CHAPTER THREE
After they ate, showered, and got dressed, – in fact, only Avelyn got dressed, – they stepped outside, on the porch. Their eyes quickly adapted to the darkness of the mountains and forest. The full moon rising high in the sky reflected beautifully in the white, immaculate snow. Avelyn could swear she was in a fairytale. She was almost on high alert for winter fairies to pop up from between the tall, green firs. She’d read enough fantasy novels to know the fairies of the Winter Court were not the most pleasant folk to have around.
“Where are we going?”
Max took a couple of steps through the tall, thick snow. Despite being naked, he didn’t feel an ounce of discomfort. His strong, healthy body enjoyed being in the middle of the forest, almost knee-deep in snow. The harsh wind circled Max as if they were long-time friends.
“Told you it’s a surprise.”
Avelyn cocked and eyebrow and waited for him to shift. There was a nice ride ahead of her, and she couldn’t wait to feel the rush of adrenaline as Max sped through the trees, avoiding obstacles and jumping over fallen logs. Back at the Schloss, they made sure to go for a ride at least once every two weeks. When he was in his wolf form and Avelyn up on his back, they felt such an intimate connection that they could easily say they might choose it over sex. Fortunately, a ride through the woods surrounding their home usually led to a quick tryst by the waterfall. They couldn’t make love in the castle, but they could ask Jocelyn to make sure the wolf pups stayed inside while they were out.
The sound of cracking bones snapped Avelyn out of her trance. Wide-eyed, she watched Max fall on all fours as his body changed and transformed. His muscles grew, his bones glued themselves back in a different shape, his face elongated, and fur grew out of his skin pores. In a matter of seconds, he was not a man anymore. He was a mighty wolf, almost as tall as a horse, but much stronger and faster than one. He turned to Avelyn. His dark green eyes were the same.
Avelyn squealed and ran to him. She was glad she’d been inspired enough to leave her winter coat inside. It would’ve only hindered her movements as she climbed on his back and held on to him tightly. She dug her fingers in his thick pelt, and squeezed her hands into fists.
Now that he was in his wolf form, Max couldn’t communicate quite as easily. Since Avelyn was a hybrid, they did have a sort of telepathic connection. If they both focused hard enough to control their thoughts, they could hear each other clearly.
“Hold on.”
“I’m ready.”
The black wolf sniffed the air, and once he got a sense of direction, he dashed through the trees. The crisp winter air hit his nostrils, and he inhaled sharply. His lungs filled eagerly, like two jugs that had been left dry for too long, and when he exhaled, his breath was visible in the night. But even more amazing than that was feeling Avelyn’s warm weight on his back. To make it more exciting for her, he jumped over a log, avoided two trees at the last second, then stopped on a hill overlooking the valley below. He threw his head back, closed his eyes, and let out a long howl at the full moon.
Avelyn screamed in excitement. Her whole body was covered in goosebumps, and it wasn’t because of the cold. Max’s howl had shaken her to the core, opened up her heart, and brought tears of joy to her eyes. She couldn’t howl, but she could sure scream and laugh her head off. When he howled a second time, she threw her own head back, let the wind play in her red, messy hair, and imitated him.
They were two crazy lovers, a wolf-shifter and his mate, having fun and howling at the moon. Nothing wrong with that. It was a good thing this part of the Black Forest Mountains was mostly closed during periods with heavy snowfall. Avelyn knew where Max was taking her. She could hear the waterfall in the distance. Of course he’d take her there. His surprise was to show her Triberg Falls on Christmas night, when the tourist trails were closed, and no one was allowed near these parts. It was simply too dangerous for humans. But not for shifters and hybrids.
Five more minutes of running, dashing, and raining fluffy snow all over Avelyn every time the wolf’s paws left the ground, and they found themselves on the platform, in front of the majestic waterfall. Max lowered himself to the ground and
helped his wife jump off his back. He shifted so he could hold her hand as they both gazed upon the natural wonder that was Triberg Falls.
“Did you know it’s the highest waterfall in Germany?” he asked.
She shook her head gently.
“Well, it plummets down a 163 meters mountain slope. If you want, we can go up there. The view must be amazing.”
“It’s breathtaking as it is. Let’s just stay down here for a while.”
He hugged her from behind. It was a good thing no one was around to see them. The sight of a lightly dressed woman and a completely naked man surrounded by ice and snow could be unsettling, to say the least. Yes, humans knew about the existence of shapeshifters and hybrids, and all was well in the world since the two races had set their differences aside and made peace, but some things were still not allowed in public. Like walking around naked and shifting with an audience.
“I love it,” Avelyn whispered.
“It’s much bigger than our waterfall back home.”
She smiled. “No, you know what? This one is mind-blowing, but I love ours more. Because it’s ours.”
“It doesn’t even have a name.”
“I don’t care. We might as well name it ourselves.”
He laughed wholeheartedly. “It’s no more than a stream of water falling down some rocks into a muddy pool.”
“I remember it bigger and more impressive than that.”
“Well, it does hold personal meaning…”
“That’s why we should name it.”