“You can turn around if it’s too... hard to see me naked.” My focus drifted to the prominent bulge at his fly.
He winked. “Oh, I’m just fine. Besides, I’ve never witnessed a shifter change.”
“Prepare to be underwhelmed. I’ve only done it twice, once by accident.”
“Let me be the judge.”
Nervousness flooded my body at the knowledge I was being watched, but I pushed it aside and instead focused on my breaths. I closed my eyes, thinking back to the time in the woods with Kingston.
For a second, I was worried it wasn’t going to work without his wolf to summon mine. But there she was. Ready and more than eager to take over.
To find her mate.
To be free.
As my body began to transform, there was still the discomfort of being stretched beyond my capacity, but the shooting pain was gone. It felt more like being shaped and molded into something new and less like I was being remade entirely.
In the span of a heartbeat, I went from standing across from Alek’s heated gaze to shaking out my fur. Without Kingston to distract me, I could focus on the world coming to life around me. My hearing was sharper, my vision picked up colors that didn’t exist for humans, and my nose... God, this was amazing.
I loped over to Alek, burrowing my face against his thigh and drawing in the salty icy tang of the foreign land that was so uniquely him. Now that I had his scent, I knew I’d be able to find him again, no matter where we were. My wolf locked his distinct markers in, and she’d never let us forget them.
Alek dug his thick fingers into my fur, right between my ears. He stroked gently, drawing a happy rumble from me.
“Gods, you’re beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like you, Sunny.” He smiled and knelt so he was eye to eye with me. “You’re the spitting image of Hati.”
I cocked my head and waited for him to explain.
“She’s one of the mythical wolves who chases the moon through the sky.” His gentle fingers traced a crescent shape between my eyes. “But with Hati comes Ragnarok,” he murmured under his breath. If I was in human form, I doubt I would have heard him.
I licked at his hand, making him laugh as I pulled away from the lull of his touch. Nose to the ground, I searched for Kingston’s scent. We’d been here often, so I knew I could pick it up. Once I did, I could follow the trail to the place it was the strongest. And then, as I’d hoped, he was there. Strong and musky, the scent of my bonded mate was unmistakable.
I took off, running fast and focused, the sound of my Viking giving chase sending a thrill through me. One day, we’d play like this, but not today. I had to find Kingston.
It was almost easy once I’d isolated the path to him. Confusion fluttered through me as we moved farther and farther from the school and into the thick of the forest.
Why would he be out here?
There were no buildings I could see, at least none nearby.
Is he hurt?
Panic had me moving faster, trees blurring as I tore through the woods in my desperation. The bite of his scent grew sharper, telling me he was close. I pulled to a stop, staring in bewilderment at the surrounding area.
There was nothing—no one—here. Just trees and the heavy cover they provided. Any sunlight from the afternoon was filtered away by the branches overhead, casting this part of the woods completely in shadow.
Hackles raised, I prowled forward, homing in on his scent again. Sitting, I raised my head to the sky and let out a mournful howl.
“Sunshine?” Kingston’s voice had my heart racing. He sounded strange, his words echoing and slightly hollow.
Heavy footfalls from behind me told me Alek had caught up, this time his breaths coming in harsh gasps. I’d been too fast even for him.
I shifted back to my human form, calling out, “Kingston, where are you?”
“Down here!”
Where the hell was he? I searched the surroundings and only saw bushes and trees. But Alek strode straight forward, pulling a shrub clean out of the earth and revealing the stone structure beyond.
The well.