She was ~furious~.
Yet she took him out anyway.
If he was being precise, she smuggled him out.
Julian thought she might confine him indoors, follow ordersâespecially after he provoked her. It hadnât been his initial intention, but it was difficult to resist her. He knew he was the stranger, the outsider. No one trusted him.
The moment he entered a room, all activity would cease. Everyoneâs eyes were on him. He couldnât exactly fault them; he might do the same if he were in their shoes. He was a nobody, a nothing... a stranger who had survived a massacre.
Was he the villain?
He didnât feel like oneâbut... with his memories wiped clean, he was a different person. He did feel stronger with each passing day. More in control, more competent. Maybe it was his strength coming back or his body healing... he couldnât be sure.
âWouldnât shifting be easier?â
Maya halted her pacing, standing still in the middle of the field. âIt ~would~ be,â she retorted, turning to face him.
Her breaths were shallow, the red strands escaping from her ponytail sticking to the back of her sweaty neck. ~It was fucking hot out here~. âBut, Iâm trying to make it look like Iâm taking my injured puppy for a walk.â
âAm I the injured puppy in this analogy?â
She let out a heavy sigh, blowing the hair out of her face. âWhat do you think?â
âYou really donât want to know what Iâm thinking.â
Her rules might apply to her, but they didn't apply to him. At first, he hadn't wanted to draw attentionâstirring up trouble didn't seem like a good idea but, as time went on... he was reconsidering. He wanted to challenge themâ~him~.
Maya was listening to ~him~, protecting ~him~.
It felt like an itch spreading across his skin, a bug burrowing beneath and crawling inside him. He didn't like it. He found pleasure in watching her be reckless, free, and unbound to her Alpha. ~He loved it~.
The more freedom he experienced, the better he felt. Out here, on the fringes of the pack, he could breathe easier. It was as if he had been unshackled. There was a pull to be out here rather than in there.
Luckily, he was wise enough to control his instincts. He couldnât be out there aloneâat least not until his memories returned. He didnât know what had happened to him, or who might be out there waiting for him. He could walk straight into a trap without even realizing it.
~Patience was key~.
âIf Iâm a puppy, I should act the part.â
âWhat?â
Instead of responding verbally, he decided to show her. He grabbed the hem of his blue t-shirt, pulling it over his chest. He tried to suppress his wince, some residual pain still lingering. ~Fuck~, he thought he would have healed faster.
Julian tossed his shirt onto the grass, smirking as he watched Maya. But she wasnât looking at himâat least not at his face. Her bottom lip parted from her top lip, her mouth slightly ajar. There was a primal roar in his chest, a desire to bite that tantalizing little lip.
His gaze remained on her as his hands reached for his belt, unbuckling it. He watched her flinch at the clinking sound, but it wasnât enough to make her look away. Julian pushed his pants down until they pooled around his ankles.
That was enough to make her look away.
Now that he no longer had an audience, he discarded his underwear and bent down to shift. ~She would follow~. He was certain of it. He ran past her, focusing on the path ahead, and sprinted deeper into the forestâwhere they couldnât be seen.
After a moment, he heard her.
She was running behind him, trying to keep up. He knew she might eventually catch upâshe was in peak condition and he wasnât. But, he made it happen sooner. He didnât want to be chased; he wanted to chase ~her~. He wanted to hunt his prey and overpower it.
~Mine. Mine. Mine~.
He slowed his pace without ever stopping, waiting, his heart pounding when he could hear her paws hitting the ground behind him. ~A little bit more. More. Just a little more~. She closed the distance and he growled when she brushed past him.
Julian expected a backward glance, a lookâbut nothing.
She gave him nothing.
Maya sprinted past him, her red fur a stark contrast to the lush, deep greens surrounding them, and she kept running. ~Running from him~. It was exhilarating. They ran and ran, taking turns he didnât remember, veering left and then right.
He didnât know where he was, where they were headed, but he followed.
After crossing a small river, their bodies drenched from the water, she slowed down. He maintained a distance between them, waiting to see what her next move would be. He wasnât done chasing herâit didnât feel like he had won. It hadnât been enoughânot enough hunting.
And then, she moved away. Rising from the ground, she exposed her bare back to him. Her petite legs, curvaceous behind, and the pronounced curve of her spine were all on display. From his angle, he could catch glimpses of her breasts.
The sight was enough to make him revert to his human form.
He strode towards her with a quick pace, while she remained as still as a statue. His chest felt light, but his heart pounded as he closed the gap between them. His recent transformation had left his senses sharp, and his adrenaline pumping.
~Julian could take her right here. He could make love to her, watch as she cried out and pleaded.~
~He could do it~.
He hovered his hand over the small of her back, never touching her. His fingers tingled as he circled her, his hand mimicking his movements. He continued until he was standing in front of her. He could look down, but he chose not to.
Julian locked eyes with her, watching her breathe heavily. Her lips were dryâcracked⦠he could remedy that. He could make them full and bruisedâwet. He could have a little taste.
His groin tightened and he stepped forward. The tips of her breasts brushed against his chest and he growled.
She had been rigid beforeâin her room. But not now. He leaned in, reducing the height difference, and then, he cupped her face with both hands. He ran his thumb over her lip, before pulling it down.
"Do you enjoy being pursued, Maya?" He leaned in closer, their foreheads touching. "Do you want me to pursue you?"
Her eyes met his, but she remained silentâjust staring at him. He could hear her heart pounding, her cheeks flushing as she pressed her body against his. The feel of her bare skin against his elicited a groan from him, breaking his self-control.
The wind picked up, rustling the trees and causing leaves to fall. The breeze was refreshing, like ice against his heated skin. ~But something else came with it.~ His nose twitched, and so did Mayaâs: they both smelled it.
Blood, and lots of it.
âThatâs the smell.â
~The smell when she found him.~ He remembered it.
They both spun around and jumped, shifting mid-leap and landing on wolf legs. They sprinted across the clearing, guided by their noses. ~It was the same thing.~ Branches slapped against his snout as he raced through, but he ignored the stings.
His healing wounds were slowing him down, allowing Maya to take the lead. He trailed behind her, following the patch of red fur amid the forest green. They were both heading towards the same destination.
They ran past a dirt road, past windmills, deep into the forest. Maya was the first to stop, so suddenly that he almost collided with her. She shifted, laying flat on her stomach before pushing herself up. She crawled a few meters before standing up.
But she didnât utter a word.
He stayed where he was, shifting back to his human form. As a human, he was taller than herâ~much~ taller. He could see over her head, and the sight that met his eyes was not one he wanted to see.
A line of bodiesâperhaps six.
Blood stained the grass, soaking into the earth, while the bodies lay on top. Some were intact, others dismembered, but regardless of the extent of their injuries, it was a massacre and no one had been spared.
The sun was high in the sky, baking the remains and leaving a nauseating stench in the air. He held his breath for a moment, his nostrils begging for a break.
He turned his head slightly, catching sight of Maya. Her bare chest rose and fell with each breath she took, her green eyes glistening with unshed tears. He was repulsed by the sight, but she was ~affected~ by it.
Something was off with him. Was he familiar with this kind of scene? Because of what had happened to him or because of what he might have done in the past? But then again, this wasnât him. No scent was familiar, no face was recognizable.
Nothing was triggering a memory.
The only thing he knew was that he didnât do ~this~.
"I don't know about the last killing spree, but I think I've got a solid alibi this time."
~Maybe he was innocent~.