My head was still spinning as the meeting broke up, and all I could think about was getting away. But I'd gotten no further than two steps before Samuel grabbed my arm. "Where the hell do you think you're going?" he snapped.
I stared up at him, unable to formulate a coherent answer. That was the moment Ethan rescued me. "Leave her be," he said. "The Alpha needs time with his mate. When he's ready, he'll summon the Luna."
Samuel glowered, but let me go, and Ethan turned to me with sympathy in his eyes. It was a surprising sight, but a comforting one as well, and I got the distinct impression he was on my side. Why, I had no idea. But as I looked up into his dark golden eyes, I felt at peace again. "Thanks," I said. "Oh God. What the hell am I going to do?"
Ethan took my arm and led me outside. "Let's shift and go for a run," he suggested.
My face lit up, and I heard Kira yip in excitement. 'It's about bloody time!' she said, and I had to giggle. The giggle turned to a laugh at Ethan's confused face. "Kira's got cabin fever," I said, and Ethan shook his head in amusement as I concentrated on shifting for the first time in months. Admittedly, it did hurt like hell, but Dad had told me that once you got the hang of shifting, it was like riding a bike; you never forgot how to do it, even if you went months without shifting. In short order, the pain passed, and I shook my fur out when the transition was done. 'Yeah, it was way past time,' I agreed. 156Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCXwaWMs3a
Ethan stared at me in some surprise, before a smile crossed his face. "You're actually quite beautiful," he said, and though I had a face full of fur, I still felt a blush, and I nipped gently at his hand. 'Oh hush,' I said, and he chuckled.
But when he shifted, my eyes widened. He was gorgeous!156Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2osH4LzvP
He turned to look at me, and though I was soon to be Luna, I bowed my head in respect. 'Lead the way,' I said, and he nodded, before loping across the pasture. I fell into step beside him, my heart singing as I felt the earth under my paws, the wind gently ruffling my fur. Sounds and smells I'd missed for months exploded across my senses, and for the first time since the disastrous battle at Stonehenge, I felt free. This was what I was meant for.156Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkoc7yJ9tN
The trees eventually enveloped us in their shade, and now it was a case of leaping over logs, ducking and weaving through the trees, ears pricked as I focused on my surroundings. We had to run a bit slower, but it was nevertheless an exhilirating feeling, and I smiled inwardly, almost giggling as Kira let her happiness be known. The cool feel of the moss under our paws, the warmth of the sunlight on our fur, and the simple joy of being able to run free - it was a breathtaking change from the last several weeks of misery I'd been forced to endure.
We emerged into a clearing, and a cool lake lay before us. It was open to the sky, and my ears pricked at all the different forest sounds. Birds were chirping, and my sharp eyes spotted squirrels darting up and down trees. The earth smelled rich and clean, and I breathed deeply. 'I missed this so much,' I said.
Ethan nodded as he walked over to the lake and started drinking. I joined him, and we drank in silence. I felt comfortable enough to let my guard down a little bit, but I was still a bit on edge. To be sure, he had proven himself in the last few days, and he'd given me no real reason to distrust him, but I didn't want to fully relax around him. I felt bad, but I'd been through too many betrayals by males lately to be fully comfortable around one who seemed not quite as much of an asshole as the others.
'I know,' Ethan said, and I looked up at him in surprise, ears pricked forward. 'I'm still bound to you,' he added by way of explanation. 'Simon forgot to de-link us before he bonded you and your friends, so our bond is still there. If you wish me to let it go, however, tell me, and I will gladly do so.'
I hesitated, then shook my head. 'It's okay,' I said. 'I actually like having you around now. I didn't like you much the day you kicked me awake and almost cracked more ribs, but I can tolerate you now.'
'I'll take that as a compliment,' Ethan said dryly, but I could tell he wasn't that mad. And it was comforting to feel his presence in my head.
'But why?' I asked.
Ethan looked up at the sky. 'I don't know,' he admitted. 'I want to say it's because deep down you're not as bad a type as Simon claims you to be, and in a way, I can understand your pain. Almost all my pack was destroyed by a tyrant, and when Simon took me in, I thought all my prayers had been answered. But when he turned out to be as much of a tyrant as the Alpha who destroyed my pack, I felt my trust had been betrayed. But I had no choice but to stay.' He turned and looked at me. 'That tyrant was his father.'
The pain in his voice was overwhelming, and I felt my heart break. Without quite knowing why, I stepped forward and put my head against his. Thankfully he reciprocated, and we stood like that in silence for several moments.
'You're the first person I've told,' Ethan said after a while. 'Like I said, I know your pain very well, so even though I was a bit of a jerk towards you at the start, please know that it was never my intention to deliberately hurt you in anyway.'
I nodded. 'I understand,' I said. 'And thank you for telling me. But... why?'
'Your guess is as good as mine,' Ethan said, a note of laughter in his voice. 'But I feel I can trust you, because you're like me. And because you've managed to set your dislike of me aside in order to see the man - er wolf - I am underneath.'
I nodded. 'I can live with that," I said, and Ethan gave me a gentle lick on the cheek.
'We should probably be getting back,' he said, and I sighed, before leaning over to return the favour.
'Then let's go,' I said.
As we turned our noses for home, I felt even better than before. In fact, I felt I could trust Ethan a little more, and as we started our run back, I felt his gratitude. 'I'd say we can call him a friend,' Kira said, and I nodded. 'I think so too,' I agreed. 'At least I have one friend in this whole miserable pack.'
And I was going to need all the help I could get if I was to survive the upcoming Luna ceremony.
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