees.
Orion stood frozen, his heart racing. The image of her both human and wolf–burned in his mind. The woman he’d dismissed as weak, the wolf he’d assumed would be pathetic–both were magnificent, Both were strong. Both were his mate.
And both were slipping further from his grasp with each passing day.
