Chapter 84 Running - Amelia’s POV
I felt Aleksandr's hand envelop mine as we walked away from the council chambers, the heavy doors closing behind us with a soft thud that seemed to mark the end of one battle. My legs still trembled slightly from the strain of standing tall before the council, from facing down Blackthorn and Kane without flinching. But Aleksandr's warmth beside me was a constant reminder that I wasn't alone anymore. The Alpha King, my mate, stood with me now, his massive presence both protective and reassuring as we made our way through the quiet corridor.
"You did beautifully in there," he murmured, his deep voice rumbling through me like distant thunder. His thumb traced gentle circles on the back of my hand, each sweep a silent promise of support.
I leaned into him slightly, drawing strength from his solid frame. "I just told the truth."
"Sometimes that's the hardest thing to do."
We walked in comfortable silence for a few moments, the tension that had built during the council meeting slowly melting away with each step that took us farther from that imposing chamber. Guards nodded respectfully as we passed, their eyes flickering briefly to our joined hands before returning to their stoic forward stares.
'We should run,' Kaela suggested suddenly, her voice bright and eager in my mind. 'Ask Aleksandr if Skoll wants to run with us. I want to feel the forest floor beneath our paws.'
The idea sent a thrill of excitement through me. I'd only shifted once, that dramatic, desperate transformation in my cell, and it had been followed immediately by carrying Blackthorn to the castle. I hadn't had a moment to simply experience being a wolf, to revel in the freedom of that powerful form.
"Kaela wants to run with Skoll," I said, glancing up at Aleksandr with a small smile. "In the forest."
His eyes lit up, deep purple flecks dancing in their darkness. A slow grin spread across his face, transforming his usually severe expression into something boyish and delighted.
"Does she now?" He squeezed my hand. "Skoll's been pacing our mind since your shift, desperate for Kaela to join him. He's beside himself with excitement right now."
'Tell him I'll race him,' Kaela preened, her presence vibrating with anticipation.
I relayed her challenge, and Aleksandr laughed, a full, rich sound I rarely heard from him. "Come," he said, tugging me toward a side corridor that led to the eastern wing of the castle. "There's a private path to the forest from the royal gardens."
He led me through passages I'd never explored before, our pace quickening with shared eagerness. Eventually, we emerged into a secluded garden encircled by high hedges. Beyond them, I could see the dark line of the royal forest stretching into the distance. The afternoon sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows across the narrow path that wound toward the trees.
"No one will disturb us here," Aleksandr assured me, his voice dropping lower as he pulled me close. "This part of the forest is reserved exclusively for the royal family."
The possessive way he said "royal family", including me in that sacred circle, made my heart skip. I was still adjusting to this new reality where I belonged somewhere, where I was wanted and valued.
We followed the path until we were deep enough in the forest that the castle disappeared behind us. Birds called overhead, and the rich scent of earth and pine filled my lungs. Aleksandr stopped in a small clearing where sunlight streamed through a break in the canopy. He released my hand and moved to a large oak tree with a hollow at its base.
"This is my changing spot," he explained, already unbuttoning his shirt. "Been using it since I was a boy."
I watched, transfixed, as he methodically removed each article of clothing, folding them with surprising neatness before tucking them into the hollow. His body was a masterpiece of scars and muscle, each mark telling a story of battles fought and won. When he stood naked before me, he seemed even larger somehow, more powerful without the constraints of human clothing.
"Ready?" he asked, eyes glowing with anticipation.
I nodded, suddenly breathless with excitement.
HIS shift happened quickly, his body contorting, expanding, fur sprouting across his skin in a wave of midnight black. Bones cracked and reformed, his spine elongating, face pushing forward into a muzzle. Where Aleksandr had stood moments before, Skoll now towered, his massive head nearly level with my chest despite standing on all fours.
He was magnificent, larger than any wolf I'd ever seen, with deep purple eyes that glowed with intelligence and power. His black fur seemed to absorb the sunlight, creating an aura of shadow around his massive form.
Skoll padded forward, his movements fluid and graceful despite his enormous size. He lowered his head, bringing those remarkable eyes level with mine. I reached out hesitantly, then buried my fingers in the thick fur of his neck. He rumbled with pleasure, the sound vibrating through my hand.
'Hello, little queen,' his voice brushed against my mind, deeper than Aleksandr's but with the same underlying warmth. 'Ready to run with us?'
'More than ready,' Kaela responded eagerly.
I smiled and stepped back, moving to the hollow tree to store my own clothes. Unlike Aleksandr, I had no practice at this, fumbling slightly with buttons and zippers. When I finally stood naked in the clearing, I felt none of the shame or fear that might once have accompanied such vulnerability. This was natural, primal.
I closed my eyes, reaching for that place inside where Kaela waited. I remembered the feeling from before, that crack in my mind, the wall between us dissolving as we merged into one being.
'Come,' I thought, extending that mental hand to her as I had in the cell. 'Let's run together.'
Kaela surged forward eagerly, racing toward that connection point…
And hit something solid.
I gasped as pain lanced through my skull, like running full-speed into a glass door. Kaela rebounded, stunned, and tried again with the same result. It was as if the wall that had crumbled during my first shift had rebuilt itself, stronger than before.
'No,' Kaela whimpered, throwing herself against the barrier again and again. 'No, no, NO!'
Her panic flooded through me, her desperate attempts to break through becoming increasingly frantic. I clutched at my head, feeling each impact as a physical blow.
"I can't," I gasped, sinking to my knees on the forest floor. "Aleksandr, I can't shift."
Skoll whined, nudging my shoulder with his massive muzzle.
'What's wrong?' his concerned voice rumbled in my mind.
Tears spilled down my cheeks as Kaela howled in frustration within me. "There's a wall," I explained through sobs. "She can't get through it. We can't merge like before."
I curled forward, pressing my forehead to the cool earth as confusion and grief overwhelmed me. "I don't understand," I wept. "We broke the curse. I shifted. Why can't I do it again? What's wrong with me?"
Kaela's anguish echoed my own, her howls becoming desperate keening that filled my mind. We'd had one precious taste of freedom, of wholeness, only to have it snatched away again.
'We are NOT broken,' Kaela insisted, though her mental voice trembled with uncertainty. 'We are NOT wolfless.'
But as I knelt naked and shivering in the forest, with Skoll's concerned whines the only response to my tears, I couldn't help but wonder if we were doomed to remain forever trapped between two worlds—neither fully human nor fully wolf, unable to claim our rightful place at Aleksandr's side.