20- The Heat of Defiance
POV Lunara Grimwald:
Everything was in complete silence. The only sounds that reached me were the wind against the branches and an owl flying overhead.
I moved away from the stone path, crushing the dry leaves beneath my feet. I narrowed my eyes, sharpening my vision.
The night before, I had counted one hundred and two trees until we reached Edric’s house. And before that, I had already walked several kilometers. If his pack was the closest one, I would need to follow the same path I had taken to get here. That way, I wouldn’t risk running into any of the others and could reach the city in time to find Elowen and escape far away. Far from Edric, Romania, and Alessio—preferably.
The fire lit in my chest. It was an irritating warmth that kept spreading slowly until it turned into flames.
"Trying to figure out the best way to escape?" Edric’s voice came from my right side.
With my heart in my throat, I spun on my heels in an abrupt movement, colliding with his hard chest. I took a step back, putting distance between us.
"Fuck, how do you manage to walk so silently?" I snapped, pressing a hand over my heart.
He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his worn jeans and shrugged.
"The older you get, the stronger your connection with your wolf will be."
I rolled my eyes.
"Yeah, and you’re pretty old, so you must understand that very well."
He let out a genuine laugh that made my stupid heart pound. Edric looked even more handsome when he was relaxed. But then his gaze shifted to the forest behind me, and his smile vanished from his lips as quickly as it had appeared.
"As I said, little wolf, I’m pretty old—and not at all stupid. I noticed how you spent the whole day wandering around, asking questions and prowling through every corner. I know you’re trying to find a way to run, to escape from me." He stepped forward. And I stepped back. "Or… maybe you’re here for a specific reason, perhaps to send a signal to someone, to get some information..."
I scoffed.
"Were you always like this, or did it come with age?"
"Like what?"
"Unhinged," I spat, hugging my body tightly and moving past him toward the house. "Think whatever you want, Edric. Your opinion is irrelevant to me. If you think I’m a traitor, a spy, or whatever the hell else, that’s your problem."
Escape? Sure. But traitor? Never.
I had barely gone any distance. Too little, when my womb contracted, leaving me a little dizzy. I stopped in my tracks and curled in on myself, letting out a low moan. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead.
I blinked, and suddenly he was in front of me.
"You didn’t take the damn medicine, did you?" he whispered, his voice hoarse, his animal side colliding with his human one.
As my mated wolf, he was supposed to satisfy me during my heat. That’s why he responded so quickly to the call of my body for him. It was our nature—his and mine—dominating us.
"I did," I lied, placing my hands on my waist and breathing slowly. "But I was already in the cycle, it takes time to work." Nothing that came out of my mouth was anywhere near the truth.
A golden light flared in his eyes, overwhelming the blue and silver. He took a step closer, inhaling the air and drinking in my scent.
I extended my arm and pressed my hand against his chest, stopping him from coming any closer while I still had a shred of control over my actions.
"Stay the hell away from me, Edric. I mean it."
"I can help with that," he whispered, his tone honeyed and rough. "With my cock, my fingers, or my tongue—whichever you prefer..." He arched a brow.
I clenched my teeth so hard that my jaw cracked.
"I’d rather suffer with the fever of heat, burn from the inside out, and die, than sleep with you again," I snarled, forcing the words out through my teeth.
The memory of how he had treated me earlier, beside that damn bitch, wouldn’t leave my mind. I would keep my pride intact—I wouldn’t give in to him or to what my body begged for. Not ever.
He pressed his lips into a grimace, looking offended. He blinked, and his eyes returned to their usual color. He took three long strides, putting distance between us.
"Know that it’s mutual," he retorted, spinning on his heels and heading back toward the house.
I waited a few more seconds after he vanished from sight. I closed my eyes and inhaled the fresh air. But it didn’t help—the heat was still consuming me entirely.
Well, maybe a cold shower could help. Anything, as long as it wasn’t Edric.
I no longer felt the effects of heat, two days later.
Somehow, it had been interrupted within three days, even without the use of herbs.
I had never gone into heat before—my father carefully controlled both my period and my sister’s, giving us the pills as soon as our bodies began to release the pheromone, shutting them down. But I had heard it usually lasted seven days.
If Edric weren’t sterile, I might have started to consider the possibility of pregnancy.
However, I had another point. I was mated, and perhaps that was the reason for the early interruption.
Either way, it was a relief not to feel like I was melting into a puddle every time the male was nearby.
I walked through the forest over and over again, as if I were strolling, analyzing the vegetation. I discovered that the sound of water I had heard on the first day I approached belonged to a lake very close to Edric’s house.
I knew there was always someone spying on me, watching me. Edric didn’t trust me, didn’t know who I was or which pack I belonged to, so I was always being monitored.
However, I noticed that at night they left me alone. And that was the only opportunity I would have to escape.
My backpack was ready, with some clothes, herbs, and a bit of food I managed to steal from his pantry. The plan was already articulated, ready to be executed.
I looked through the huge dining room window, staring at the low branches of the trees swaying in the wind.
I was alone in the house. Edric hadn’t returned yet, wherever he was. And he made no effort to talk to me or even try to maintain a good coexistence. Whenever he looked at me, I saw shame, guilt, and anger reflected in his gaze. And now, I knew it had to do with Catalina, his ex-fiancée.
I sighed heavily and rested my chin on my bent knee. On top of all his disdain, I also had to deal with Thalira—that fucking bitch. Affectionately nicknamed so by me.
She was a frequent visitor at the house, as if she wanted to mark territory. She came, threw harsh words at me, and then left. It wasn’t hard to realize that her relationship with Edric went far beyond friendship. They were lovers, and she hated me for having mated with him.
I didn’t care about that, anyway.