The Hunt

Chapter 29

I laughed as Amara and I emerged from the forest, sweat drenching my body, and I was sure that I probably smelt, my human fitness ability struggling to keep up with hers, and although she said that she wasn't holding back much, I could tell that she was.

She most likely would have run for miles and miles if I hadn't asked her to come with me, and she chuckled at me as I used my top to wipe my forehead, my eyes going wide at the amount of perspiration that soaked onto it.

That would be needing a good soak.

"Are you going to go home and have a shower?" asked Amara, her eyes dropping to my exposed neck, lingering on my mark for a few seconds before she snapped back to reality, putting a smile onto her face, masking her slightly shocked expression.

"Is that a hint?" I teased her, laughing, suddenly feeling self conscious, moving my hair so it was covering up my neck. If I was honest, I had forgotten about it, and it had reminded me that the mark wouldn't last forever unless I also marked Cole, and that wouldn't be happening anytime soon.

The idea of marking Cole caused my insides to shiver, and I felt a sudden urge to sink my teeth into him and mark his as mine forever, however, I didn't want to spring it on him and face possible rejection.

He wasn't allowing me to leave, but that didn't mean he had fully accepted me, us not having had a real conversation about what we were yet. I had decided I was going to speak to him about us, wanting to clarify with him what we were before shit went down involving my colony.

I couldn't think of any other way to try and help the pack. I didn't want to sit around and just watch everyone risk their lives in order to save me, but, I couldn't offer much.

However, Cole didn't want to hear it, and it frustrated me. As much as I knew I needed the wolves' head, I wanted to help somehow, and it felt as if he wasn't letting me.

"You're not working tonight, are you?" asked Amara and I shook my head, relieved.

I preferred having morning shifts. Even though getting up early was sometimes a challenge, after my shift, I had the rest of my day to relax and do whatever I wanted.

However, after receiving the letter from my father, that free time would most likely be filled with anguish and worry.

"Okay, well, we could go over to the dining hall later and have dinner? We haven't done that for a while," suggested Amara, and I eagerly agreed, having missed my friend. I hadn't seen her much lately, me now living with Cole making it harder to see her since she felt awkward invading his personal space, even when he wasn't home.

I missed when she would spontaneously show up at my little cottage.

"That sounds good," I said, offering her a small smile, furrowing my brows when she reached down to pick something up off the ground.

It wasn't often you saw litter around here, the wolves having multiple people hired to go around the territory and clean up any trash that was about, Cassia being one of them.

The wolves respected their own environment, and so, nobody was ever disrespectful enough to throw their litter to the ground. They all disposed of it themselves.

"What's this?" mumbled Amara to herself, and my eyes went wide once I realised it was a crumpled up piece of paper, my hands instinctively patting my pockets down, realising they were empty.

I knew I should have returned home first to change into proper running attire and to hide the letter, however, I was so stressed and in a mood from Cole's disinterest in me helping, I waved the niggling thoughts away.