Maybe I needed a good, long rest, too.
"I don'tsleepthe way you do," I explained. "But I'll take a break."
He tilted his head. "Are you going to be far away?"
Did he want me to stay close to him?
"No," I said. "I'll be right here."
"Okay. Good."
Leveret shrunk as he shifted into his hare form. His fur fluffed up against the cool wind as he sought out a depression in the rocks with an overhang. He nestled into his makeshift shelter and closed his eyes.
As a shiver ran visibly over his pelt, I had an inexplicable fantasy about shifting into something big and furry to help keep him warm.
Good gods.
Choosing a location so far from his pack was a mistake—with the ridiculous way my thoughts raced about Leveret, he needed to go home sooner than later.
Seven
Leveret
My eyes blinked open to a massive expanse of blue as far as I could see. Wispy white clouds raced across the sky. The air smelled crisp and fresh, and the cool wind ruffled my fur.
At first, I didn't know where I was. But oddly, I didn't panic. I felt calm, not anxious, so everything must've been fine.
Then I remembered what happened with Animus whisking me away in the middle of the night and bringing me to this cliff.
I was right—everythingwasfine.
Well, aside from the fact that Lupa was probably freaking out, and I suspected the rest of the pack was worried sick, too...
I wished I could speak to them telepathically and tell them I was fine. Honestly, members of the pack got "kidnapped" all the time. That was how my uncles Weston and Nishiki met. My cousins Cloud and River wouldn't have been born if Weston hadn't snatched Nishiki out of the water, thinking he was a tasty snack...
But the person—or entity, I should say—who stole me away was Animus. He was a contentious topic among my family. They argued constantly over whether he was good or evil.
After a while, I tuned them out because I didn't understand the point of their debates. Why did Animus have to be one single thing?
Why couldn't he just behim?
"Good morning, mortal."
Animus's voice surprised me. I didn't see him, but I heard him.
I craned my head back to see him standing behind me. He held something in his clawed hand, but I couldn't tell what it was from this angle.
"Here," he said, dropping the item at my paws.
It was a bundle of freshly picked clover, grasses and dandelions—a mouthwatering breakfast for an herbivore. Was Animus one, too?
"Is this your food?" I asked.
He got that confused look on his face, which happened often when I asked him questions.
"It's for you," he said.
My eyes widened. "Really?"