The Last Black Wolf

Chapter 8

The sound of the leaves crunching beneath our paws is the only sound for miles. I begin to pick my pace up, but only slightly. I can tell Liam's noticed.

"Hey! Can we slow down just a bit?" He asks, out of breath and visibly panting.

"You're so out of shape," I joke, "And, besides, we're almost there."

Still, I slow down to a leisurely pace. But, the sound of the leaves becomes dull as I realize I'm the only one walking. I turn my head to yell at Liam, only to find him sitting in his human form.

"For the record, I am not out of shape. I'm just hungry and tired. We've been running for almost 2 hours straight."

I shift and walk back to him and sit down, his eyes follow me the entire time, filled with confusion and uncertainty.

"How are you breathing so easy and how is your heart rate barely even elevated?"

"I'm sorry. I forgot that you're not used to this. I've spent almost every day as my wolf. It's been a while since I've stayed in my human form for more than a few hours..." I trail off as his eyes connect with mine. I blink and release a small laugh, "Sorry, we can rest here until you're ready. I don't mind." I turn my body towards him and smile.

His smile matches mine, "Don't apologize. If anything, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not finding you sooner, for not understanding that you've been through a lot-"

"Stop. Please."

The stillness of the woods becomes suffocating. I stand back up and begin walking towards Liam's territory as the sun begins to break through the earth. I turn back to him and urge him on.

"Come on. We can walk the rest of the way. Just make sure to notify your pack as we get closer so they don't kill me."

He stands and begins following me. We covered a little over 50 miles. His pack's borders should be coming up soon. I feel bad that I made him wake up so early and then proceed to run with only a small rabbit to satisfy his wolf. I get it. It's hard. At least it was when I first ran out of food.

"Can I ask you something?" Liam breaks our silence.

I nod my head.

"Can you tell me about your brother?" Before I answer he quickly adds, "You don't have to if you're not comfortable. It's alright."

"No, no. It's ok. Kai was... he was the complete opposite of me. He was carefree, loved to create, and loved nature just as much as me. He loved to build things and loved to help others. Like me, he always tried to find a better way. During the day, we didn't hang out as much. He would be busy with his own life while I was almost always training. Of course, that wouldn't stop us from sneaking out to the yard. We used to lie in the grass for hours at night just watching the moon and stars. He always had my back. I remember he would always tell me how much he liked Ravyn, and the day he found out she was his mate, he came to me crying. He was so happy it was her, but he was devastated that he had to let her go. Of course, at the time, he knew she'd be back in a couple of years and... and that gave him hope."

"Wow. I wish I could've met him. He sounds familiar,-" Liam pauses, pondering in confusion, it seems. He catches himself and continues on, "Like the guy version of you." He smiles.

I chuckle at his joke. As we walk, I decide it's my turn to ask a personal question.

"Do you know why your brother broke our treaty? And, how did he die?"

"Wow, just jumping right in,"

I go to apologize, knowing I've hit a nerve, but he stops me and continues.