Chapter Fifteen Liam

I was on cloud nine as I rode in Cory's car. Ever since the previous morning at the cafe I'd been living in a state of constant elation. If I thought it was hard to sleep before, it was damn near impossible now because I had my mate back.

Granted, we were taking things slow and starting from scratch, but that didn't bother me. Not even a little bit. As far as I was concerned, everything was once again right in the world. Just him telling me he wanted to give it a try made the past two years of horror feel worth it. I found it almost terrifying how quickly I could forget the past and focus fully on the future. Cory was everything to me and I wasn't gonna waste a moment of my time with him.

And tonight was our first date. Well, our second first date, but I wasn't going to argue semantics. He said he was taking me out to some special place I'd never seen before. I didn't even bother to ask what we were doing because I didn't care. Anything I did with Cory was sure to be a good time and I trusted him.

However, that hadn't stopped me from practically cornering Sam earlier that morning and forcing him to help me dress cute for my date. He was nearly as excited as I was when I told him it was with Cory. In an instant he jumped into action. Before I knew what was going on, Sam had me in his car and we drove to the next town over to pick up a nice pair of jeans and something cute to go with it. We'd ended up settling on a floral button up that hung a little loose on me. But I'd insisted on getting a larger size. I was putting on weight pretty quickly and those Alpha genes of mine were putting it all toward muscle. It wouldn't be long before I looked like a gym rat of the worst sort. When that happened, I'd need room in my clothes if I wanted to wear them again.

Sam paid for it all of course. He told me I didn't owe him anything, but I promised him at least two weeks worth of cleaning rooms, the kitchen, the lobby, and whatever else he needed to make up for it. I hadn't yet found a job and to be honest, I was so concerned with Cory that I hadn't been looking very hard. But that all had to end soon. If Cory and I were gonna be together, I needed to be an equal participant in the relationship. As soon as we got things sorted and knew where we were going, I'd get a job. Then maybe, if we were really lucky, we might actually have a shot at a normal life.

Until now, I never thought that would be possible again. But as I sat in his passenger seat, staring out over the frozen and brown landscape, I felt the flame of hope alive and well once more deep inside my chest. Everything was going to be alright.

"Whatcha thinking about over there?" Cory asked, shooting me a glance. "You've been staring out that window the entire ride."

I blushed, but I didn't shy away from the truth. I'd never do that again with Cory. "Just thinking about how lucky I am," I said at last. "Lucky to have found you again and lucky to be going on a date with you." I paused, wondering if I should say the rest. "It… It's nice to feel hopeful again."

"I know what you mean," he sighed. "It feels sad to think about it that way, but you're right. I've spent a long time thinking things were never going to get better."

"Me too."

"But let's not talk about that tonight," he added, shaking his head. "Tonight is about new beginnings. We've got our entire lives to work through the past. But tonight, we're living for the moment. Deal?"

I smiled. "Deal." I glanced out the window, noticing we were on some dirt back road in the middle of nowhere. "So… uh… where are you taking me?"

"I wanted to show you what I like to do when I just need to get away and think."

"Is it legal?"

Cory lifted an eyebrow in my direction. "Does it matter?"

I shrugged. "Not really. Who would stop us anyway?"

"I like that answer," he grinned. "And just FYI, there are werewolves on the police force in town. They're the reason we don't get a bunch of parking tickets during the full moon when we go run at the parks."

"You run on public land?! Isn't that dangerous?"

"Where else would we go?" he asked. "It's not like there's a pack here. We run where we can."

"But… nobody bothers you? What about territory?"

"Those things don't exist here. Well… most of the time they don't exist. I don't go out of my way to cross a wolf that's recently marked their space. Usually, I just keep to myself on a full moon. Other times, nobody really seems to mind." He shook his head. "Besides, that's why I'm taking you out tonight. There won't be anyone around to bug us."

"The full moon isn't for another week though."

"So? We can still shift and run around. If you feel half as cooped up as I do most days, you need it."

I nodded, knowing he was right. Having spent two weeks as a wolf left me wanting to stay a human for a while. But after nearly three weeks in human form, sequestered to my hotel room for most of the time, I was feeling a bit antsy. I wanted to shift and blow off some steam if only to stop the wolf inside me from running in circles constantly. Of course, being around Cory all the time didn't help. If there was one thing that got my wolf excited, it was him. I was still having a hard time sleeping because I could never seem to calm down enough to close my eyes. And when I did, the wolf took over my dreams. It was hard to stay asleep when you were running high on love through the darkened woods of dreamland.

"Here we are!" Cory finally said, pulling the truck off onto a tiny side road that was little more than a two-track.

We went another hundred yards up a small path that wound slowly uphill. At the very top the trees fell away into a grassy open area. Ignoring the end of the road, Cory drove into the tall grass and turned the vehicle off. With the engine sounds suddenly gone, the oppressive silence of an early December night pressed in on us. Our eyes adjusted quickly without the headlights, and I found myself staring out over a surprisingly well-lit world. The stars were so bright out here in the middle of nowhere and the moon, though not full, gave the world a sort of eerie glow that set my soul ablaze.

"Wow…" I whispered, staring out through the windshield. "This is amazing."

"Come on," Cory smiled. "It gets better."

We both got out of the car and headed around to the back. There, Cory popped open the hatchback and pushed it all the way up. Inside were two thick blankets spread out over the trunk and the folded down rear seats. Cory climbed right in and laid down on his back, his head at the extreme edge of the trunk.

"Join me," he said, patting the blanket next to him.

