508- The Wolf Within
POV Thalyndra Moonclaw:
"Don't be unpleasant, Myrion," Aurelka scolded.
"Yes, I slept very well." I pushed his hand away. "By the way, thank you very much for informing me what this here means."
He blinked slowly.
"I thought you knew."
"And that's why you didn't say anything to me?" I crossed my arms in front of my body. "Or because you knew I would order you to remove it?"
"There's no way to remove it," he replied, bored. He picked up a piece of bacon and chewed it. "But I could heal it."
I opened and closed my mouth, indignant.
"And?" I insisted.
"And, I wouldn't do it anyway. If I put my mark there, it's so everyone can see it."
I let out a snarl.
"You're so..."
"Idiot, arrogant, presumptuous?" Myrion fired off. Aurelka sighed loudly.
"Shall we go to school?" she asked, getting up, as if wanting to interrupt the argument. "The pups won't stop talking about you and how eager they are to hear more of our story, the one you're going to tell them."
Lana agreed.
"My mother can't stand hearing your name anymore; she's thinking of asking for retirement so you can take her place, since you've become the pups' favorite person."
I laughed, but deep down, I felt a silly pride inflate my chest. That was the impression my father left on his students; everyone praised him, and that was something I had always wanted for myself too.
"Yes, let's go." I got up and threw a blazing look at Anton. "I'm also looking forward to the next story; it's one of my favorites."
Myrion pointed at my neck.
"Just to be clear, throwing your hair over the mark doesn't change things. The smell is still there." He smiled even wider.
I pointed my middle finger at him, and then, I left the house with hard steps, furious with those two, even though, inside, I was laughing at it all.
...
I wandered through the forest, lost in thought. I touched the rough trunks with my fingertips.
I took a deep breath, preparing myself for what had to be done.
It had been years since I had shifted—I hoped that, at least, I still knew how to do it.
It was something quite common in Eldoria and should become natural for me too. I no longer lived among humans, I wasn't surrounded by tall buildings and solid brick—I was in a forest, with my own kind.
"It's okay, it'll be quick and easy," I whispered, trying to convince myself.
I was an idiot, a true disgrace to the species. If I had at least had a lupine friend during my adolescence, maybe I would have cleared up some doubts, asked important questions. Living only among humans, I wanted to be more like them, not stand out, not put myself or my family in danger—so I ended up abstaining too much from what I was truly born to be.
A snap caught my attention. I spun my body to the side at the same moment a wolf emerged from among the trees. Huge, supernatural, and even terrifying. His mixed fur swayed in the wind, white and gray. His eyes were fixed on mine as he approached with silent steps.
I let out an exasperated sigh and put my hands on my hips.
"Hi, Anton," I greeted.
I didn't know if he had any idea how things worked, but stalking someone, as he did with me, wasn't considered natural or normal. If we were among humans, he would be considered a psychopath or my stalker.
However, it didn't bother me. I liked knowing that he was always around, whether to protect me or just to watch over my safety. Being the main object of his attention made my wolf all proud.
He stopped right in front of me, his face hovering right before mine. Some wolves tended to be larger than others. Alphas were larger than omegas and betas. I had seen my father shifted and could say, with all the conviction in the world, that Anton's wolf was incredibly larger.
He began to tremble and then, in seconds, there was no longer an animal in front of me, but Anton in human form, completely naked.
"You like walking around alone," he said.
"And you like stalking me."
I kept my eyes on his face, ignoring the lower parts. As much as I knew by heart what they looked like, the urge to look was immense.
"In my defense, I was taking a walk through the forest." He arched an eyebrow. "You know, we common lupines like to walk around shifted, not as humans, since we have that ability."
I rolled my eyes.
"Before you showed up and interrupted me, that was exactly what I was about to do."
He crossed his arms in front of his body, the movement making his muscles tense, marking them even more.
"Really? I thought you were a little... hmm... tense, kind of lost," he mocked, the words dancing on his tongue.
"Apparently, your wolf vision isn't only bad at night, but during the day too," I retorted, reminding him of when he lied to me that he couldn't see the way back and made us spend an entire night in the forest.
He laughed, his rough laugh making the hairs on my nape stand on end.
"My vision is great, when I want it to be." He pointed with his chin at me. "Now, shift—I've wanted to know what color your wolf is for a long time."
I denied with a shake of my head.
"I'd prefer a little more privacy for the moment. Since you arrived, I'll postpone it."
He snorted.
"Stop stalling, Little Beast, and shift already. You know how—it's in your genetics, it's part of who you are. Just let nature take its course."
I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and ran my tongue over my dry lips, feeling restless.
"I don't know if I can," I confessed in a low whisper.
"Yes, you can. Now do it," he ordered, his tone becoming more authoritative, and I noticed he was using his authority as an alpha to make me yield.
I took a step back, moving away, then another, and another. I pulled my shirt over my head, leaving my breasts exposed. Anton swallowed hard. I brought my hands to my jeans, sliding them down my thighs, and kicked my sneakers away. I wouldn't take off my panties—they weren't that important.
"Okay, just let nature take its course..." I murmured, thinking aloud.
I closed my eyes and concentrated. I felt the weight of his gaze on me, but instead of making me nervous, it served as comfort. Anton would support me and help me, always.