Runaway Rogue

Chapter Sixteen: Caspian's POV

"Indigo!" Caspian called again, but the pretty little black wolf did not slow. The only indication that he got that she had even heard him was the flicker of an ear. Apparently, her and the wolf shared the same attitude.

Other packs members started to take notice, their eyes narrowing in. "It's fine," Caspian called out to them. "I will handle it. Everyone else just needs to stay clear!"

Everyone kept their eyes on the wild rogue, but did as he commanded. Everyone besides her, of course. She was getting further and further by the second.

"Oh fuck, come on Indigo," he muttered to himself, already stripping off his clothes.

He shifted into his brown wolf and tore after her. She was fast, he had to give her that, but he was faster and his advantage was knowing this place damn well. He flew after her while she dodged and veered around surprising obstacles like sheds and a fire hydrant.

His wolf formed her scent as much as he followed her form. Thank God they hadn't met in wolf form, that would have been a heated disaster. In fact, he was a little worried that this could be too. His wolf brain was much simpler than that of his human mind, less developed. He wanted to snarl at any man who even glanced towards his mate.

And his head was filled with the thoughts of claiming her. Marks didn't typically happen in wolf form anymore, the forced act considered barbaric. But his wolf was convinced it was romantic, that she would love it and learn to submit to him. He desperately tried to remind himself that she was a rogue and that complicated things. His wolf was adamant that a mark would change everything.

He thought that this was all fresh and rocky and his wolf calmed slightly. At least the risk of losing her would keep him from doing anything too rash.

He reached the little black wolf and just as he was about to cut her off, she spun on him, dropping her front legs down low and yipping. He just stared for a moment.

She was playing. Her wolf was playing with him.

And it had frightened a handful of pack members nearly half to death. He should have herded her back to the house. But he couldn't. Not when there was a spark in her eye that he hadn't seen before, not when she looked thrilled to be around him for the first time ever.

She let out a playful growl and took off. He had no choice but the chase her, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he went.

As they moved together now, he realized that part of her problem had been the unfamiliar surroundings, but it wasn't all of it. Her limbs moved fast as if she were used to running, but it was like she had shoes on her paws. Something in her gait wasn't quite right, like she didn't know how to handle herself at such high speeds or with so many legs.

They dove into the forest together and a warning bell rang in Caspian's mind, but he easily shoved it aside. How could he think about anything else when she was taunting him, shooting him wolfish grins and stumbling her own paws as if they were two sizes too big. She was wild and any time he thought he would have a coherent sentence in his mind, she would nip at him and everything would fall apart.

He would have stayed like this forever, having her near him, enjoying her company, watching the way she moved, listening to the sounds she made. She was his only focus.

Only he heard a snarl from behind.

Then everything stopped.

The world smelled different here. He didn't know the patterns in the forest here, couldn't hear the sounds of his own pack moving through the woods.

They had crossed the boundary, right out of his pack and into another.

He was an idiot and had allowed her to distract him for far too long.