I did as I was told and in a moment was lying at his side. For a moment I wasn't sure what to do. But Cory just smiled and pointed upward.

"Look."

My mouth fell slack as I finally noticed the heavens opening up above us. I'd never seen anything so beautiful. Even on pack land back home, we were too close to the city to see the stars so clearly. The light pollution dimmed it all into a hazy yellow-gray mess. But out here I could see everything, including the band of the Milky Way stretching across the night sky.

"This… is beautiful," I finally managed to say.

"I come out here a lot to just stare and think," Cory replied. "It's my little place to get away. Nobody knows about it, so I never have to worry about being bothered up here. And sometimes, if you're lucky, you can catch a glimpse of the northern lights."

"It's breathtaking."

"It is," he nodded. "Enjoy it quickly though. There's clouds moving in to the west." He pointed off in the opposite direction of Lake Huron. The night was so clear that I could see the bank of clouds highlighted by the moon as they meandered in our direction. "I think we're supposed to get a snowstorm."

"I haven't seen snow in so long," I smiled. "I miss it."

"It snows back home… I mean, where we come from."

I nodded. "Yeah but… I wasn't let out."

Cory's voice darkened. "Oh… right."

I reached down, taking his hand. It was warm and soft, and it sent a pulse of electricity through my body as we connected.

"It's alright though. I'm here with you now and that's all that matters."

Cory bit his bottom lip. "Liam…"

"Hey! Why don't we go for a run in the moonlight?"

"Right now?"

"Why not? You said you come out here to shift sometimes."

"I…" He paused. "Alright. Yeah. Why not?"

I jumped out of the back of the car, happy to have avoided another sad conversation. It wasn't that I didn't want to talk to him, it was just that I'd rather focus on happy things when we were out on our first date. The past had already happened, and it could wait. But right now, I needed to run in the moonlight with my mate and just be wild and carefree.

Both of us stripped down on opposite sides of the car and shifted. We didn't see each other again until we met nose to nose in wolf form. While my fur was silver and gray, Cory's was a ruddy red with patches of white here and there. I dropped down on my front paws, wagging my tail before I gave a small yip and ran off through the grass. A playful bark sounded behind me and Cory was on my tail in a matter of seconds.

We took turns chasing each other through the frosted, dead weeds. Grass and stalks crunched satisfyingly under our paws as we ran. The area was big enough that we never had to venture into the trees. That and we were far too busy playfully tackling one another and wrestling like overgrown pups to want to do much else. We were so preoccupied that neither of us noticed the moon grow dim as the clouds rolled in.

Cory skidded to a halt in front of me, his head turned toward the sky. I stepped up to his side, rubbing my face across his shoulder and neck before I looked up as well. In the dim light I saw the first snowflakes drifting down toward us. I watched one large flake in particular lazily drift down and land squarely on the tip of Cory's nose. Without a second thought, I licked it clean, getting his nose and lips in the process. He swiveled toward me, his eyes wide. But I just gave him a bark and ran off like it was some sort of game.

If I'd been in human form, I would've blushed. But thankfully my fur kept me safe from such things. My heart raced and not because of the running. I was so blissfully in love I could barely contain myself. And in my animal form, trying to quell those emotions was almost impossible. But I didn't care if he saw. He already knew I loved him. We just hadn't started saying it to one another yet.

That was okay though. I could wait. All that mattered was having him by my side.

For another blissful hour we ran through the cold, reliving the joy and exuberance of our youth that had been on hiatus for the past couple of years. We played as the snow fell around us, collecting on the tall strands of grass before it was knocked off by our wrestling.

However, there came a point where Cory suddenly stopped, his tail sticking straight up as he stared toward the woods. He gave out a low huff and a growl before he sprinted back to the car. I followed him there, the both of us shifting back as soon as we reached the vehicle.

"Did you see it?" he asked, pulling on his jeans. Even in human form, his hackles were still up. "The wolf in the woods?"

"No," I replied, pulling on my own pants and hoodie. "Where?"

He pointed toward the darkest northern corner where the inside of the woods turned pitch black. I kept my eyes fixed on that point, still pulling on clothing as I stared. By the time I'd pulled on the last piece, I finally saw it as the clouds shifted and let the moonlight in.

A dark form and a pair of eyes glimmering in the dark.

"Who is that?" I asked.

"No idea."

I lifted my nose to the air. "I can't smell them."

"We're upwind of them."

"I thought you said nobody knew about this place."

"Nobody did as far as I knew." Cory stared toward the woods for a moment longer. "Wolves in Shifter Grove don't attack. That's why they haven't bothered us. But I'm getting the feeling they want us to leave."

"Yeah," I nodded. "Me too."

"Come on. Let's get out of here."

"Want to come back to my room?" I asked. Cory tore his eyes from the woods, his eyebrows shooting up. "Because I swiped some hot chocolate from the kitchen, and I figured we could use the warm up."

He let out a sigh. "Oh."

"Did you have something else in mind?" I grinned.

"I… what? No! Of course not!"

"Uh-huh." I booped him on the nose. "Dirty thoughts."

"It's been two years since I did anything," Cory huffed. "Sue me."

"Well, let's start with hot chocolate and see where the night goes, huh?"

"On the first date?"

I shrugged. "You're the one that suggested it. Not me."

We both laughed, huddling together to keep the cold out. Suddenly Cory's hand went to my cheek, and he ran a thumb over my scruffy face.

"I missed you so much, Liam."

I couldn't help the way my voice hitched hearing those words. "I… I missed you too."