Twenty four year old, Asher 'Ash' Hunter has a reputation as an Alpha who never loses. But by deciding to choose his mate for him, his father has just challenged him to the biggest game of his life.
Plagued by rogue attacks, secret plots, and the s...
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"Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of love by ourselves -- We find it with another."
-- Thomas Merton.
Remind me again why we didn't travel by car?
The lone wolf picked its way carefully through a rain-soaked forest, its thick coat barely holding the downpour at bay. Slipping between the trees on silent paws, eyes darting in every direction, constantly on the look out for danger.
Cars get noticed, the voice inside its head responded, and they'd rather this incursion remain... under the radar.
The wolf - a handsome silver when his coat wasn't waterlogged and streaked with mud - paused, its nose wrinkling as it picked up a pungent, musky smell, strong enough to travel far beyond its source.
They've been reinforcing the border, it observed clinically.
I'd expect nothing less. The rogues will certainly think twice before risking it.
Rogues, allies... this border strives to keep the whole world at bay.
It approached on tentative paws. The scent had been so heavily reinforced it lay like a thick, invisible fog across the floor, practically screaming at them not to venture any further without permission. Your brother isn't interested in uninvited guests, Asher.
He's not that keen on invited guests either, Asher reminded his wolf. He watched as Zephyr, ever the more cautious of the pair, sniffed at the noxious boundary with deep suspicion.
Are you sure we couldn't just phone ahead?
Where's the fun in that?
Zephyr let out a huff of displeasure. As they padded silently between the trees, avoiding the obvious trails, he continued to grumble to himself. Wolves observed territorial boundaries with great seriousness, and would go to great lengths to avoid trespassing on another packs hunting grounds. Their humans however, especially Zephyr's human, seemed to delight in ignoring boundaries whenever possible.
They spotted the patrol almost immediately. Only two and both in human form, they huddled miserably under the shelter of a large beech. They'd been there a while. Their senses dulled by the onslaught of rain, neither looked alert enough to spot an intruder. One, shorter than the other, tugged pointlessly at a low hanging branch, a clear sign boredom had set in.
We could slip around them?
Tempting, but we're already pushing our luck.Maybe I should take over from here?
Be my guest. Zephyr sank into Asher's conscience, their black eyes turning a rich, golden brown.
Asher grimaced as the sudden sensation of wet mud squelching under his paws mingled with the sharp scents of the forest, a damp chill settling across his shoulders. Bracing himself for the increasing discomfort to follow, he shifted, the thick fur changing to damp cloth that clung unpleasantly to his bare skin. Occasionally, the Alpha blood that allowed them to keep their clothes while shifting was less of an advantage than it appeared.
