Chapter 20

Korren

Brielle's wolf took off through the trees, her fur glinting in the moonlight.

My wolf followed without thought. He shot after his mate like a bullet, surrendering to his instincts.

Damn, she's fast, Valor projected through the bond.

Brielle's laughter echoed through our heads. Don't tell me you're giving up.

Valor's wolf huffed. I thought I'd be a gentleman and give you a head start.

That's what they all say, she replied.

With a growl, Valor dipped his head in a signal we knew well. It was time to catch our mouthy little mate.

My wolf rumbled with pleasure at the thought of capturing her.

I split off from the group, taking the left side while Ezra veered right. Valor picked up speed, all but flying through the air as he tracked our mate. Brielle wove through trees, keeping her path unpredictable.

Smart female.

It still wasn't enough. Valor herded Brielle with efficiency, guiding her further and further into the glen. As she broke through the trees, Ezra's wolf intercepted her, and they tumbled down the hill in a tangle of furry limbs. The feisty little wolf wiggled away from him only to collide with me.

My wolf pinned her to the ground, taking the opportunity to lick and nip at her muzzle.

A heavy body crashed into mine as Valor's wolf tackled me. Brielle's wolf leaped onto his back, her tail wagging with excitement.

We rolled and wrestled with each other in the grass, playfully nipping and growling as the night settled around us.

***

Aside from the pack run, the midnight feast was the best part of a full moon. It was like having Thanksgiving once a month.

It was no easy task to feed over one hundred hungry shifters, but we all lent a hand.

Food covered every inch of the seven tables in the clearing, which included three separate dessert tables and a fully functioning bar.

Brielle's wolf had been lively, playful, and competitive. She raced through the woods like she'd done it a million times, and we couldn't wipe the grins from our faces after letting loose and allowing our instincts to run wild.

Brielle's cheeks were flushed, and her eyes sparkled with happiness. Pack members spread out in the clearing, filling plates, talking in groups, and dancing in the center of the field.

"Hungry, love?" I asked.

"Goddess, I'm starving," she said, fanning her skin to stave off the heat.

"I'll get you two some food. Why don't you find seats?" Valor said as he headed toward the serving tables with Ezra.

"I can't believe you guys do this once a month."

"Strengthening the pack connection is vital," I said. "You felt the power of the moon, didn't you? The moment it reaches its zenith, we become one—one mind, one body, one pack."

She nodded feverishly. "It was incredible. I never knew my wolf could feel like there was somewhere she truly belonged."

I laced my fingers through hers. "You do belong here."

When Valor and Ezra returned, we dove into our meals with gusto. We laughed and smiled as we recounted our run, basking in the glow of our bond. It warmed my chest, and I realized how empty I was before Brielle arrived.

Pushing her plate aside, Brielle stood and held a hand toward me.

She laughed when I stared at it.

"Don't leave me waiting. Let's go."

I smiled at her playfulness. "Where are we going?"

"A little-known fact about me is I love to dance."

Brielle yanked me out of my seat before doing the same to Valor and Ezra.

Valor guffawed at Ezra's blank expression. "You'd have more luck teaching a squirrel to dance than Ezra."

Ezra pinned him with a glare. "I know how to dance. I just don't like to. There's a difference."

Brielle's eyebrows rose, and a Cheshire smile curled her lips. "I don't know if I believe you. Aren't you always telling me that facts are law and everything else is just a matter of opinion?"

"Someone just got called out," I said, goading my bond mate. "What are you going to do about it, Ez? Are you backing down? Or will you prove our girl wrong?"

Ezra's eyes darted toward the dance floor, then he cursed under his breath and led her into the crowd.

Brielle effortlessly picked up the beat, swaying and shimmying around Ezra. My breath caught in my throat as I watched her lift his arms and hook them over her shoulders. She placed her hands on his hips and forced him to wiggle until he had no choice but to crack a smile.

"Shit, I think we just entered an alternate universe," Valor said as we watched Ezra grin at Brielle.

"Don't let him hear you say that, or he'll scowl all night just to keep up pretenses," I joked.

Slowly, Ezra began to loosen up. Once he was nice and pliant, Brielle turned and summoned us with one curled finger.

Valor and I moved through the crowd like magnets drawn to metal.

The music thrummed through the air like a heartbeat as Brielle swayed in the center of our unit.

All four of us moved instinctively, giving and taking, pushing and pulling as the melody ebbed and flowed around us. The murmurs of the pack faded, and the bond hummed in my chest like a living, breathing thing. The bright, unbending strength of her thread slammed into me like an anchor. Her walls lifted, and a piece of her soul slipped between my ribs as silence enveloped us.

We were finally whole.

The world fell away as we became one, and I prayed to the Goddess that we would feel this way for the rest of our lives.