Chapter Fifty-Eight His

I threw open the back door so hard the hinges came off, and the handle crumbled in my grasp. I stared down at the destruction and snarled. Add fixing the door to the fucking list of shit that needed to be handled. I took off through the woods, letting my paws carry me through the blur of stressful worry into clear freedom and pure instinct. The woods always became sharper in my wolf-form. The visible colors shifted into a spectrum of blue and yellow, muting the greens and reds of nature. The sounds that once eluded my human ears sang in harmonious white noise. Birds chirped while rodents scurried about for food, and in the distance, I could hear the wind crinkle the last of the tree's leaves.

Above all, though, my sense of smell heightened 100,000 times more than its human counterpart. The fresh mountain air became a soothing balm of damp moss, rain, wet tree trunks, wildflowers, and needle-covered paths. I quickly picked up a trail for what smelled like rabbit and tried to decide whether to follow or not. I let my instincts take over and stalked the rabbit for a mile before its den appeared. It was a deep shade of grey, and the whiskers on its nose vibrated with anxiety when it noticed my presence. Bored with the end of the chase, I padded away, leaving the rabbit unharmed.

As my focus came away from the rabbit, I realized I was only a few yards away from the small waterfall and swimming hole. I slowly approached the area, effortlessly leaping up the rocks I had pulled Nyx up and over on our second date. I lept over the last of the stones and stood to take in the scenery. The frost was starting to melt with the midday sun. In this small paradise, it was the first time that Nyx let her guard down and told me the truth. I internally chuckled at her humor that day when she accused me of being mafia or a serial killer. It had been adorable how she squealed when I sprinted toward the water, plunging us into its icy depths. I lay down on the water's edge, letting the happier memories of our time here soothe the ache of my indecision. It was too cold to bring her back up here, but I wondered if she might open up again if I did.

I wasn't sure how long I sat there, thinking through my kingship, past, present, and future, Nyx's confession this morning, and everything else in between.

Suddenly, I sensed a presence moving down the trail. I tensed, sniffing the air and lowering my body to prepare for fight or flight. No one should be on my land, but there was no way to know for sure without setting up a specific guard. The wind shifted, sending the familiar scent straight to my nose. With a wolfish growl that sounded more like a chuckle, I took off at a full sprint down the trail in the opposite direction as the other wolf. I weaved in and out of the trail, doubling back and ending my run in the vast yard surrounding my home. A few minutes later, the bronze wolf crashed through the property line, spotted me, and collapsed in exhaustion.

Neal stood after a while in his enchanted training gear, still gasping. I smirked, loving that I still outran him, "You are still as slow as ever, old friend."

"It's not fair, and you know it. Your speed since Luna shared her power with you has become next level." Neal wheezed between breaths. He wobbled over to a box that contained extra clothes before heading back toward me.

"Yeah, her power is something else. I feel it getting less for me. For her, though, it's like this black fire raging around her heart. It's out of this world strong." I laughed, grabbing the workout pants Neal offered as my other clothes were in tatters next to the broken door. My thoughts drifted to my conversation with Nyx earlier, and the war in my brain created a minor ache behind my eyes. I pulled the pants on. "Did Hugo get the Doc to splint her hand?"

Neal nodded, "Yeah. The boxer fracture happened when she punched her mother. We should get her into training as soon as it's healed so she doesn't break it again."

I looked at the house, our conversation repeatedly playing out in my head. I wanted to plan for our future--Nyx and mine--but I hesitated. I felt like this decision was a turning point for us. Nyx would leave or stay with me, depending on my answer. Not bothering to keep the venom out of my voice, I commanded, "She won't ever see her mother again without a guard. I think Nyx's mother put some shit into her head last night." "

Neal's intelligent eyes narrowed, "I saw the door."

"I'll fix it," I grumbled.

"I already have the door covered." He waved me off. I exhaled a growl, then scraped my hand over my face several times. "You and Luna are going through so much bullshit. Take time to think things through and talk it out together. "

Neal wouldn't look me in the eye. I pat him on the shoulder, wondering how much he knew about our discussion this morning. I nodded to avoid this topic, "One thing at a time. Slow and steady."

"Yeah, Boss-man, slow and steady." Neal grinned, giving me a knowing look, "I'm here if you need me."

I smirked at him, "Careful, Neal, the look on your face almost seems like one a concerned friend would wear."

He suddenly barked a nervous laugh, hopping from one foot to the other, "Luna said the same thing to me."

"Yeah?"

Neal stares at the house, his jaw muscles feathering, "I told her she was family."

My ribs tightened around my lungs, making it hard to breathe. The word family makes my stomach twist, but I had to admit that this was Neal offering his personal strength. He quietly reminded me that I chose her, and she chose me.

I pinch the bridge of my nose and watch Neal's face turn serious. His nervous habit of bouncing on the balls of his feet was beginning to grind on my frayed nerves. I snap. "What is it?"

"Cal escaped."

I cursed under my breath; this day just kept getting worse. I knew my brother wouldn't be held long, but this seemed too fast. Just add him to the growing list of shit I have to deal with. I roughed my hand through my hair, "Yeah, I figured that would happen. Did he kill anyone?"

"Two guards. It looks like it happened a while ago, but I just got word of it now." Neal grumbled.

"Fuck!" I bellowed into the air, pulling at the ends of my hair. There was a silent frustration that felt like a lead blanket on my body. I took a moment to steady my breathing, to set aside my fight with Nyx, and to focus on my duties as the Alpha King. Nyx and I had time to discuss things and decide together. However, the threat to my kingship and my pack must be addressed now. "Make sure their funerals and families are taken care of. I'm done sitting around. This power struggle needs to end."

Neal nodded as we began to walk back toward the house, "I'll call a meeting."