Chapter 164

Julian

One second my mate was a beautiful troubled woman and the next her wolf stood in her place. Just as beautiful and just as troubled as she turned her stunned terrified eyes on me.

There had been no control in that shift. None what so ever. She had just shifted like she had been forced to do it. No one had that kind of power.

I frowned.

That wasn't entirely true.

No one had that power but her. Cassie had shown she had that power. I didn't know what that meant but I knew it meant something.

I walked towards her with my hands outstretched. The fear didn't leave her eyes but she didn't back away. I caressed her coarse fur gently. Running my fingers through it so I could cup her giant face.

"Shall we run together my love? Let our wolves stretch their legs?"

A flicker of unease lit up her eyes.

Was she hearing the voices again? Were they talking to her? Calling for her? Was my mates mind playing tricks on her or was something else going on? Something supernatural?

I desperately wanted to find out but not here. The shift had been violent and everyone had noticed her lack of control. I needed to get her out of here before she did anything else.

We were in such a precarious situation. Everyone in the kitchen were our friends but if our enemies ever found out how fragile her mind was then they would use that knowledge to end us.

"Would you like company on your run my love?" I asked again and this time a silent message went between us. She hesitated for a second and then swung her head up and down in agreement.

Smiling I turned to the others. "Excuse us?"

Scarlett nodded. "Of course. I'll cook you something up for dinner. You will be hungry after your run."

I nodded my thanks. Before leading Cassie out of the house. My hand tangled in her thick fur.

The moment her giant paws sank into the slushy snow she visibly relaxed. A huff left her lips in a puff of white air.

"Do you want me to shift to run or shall we walk?" I asked knowing full well she couldn't answer me back. Not with words anyway.

She nipped at my jeans. Her tail swishing in the snow in an almost playful way.

Throwing back my head I chuckled. "Wolf it is. Shall I chase you?" I asked but I already knew the answer. That's what she wanted, I could tell by her body language.

My mate wanted to be prey. She wanted me to chase her and catch her and-

I shifted easily. Landing on all four paws that left giant imprints in the snow.

"Run." My growl seemed to say but again there were no words.

Neither one of us needed them. We needed this. To run and frolic. To be our animals for a few hours and just forget the horrors and troubles of our human lives.

She leapt forward, disappearing into the woods with a swish of her tail and for a second I watched her go and then I was after her. My paws sinking deep into the white snow as I pounded after her.

She turned sharply and the darkness under the trees swallowed her up. Cassie had moved so quickly that it took me a second to change direction and chase after her.

In the distance , her movements fluid and smoothed I could almost hear her laughing in my head. And a toothy smile pulled my wolf lips back.

She was happy. I had been right. This was exactly what she needed. This little bit of of normalcy. Maybe that's all I needed to do. Amid all the chaos and pain and terror, she needed a little joy.

I could do that. Give her little bits until her mind healed , until this mess was all over and we could be a family again. With our children playing at our feet. And our people safe and free of tyranny.

Something snapped at me from behind, the teeth scraping against fur and not clamping down on my flesh. I had been so side tracked that I hadn't even noticed someone come up behind me.

Whirling around I bared my teeth to find Cassie staring at me. Her eyes twinkling with mischief.

My own eyes widened. She was faster and smarter that I remembered. Either that or her training with Ian was finally paying off.

I snapped playful back at her and in an instant she was on me. Forcing me backwards with the force of her leap. We tumbled over and over, fresh scraping but not biting. This wasn't an attack, I realised as she came to a halt under me and on her back in the snow. This was flirting.

She shifted again, this time smoothly and with complete control. Until she was laying under me in her beautiful human skin.

What must be her beautiful cold human skin because she was laying in several inches of snow. I lowered my wolf face to lick her cheek and then shifted myself. My much bigger form crushing her downwards even more. I knew it couldn't be comfortable for her but I needed to feel her skin on mine.

Lips drifted over her cold cheek to find her lips and my hands smoothed up and down her sides. One curling around her hip and the other tiptoeing across her ribs until her breast was in my palm. I squeezed, just hard enough for her lips to part in a breathy moan.

My tongue invaded her mouth. Swirling and playing against hers. Our breaths, made steamy by the frigid air mingled.

Kissing her was heaven on earth, having her body laid so beautifully under mine was indescribable.

She was a goddess. A Lycan princess and a wolf queen and she was all mine.

And she wanted to be taken. I could see it in her eyes. She wouldn't be laying like this, so submissively if she didn't.

"Make me feel." She murmured. "Make me feel that this is real, Julian." She begged and my heart lurched.

Tearing my mouth away from hers , I stared down at her for a second and then moved down her body and sucked her tight nipple into my mouth.