Chapter 87
Astrid’s POV
I paused as the words washed over . Did he just call baby? I turned to him and noticed that there was mirth in his eyes. Was he playing with ?
"What is it?" He asked .
I blinked trying to comprehend what was going on. He could be ssing with but on second thought, Kaeleen wouldn’t joke about things like this especially when I was so sensitive to affection even if I craved it from him. And the fact that he said it so casually, a simple statent of fact as he smiled down at .
Perhaps it wasn’t a slip of the tongue; it was spoken with an easy confidence, as if he’d called that a thousand tis before. My heart, which had been pounding from the exertion of our spar, gave a completely different kind of beat if that was even possible. It was a hot, dizzying flip that sent warmth rushing through my veins, all the way to the tips of my fingers and toes.
Sheena, my wolf, purred loudly in my mind, a sound of pure, unadulterated delight. She preened under the endearnt, soaking it in like a cat in a sunbeam. I, on the other hand, felt my cheeks fla with a blush so intense I was certain I must be glowing. I was montarily speechless, my mind a blank slate wiped clean by that single word.
"Are you okay?" He asked when he noticed how red I was.
His brow furrowed as he stared at with concern. He was acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, which only made feel more flustered.
"I... work?" I finally managed to stamr, my voice sounding breathless. I cleared my throat, trying to regain so semblance of composure. "I thought the Phoenix was finished. That everything was finalized."
"Almost," he corrected, his tone shifting back to business, though the playful light never quite left his eyes. "The car is done, but the launch is a massive undertaking. There are logistics, security details, and a hundred other small fires to put out before the gala. It never really ends."
My heart did a little plumt. Of course. He was an Alpha and a CEO of a massive company. His work was never truly done. The bubble of our intense morning, the connection forged in the sparring ring, seed to pop. Reality ca rushing back in. He had a world to run, and I was just one small part of it.
I forced a smile, trying my best to mask the sudden, sharp pang of disappointnt. I wanted more of this. More of him. The sparring, the easy camaraderie, the way he looked at with that fiery pride in his eyes. I wasn’t ready for it to end.
"Oh. Right, of course," I said, my voice hopefully sounding brighter than I felt. I took a small step back, creating a distance that felt like a chasm. "Well, you should go. Don’t let keep you from your work." I gave him what I hoped was a casual wave. "I’ll see you later this evening, then."
I turned to leave, my shoulders slumping slightly as soon as my back was to him. The vibrant energy of the morning felt like it was draining out of , leaving a hollow ache behind. It made no sense that I was sad he was going to work. Perhaps I had enjoyed his company so much that him being apart was ssing with .
I wonder how I was going to get through the rest of the day. I never even felt this intense pull with Leon. I didn’t care if Leon was leaving for work which was mostly to attend to pack duties but...
"Astrid."
His voice stopped in my tracks, interrupting my thoughts. I paused, but didn’t turn around.
"The work isn’t that urgent," he said softly from behind . "The fires can wait an hour or two to be put out."
I turned slowly, my heart giving another hopeful flutter. He was watching with a look of such open tenderness it stole my breath away. He had seen right through my flimsy attempt to hide my disappointnt. He had seen it, and he had chosen to stay.
A wide, brilliant smile broke across my face, and I couldn’t have hidden it if I tried. The hollow ache was gone, replaced by a bubbling, joyful warmth. "Really?"
"Really," he confird, his own smile returning, deeper this ti. A sudden, restless energy seed to spark through him. He rolled his shoulders, his eyes drifting past towards the edge of the pack lands. "All that sparring has itching for a real run."
His gaze t mine, and it was a challenge, a silent invitation full of wild promise.
Before I could even form a reply, he took off.
He didn’t jog; he sprinted, his powerful legs eating up the ground with an explosive speed that was purely werewolf. He ran towards the back of the pack house, towards the vast, open space that served as our territory’s heart.
Without a second thought, pure, unadulterated excitent surged through , and I ran after him. My laughter bubbled up, carried away by the wind as I chased the Alpha of the Erald pack across his land.
The training grounds gave way to a manicured lawn, which in turn lted into the wild. We burst from the treeline into a space so vast and open it made my spirit soar. It was a massive, rolling adow that stretched as far as the eye could see, a sea of tall, green grass and vibrant wildflowers under an endless blue sky. The field was bordered on the far side by the deep, dark line of the ancient forest, and a gentle breeze sent ripples across the grass like waves on an ocean. It was a place of absolute freedom.
Kaeleen was several yards ahead of , a powerful silhouette against the bright morning sun. He didn’t slow down. As he ran, a shimr began to envelop him, a distortion in the air like heat rising from pavent. His human form blurred, bones shifting and reforming in a process that was too fast for the human eye to truly follow.
And then, where the man had been, there was a wolf.
I skidded to a halt, my breath catching in my throat. I had seen other wolves, but I had never seen him. Not like this. Not in his true form.
He was magnificent. Ryker was enormous, larger than any wolf I had ever laid eyes on, his shoulders thick with muscle. His fur was not just black, but the deep, rich color of midnight, a living shadow that seed to drink the sunlight. His eyes, were a startling, intelligent gold, burning with the power and authority of a true Alpha. He stood there, his head high, his powerful presence a tangible force that radiated across the field. He was king of this land, and every fiber of his being proclaid it.
He turned his massive head and looked at , his golden eyes locking onto mine. He let out a low, rumbling sound not a growl, but a call. An impatient summons.
’Co on.’
Sheena surged forward inside , no longer content to be a passenger. She was ecstatic, drunk on the sight of her Alpha, her mate, in his primal glory. She craved the run, the wind, the feeling of earth under her paws.
I didn’t fight her. I welcod her.
I pushed off the ground, running again, and this ti, I let go. The change was like diving into cool water on a scorching day. It was a release, a hocoming. The world shifted, colors becoming more vibrant, scents exploding into a complex tapestry of information. The sll of the rich soil, the sweet nectar of the clover, the musky scent of a rabbit that had passed by hours ago, and above it all, the powerful, intoxicating scent of my Alpha.
My bones flowed into a new shape. I landed on four paws, shaking my head as the world settled into a new perspective. Sheena was in control, and I was joyfully along for the ride.
Ryker watched my transformation, his tail giving a slow, deliberate wag. He dipped his head in a gesture of approval, then turned and bolted.
A happy sound escaped Sheena’s throat, and I launched myself after him. We ran. We flew across the massive field, two blurs against the green grass. He was faster, stronger, but he paced himself, staying just ahead of , urging on, challenging to keep up. The wind flattened our fur, the sun ward our backs, and the sheer, unadulterated joy of the run was a wild song in our blood. This was freedom. This was us. And as I ran beside my Alpha, my mate, my heart soared with the certainty that this was exactly where I was supposed to be.
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