Chapter 242

Agnes

The forest around us was quiet except for the gentle rustling of the leaves overhead as a breeze wound its way through the trees. Sunlight filtered through the canopy above, casting dappled patterns on the forest floor.

It was a beautiful day. Perfect for my first shift in almost a decade.

“Are you ready?” Elijah, leaning against a tree nearby, asked.

I nodded, although my stomach was twisting and turning. Eight years. It had been eight long years since I had last shifted. Now that the moment was finally here, I was admittedly nervous. Could I even do it anymore? Did I even know how?

“Stop,” Elijah said, sensing my fear through our newly formed mate bond. It would take some getting used to, keeping my emotions from seeping into his mind. Although I wasn’t entirely certain whether I’d want to hide my feelings from my mate. “Stop thinking about all the what-ifs. Just feel her. Listen to her.”

“He’s right. Let go. It’s going to be fine.” My wolf was there, impatient as ever.

“I’m going to shift first,” Elijah said, pushing away from the tree. “Just follow your instincts.”

I watched as his body began to change. In mere seconds, the human version of my mate was gone, replaced by a magnificent wolf. He padded over to me, nuzzling his huge head against my shoulder, and the contact sent a warm tingle through me.

“Your turn,” his voice rumbled through the bond.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and finally, finally let go.

The shift came easier than I expected. One moment I was standing on two legs, and the next, I was on four. Smooth and natural, like slipping into a well-worn pair of jeans.

But something was different. I could feel it immediately—a warmth pulsing through my fur, a power that hadn’t been there the last time I had shifted eight years ago. I turned my head, trying to see myself.

My fur was… changed.

I couldn’t believe it. My wolf’s fur had always been plain and unremarkable before. This was something entirely new. It was black now, with golden and red flecks throughout. Similar to the new color of my eyes, it was like embers floating through the night sky.

Elijah met my gaze, his wolf’s eyes lighting up in recognition. Then, he turned and took off into the forest.

Without hesitation, I followed.

Oh, Goddess, the feeling of running on four legs again after so long! The wind whipped through my fur, carrying a thousand scents that my human nose could never detect. The mossy forest floor was soft and spongy beneath my paws, and my muscles bunched and stretched with each stride. I felt powerful, alive, free in a way I hadn’t felt in eight years.

Elijah stayed just ahead of me, leading me through the trees, occasionally glancing back as if to make sure I was still following. As if I would be anywhere else. Through our bond, I could feel his joy, his exhilaration. That feeling became my own, and soon, I couldn’t even recall who had felt it first.

I pushed myself faster, trying to catch up to him. I gained on him quickly, nipping playfully at his tail when I got close enough.

He yelped and veered suddenly to the left, diving through a thicket of bushes. I followed, brambles catching in my fur but failing to slow me down. When I emerged on the other side, Elijah was nowhere in sight.

I slowed to a trot, ears perked forward, searching for any sign of him. The forest had fallen quiet. Too quiet.

And then he pounced from above, having climbed up onto a fallen log. He landed on my back, sending us both tumbling to the ground in a tangle of limbs and fur.

We wrestled playfully, rolling across the forest floor, nipping and pawing at each other. Through it all, my wolf sang with joy, reveling in the feeling of being like this. I could stay like this forever.

But eventually, we broke apart, both panting hard. Elijah shifted back to his human form, laughing breathlessly as he lay sprawled on the ground. I followed suit, my arms and legs loose and pleasantly sore after my run.

And then we were both human again, exhilarated and breathless, leaves and twigs stuck in our hair. Elijah rolled over so he was hovering above me and brushed a smudge of dirt from my cheek.

“Do you have any idea how long I’ve dreamed of running with you like that?” he breathed.

I grinned like an idiot. “Probably about as long as I’ve dreamed of it.”

His hand drifted lower, tracing the curve of my jaw, my neck, down to my collarbone. The forest air was cool, raising goosebumps in the wake of his touch. Through our bond, I could feel his desire rising, matching my own. After that run, I knew we wanted the same thing: further release.

Without a word, Elijah leaned forward and captured my lips with his. The kiss was hungry, demanding. I matched his intensity. I wanted more. Wanted all of him. Right here, right now.

And then our hands were everywhere—his tangling in my hair, skimming down my sides, cupping my breasts, mine tugging at his jacket and ripping at his belt.

“I want you,” I gasped against his mouth. “Now.”

Elijah growled in response, his wolf still too close to the surface even for words. With a fumble and the sound of a buckle, he undid his belt and pants, just enough to slip his hard cock free. I was already pushing my own leggings down, bunching them around my thighs. I held my legs together and hooked them over one of his shoulders, giving him perfect access to my opening.

He entered me in one smooth thrust, filling me completely. I cried out, my head falling back against the forest floor. Goddess, nothing had ever felt this good. It was as if the time spent running as wolves had heightened all of our senses, making every touch, every movement, more intense.

Elijah set a punishing pace, his hips driving into mine with a force that had me seeing stars. One of his hands slid between us, finding my clit and circling it with each thrust.

The pressure was almost unbearable. It was mere moments before I was nearing my release. Elijah’s rhythm sped up, and I knew he was close, too.

Suddenly, I felt his presence through the bond. He sent a thrum down the invisible string that was like an electric shock. I couldn’t take it—I had to release. Now.

We broke apart together, in tandem, the bond humming and igniting like fiery whips across our insides. I couldn’t help it—I howled as my pussy clenched around his cock. Elijah grinned, then howled with me as he spilled inside of me.

I had never felt more at peace, more complete, than I did in that moment. My wolf was back. My mate was by my side. For the first time in eight years, I felt whole again, our dual howls rising into the forest air like the sweetest melody I’d ever heard.

I could have stayed like that forever.