" Talon , for the love of Luna , SHUT UP . " I leaned back against the wall and rubbed my eyes , the weight of this whole messed up situation pressing down on my shoulders like a boulder . Elowen . Fucking Elowen . 64 The girl I've spent the last few years fighting , glaring at , throwing snark and insults just to keep her away . Because she made me feel things . Things I wasn't supposed to feel . Things that made me question shit . I'd known Elowen our whole lives . Her father was an Alpha who served my father . I hadn't noticed her until we turned 13. She was a nerd . A bad ass nerd , but still . She wasn't anything special . And now ? Now the moon had the audacity to mate me to her ? My father was going to kill me for skipping the ceremony . Or worse , he'd be disappointed . And honestly , that was harder to deal with . " Get up , " I growled , shoving off the wall and tossing the whiskey aside . " We need to run . " Rylen raised a brow . " Now ? In dress clothes ? " " Now , " I snapped . " Talon's going crazy and I need to hit something . " Jace whooped . " Hell yeah . Let's wreck some trees . " We stripped down behind the tree line , the forest already humming with energy from the full moon . My shift hit fast and hard , bone snapping , black fur bursting through skin , the kind of pain that made you feel alive . Talon surged forward , massive and black with silver streaks down his flanks , shaking the earth with each pawstep . The others followed , Rylen's wolf Anton , all lean speed and brown and tan fur , and Jace's wolf Kreel , a hulking russet brute who ran like the damn wind . We tore through the woods , paws digging into moss and dirt , leaving shredded bark and crushed leaves in 1/4 11:56 Mon , Sep 22 Chapter 13 our wake . But no matter how far we ran ... No matter how fast ... Her scent followed us . And Talon ? He howled for her like the moon itself had carved her into his soul . Elowen POV 17 64 The bass thumped . The lights spun . Bodies moved like they had no care in the world , twirling and grinding in celebration . But I couldn't breathe . Not with this many people . Not with him not showing up . Not with the bond humming like a live wire under my skin . I was gonna lose it . Taya had dragged me onto the dance floor once , but I faked a stomach cramp to escape . The truth ? I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched . Hunted . Like the moon itself was burning into my skin . I needed air . I needed to run . I slipped out the side door , heels in my hand , dress hitched up as I bolted into the woods . Branches scratched at my legs , the wind licked across my face , and the second my feet hit soft moss , I let go . The shift hit fast , skin to fur , bones breaking and rebuilding , Lyssira screaming with joy as she ripped through me and took control . Finally , She howled into the night , stretching her limbs and shaking her coat . Her silver and blue tipped fur shimmered in the moonlight , no longer hidden , no longer dyed . We were raw . Wild . Free . 2/4 11:56 Mon , Sep 22 Chapter 13 And then ... We smelled him . Thunderstorms and campfire . Mate . My paws stuttered mid stride , claws gouging the earth as the scent crashed into us like a goddamn freight train . " Mine . Mine . Ours . GO . " Lyssi was a one track wolf . I screamed in my mind , " NO LYSSI ! " But she shut that shit down . I watched helplessly from my mind already knowing what was coming . Lyssira took off , full speed , no hesitation . I couldn't stop her even if I wanted to . The trees blurred . The earth trembled . Then ... There . A blur of black and silver fur tearing through the forest just ahead . Talon . Our eyes met mid sprint . Silver to silver . Fire to fucking gasoline . We collided . Snarling . Twisting . Tangling in limbs and teeth and pheromones thick enough to drown in . Not fighting ... claiming . Rolling through the leaves , we snapped and circled , nipping flanks and throats , testing dominance and dancing that dangerous , beautiful line between feral and fated . " Mate . " I groaned in my head . " Here we fucking go . " Our wolves didn't care about politics , or bloodlines , or bullshit . They only cared about us . Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!