Hunted (War of the Covens 1)

She couldn’t have that. She was still trying to figure the strange occurrences out herself.

Moaning and growling ripped her attention from Alexa.

The pack were changing all around her. Their bones cracked as they contorted and were refashioned. Caia closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind, feeling the breeze on her still hot skin, hearing the whisper of the trees, sensing the transformative glow of Artemis’s moon.

And then it was there, the pelt pushing through, the change burning like growing pains. Before she knew it, Caia thudded to the ground on all paws, her sharp wolf eyes studying her wolf pack.

They were an impressive sight, so much so, she took an involuntary pad backwards, watching them all shift and nudge each other.

A huge black and superbly powerful lykan padded into the center, his silver eyes taking them all in.

Lucien.

She mimicked the others as they bent their hindquarters and lowered their snouts to the ground, bowing to their Alpha. She had very little time to enjoy the spiritual moment. To bow with them all to Lucien affected her more than anything had thus far. She felt part of the pack, part of their history.

No longer a loner.

But just like that, the pack took off, running so fast earth and dirt kicked up in the aftermath. Caia lunged after them. She watched them as they played with one another, touched by the camaraderie and intimacy afforded by a pack run.

Relationships could actually be built out here … like this.

She’d missed out on this for years.

An ache sliced through her joy.

Caia raced from them, exulting in the feel of wind through her pelt. She was fast, possibly faster than the rest. She laughed a little, pleased by the thought.

But her laughter was cut short by the thunder of someone chasing her, and before she had time to react, she felt a weight crash into her side, sending her paws out from under her. The impact didn’t hurt; it barely winded her, but she turned to growl at her attacker in instinct, only to find her nose inches from silver eyes.

Caia stumbled, shocked that Lucien had come after her. She would’ve thought he’d be too busy overseeing the pack. She watched in amazement as he danced around her, butting her playfully with the top of his head.

He wanted to play as she had seen the others play!

Caia sensed his amusement with her uncertainty and couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly when he butted her again and then rolled away from her. He made a choking sound like laughter, and Caia relaxed.

Eventually, without thinking, she was moving forward with great speed and grace, dancing around him, disconcerting him, and in doing so, finding the opportunity to butt him back. Forcefully.

Again, he made the choking sound as he got back to his feet, bowing his head appreciatively at her efforts. Caia had no idea how it happened, but she found herself rolling and tussling in the dirt with this huge lykan, knocking him back just as hard as he did her, enjoying this moment of freedom with one of her own.

But when Lucien nipped her a little hard and she made a noise in response, he was quickly beside her, bussing his head against hers. If that hadn’t been enough of a surprise, he then licked her small wound.

At this, Caia retreated, wary of the intimacy of his action. Was it intimacy? She had no idea. She didn’t know the rules of engagement in wolf form.

Lucien seemed to sense this and gestured with his head for them to return to the rest of the pack. Grateful for the reprieve from their confusing solitary play, Cai ran with him, managing to keep pace even though he was fast. They were upon the pack within minutes, racing by the other wolves.

All of a sudden, she was flanked on one side by a brown lykan female, longer and more languid than her, her laughing blue eyes drifting questioningly between her and Lucien.

A lykan, larger and sinewy, his sandy pelt and blue eyes giving away that he was Sebastian, flanked her other side.

Her friends eased her into the play much more slowly than Lucien had.

And so caught up in her new friendships and this bizarre, wonderful experience with them in lykan form, Caia didn’t notice the black wolf who’d sidled near them before it was too late. She struck out at Caia, who tumbled into the dirt.

Surprised by Alexa’s deliberate trip, Caia shook her head, slowly pushing herself back up on all fours. She was aware of Jaeden’s and Sebastian’s annoyance and the wary presence of Lucien. He silently demanded reassurance she was all right. She nodded and he retreated.

Alexa, just as beautiful as a wolf as she was in human form, twitched her nose from Caia to Lucien, and then her hackles rose, tensed, and her hindquarters bent. She appeared ready to pounce. In the blink of an eye, Lucien was in front of Caia, guarding her as he growled in warning at Alexa.