Chapter 13
KYLE
Running in my wolf form through the forest was even more exhilarating than normal.
Was it because I’d found my fated mate? Or was it the fact that our run was limited in time because we had Monique to get home to, and I was trying to pack everything into a shorter timeframe?
We ran all the way to the steep hill we’d tumbled down the other day, turned around, and bolted all the way back again. We jumped logs, darted around trees, and slipped and slid over the mossy ground.
It was beautiful here, so much more fertile and greener than the forests of home. Our lands had become as barren as our pack.
As we grew closer to Monique, her delicious scent tickled my nose.
Divine.
I ran a little harder, a little faster. Xander remained ahead of me, his powerful wolf body pushing him to get back to his mate, just as much as mine was, and his bigger frame allowed him to set the pace.
She was already everything to me. The sunshine, the rain. The moon and the stars. My whole world now started, and ended, with Monique.
I’d only known her a few days. How much stronger would our connection be once we’d mated and had children together?
It was a scary thought to think that we might have missed out on this love, if we’d never left our pack and come searching for the witch who’d cursed us.
I darted around a large tree. Monique sat on a chair, in the middle of the forest. I slowed down, trotting as we grew closer, happiness filling my heart.
She looked like a supreme forest goddess, relaxed and happy.
I shifted back to human form. Normally I would stay in my shifter body, enjoying the strength and the simple pleasure of being in that body.
Not today. I wanted to touch my mate. Kiss her. Hold her. If she wanted it.
I strolled forward and reached out my hand. She entwined her fingers in mine and stood up, her cheeks flowering with a delightful blush.
“Can I get you guys some new clothes? Or...”
I wanted to laugh at how uncomfortable she always was with our nakedness. She really needn’t have been. I released her hand and grabbed the clothes from the ground where I’d dropped them before the shift.
“Probably should have a shower first,” I said, but here in the forest there wasn’t much I could do about that.
Xander dressed too, grunting in agreement about the shower. We had both worked up a sweat as we ran off some of our tension with the exercise.
“I can do something about that.” Monique’s voice was shy, but her eyes were determined. She raised a hand.
“Will it drain you?” I asked, not wanting that for our mate.
“Only a little. Cleaning is a spell I’ve perfected.” She waved a hand and the sensation of cleanliness washed over me.Whoa. I could get used to this.
I turned to Xander and raised a brow. He shot me a crooked grin.Yup. My Alpha was as pleased as me.
I buttoned up my jeans and pulled my shirt on over my body. “The chair and table are cute.”
Monique glanced over as though she’d forgotten they were there. “Oh, yeah. I’d better magic them away. Don’t want anyone stumbling upon them accidently.”
She flicked her wrist and the little wooden table and chair disappeared, as though they’d never even been there.
“What happens if someone, a human hiker for instance, comes across this area? Do they run into a wall when they get to the veil?” I asked.
Monique shook her head. “To them, our town is completely invisible. They’d walk straight over it, so to speak. Not that we see many people around here, like I said. When I saw you two, I almost had a heart attack.”