Chapter 175

Hannah

My paws thundered against the forest floor, my lungs filled with the scent and weight of damp, thick forest air. I wove around trees, leaped over fallen logs, burst through thickets and eventually came to rest for a moment at the top of a large, smooth boulder.

Noah bounded up alongside me, his footsteps making little sound as he approached. I didn’t look at him, but rather kept my gaze fixed on the forest below, searching for any sign of movement with my keen eyes.

The wind rustled my fur. Beside me, I felt Noah lean slightly, his larger form towering over mine. Only then did I chance a glance up at him, and it was then that I saw his wolf eyes, glowing greener than the leaves, staring down at me.

But I didn’t take so much as a moment to gaze back, because there, over his shoulder, I saw a puffy white tail disappear into the forest.

With a soft growl, I moved past Noah and leaped down from the rock, laying chase again. He followed, matching my pace as we raced through the trees. The sacrificial deer’s sweet, potent scent filled my nostrils, driving my wolf into a frenzy of excitement.

Goddess, this felt good. I hadn’t felt this connected to my wolf in years. With the thrill of the hunt pulsing through my veins, I felt like a new woman.

The forest blurred around us as we raced faster, rapidly turning into a blur of greens and browns. Sunlight filtered through the canopy, dappling the ground with patches of golden light. I could hear Noah’s heavy breathing beside me, feel the heat radiating from his silver coat.

Up ahead, the doe took a sudden, sharp turn around a large tree. Pushing faster, Noah playfully nipped at my shoulder before he put on a sudden burst of speed and soared ahead of me.

I growled again and raced after him now, not just the doe.

To my surprise, I found myself gaining on Noah. My legs pumped harder, muscles I had almost forgotten I had burning with blissful exertion. Noah glanced at me as I returned to his side, his wolf eyes widening in surprise as, with one last push, I pulled ahead. I shot him an open-mouthed gape over my shoulder, a playful, but silent tease.

He let out a growl, his hackles raising as he pushed himself faster behind me. We wove between trees, leaping over a small babbling creek, always keeping the doe in our line of sight but allowing ourselves a chance to play, to egg each other on. The forest was alive around us, birds scattering at our approach, small animals darting for cover.

The deer was just ahead now, its white tail flashing as it darted through the underbrush. I put on an extra burst of speed, my jaws opening in anticipation.

Goddess, how I wanted to taste meat—real, raw meat, a fresh kill, something that I had deemed myself too poised to indulge in since I had become a Luna.

“Lunas don’t hunt,” I had begun telling myself years ago. “They don’t eat raw meat. They don’t eat anything, really.”

Well, not anymore. My wolf craved to give in to her natural instincts, and I couldn’t bear to deny her that satisfaction anymore.

Just as I was about to lunge, Noah appeared in my peripheral vision. For a moment, I thought he was going to overtake me.

But then, almost imperceptibly, he slowed. Just enough for me to surge ahead and make the final leap.

My teeth sank into the soft, furry flesh of the deer’s neck, the taste of blood flooding my mouth. The deer shrieked and whimpered, her gangly legs kicking wildly. Still, with a swift jerk of my neck, I brought the animal down to the forest floor and savored the sensation and taste of her fear and adrenaline.

Finally, the deer jerked, then whimpered, then let out one last groan. I never let go, not once, just sank my teeth in further and further. Finally, she went limp, and only then did I remove my thick canines from her throat.

“Have to save it,” I thought to my wolf, licking my chops as I sat back on my haunches. “We can’t eat it yet.”

Behind me, I heard the soft padding of paws on leaves and turned, still licking my chops, to see Noah approaching. His green eyes flicked to my mouth, his own tongue instinctively darting out, as he took in the sight of my blood-stained fur.

I was the first to shift back. My bones contorted easily, fur turning back into flesh and clothes, and I found myself kneeling in front of the deer’s carcass. Blood still coated my mouth, although I made no move to wipe it away, rather savoring the tangy, metallic flavor.

Shifting back himself, Noah stared at me, his eyes wide with what looked like awe. Slowly, he approached, dropping to a crouch in front of me and pulling a handkerchief from his pocket.

“There, killer,” he whispered, gently wiping the blood from my mouth. His touch was tender, a stark contrast to the primal energy still thrumming through both of us. “I didn’t think you had it in you.”

I grinned, still feeling the thrill of the hunt coursing through my veins—mixed with the lingering sensation of primal, animalistic yearning that hadn’t left me since our night together. It was almost unbearable now, that ache between my thighs, especially with him so close.

Without thinking, I darted my tongue out, licking a drop of blood from his finger. Noah froze, his breath catching in his throat.

“I’ve always had it in me,” I murmured, my voice husky. “I just never set it free.”

Noah growled softly, the sound sending shivers down my spine. I didn’t move away as his eyes roamed over my body, dark with desire. And in that moment, I think our wolves were still in control of our desires, of our actions.

Gently, he gripped my wrists and pushed me down onto the bed of leaves beside my kill, looming over me.

The air between us crackled with tension. I could feel the heat of his body, see the rapid rise and fall of his chest. My wolf whined, urging me to close the distance between us. The forest seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of us in our own little world.

We could do it, I thought to myself. Maybe there wasn’t time, but my wolf was telling me that it didn’t matter much if our pack accidentally found us rutting right there on the forest floor. The taste of the doe’s blood must have clouded my logic, returned me to a more base level of instinct.

But then, just as Noah began to lean in, the sound of approaching footsteps made that logic return—for both of us. Realizing that we were about to make another mistake, and right in front of our pack this time, I sprang away from him. I scrambled to my feet, leaves clinging to my clothes, as the rest of the hunting party burst into the clearing.

As I brushed myself off, I caught a glimpse of movement behind a particularly large tree that made me pause. Zoe was sliding off of the back of Drake’s wolf form, her feet touching the ground just as they came into full view. She made a show of smoothing down her clothes and sighing contentedly, as if she had just shifted back herself.

But I knew better.

Interesting, I thought to myself. My eyes narrowed as I watched her meander into the clearing, filing away this information for later.

“Nice. Clean kill,” Drake said, leaning close to observe the deer—two perfect puncture wounds right at the base of her skull.

I followed his gaze. She had likely only felt a singular flash of pain before it was lights out, and the rest that happened after had just been her muscles taking over. Now that the primal fog was clearing from my mind, I did feel a little bad for harming another creature, and wiped my bloody mouth with the back of my hand.

“You killed her?” Drake asked, noticing my movement.

Noah’s chest puffed out before I could answer. “She outran my wolf. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

My eyes widened slightly at the fact that he conveniently left out how he let me win. But before I could say anything, a cheer went up from the gathered pack members who had overheard, and suddenly I was being lifted onto strong shoulders.

“Luna! Luna! Luna!” The chant echoed through the forest, making my cheeks flush a shade of red more crimson than the blood still coating the inside of my lips.

As I was paraded around, my eyes landed on Zoe. Her face was red, her lips pressed into a thin line. She couldn’t shift, could she? The idea gave me a petty sense of satisfaction. I couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking, seeing me celebrated like this.

When I was finally set back on my feet, Noah’s arm snaked around my shoulders.

“Time for the feast!”