Chapter 27 - Freya

Chapter 27

Freya

"I'm not ready to shift back yet," I told Rowan when the other two left us alone in the estate's private woods.

"We have all night," the dark wolf assured me. "But let me tell you how, so you can decide when."

Rowan's words felt tight in my mind, as though he held himself back from something. If I'd been in human form I might have grinned — I was willing to bet his wolf was pushing him to bite and claim me as much as my wolf was doing to me.

He'd admitted I was nothing like the witches who'd hurt him, but I could tell he still didn't accept the connection between us.

So, I loped away, then glanced back at him, inviting him to go with me as we talked.

"Was it hard for you to shift back the first time?" I asked, realizing that he must have been all alone.

He'd stayed in his wolf form for ten whole years, living apart from any other shifters.

"It was. It was difficult many times after that, since I only shifted back once a month."

"But you figured it out on your own?"

"Yes, and you would too, with enough time."

It made sense. As I'd already realized, my wolf and I truly were one entity, not two — sooner or later, I would have needed my human form, and I'd have figured out how to make the switch. But having guidance would probably make it a lot easier and faster.

"The full moon calls to our wolves. But to shift back, sometimes you need to convince your wolf why you need the other form. Maybe you need to make a phone call. Your wolf will understand that there are some things you can only do in your two-legged form."

"That's it?" I chuffed out a laugh. "I just have to convince my wolf to shift back?"

"That's what I did when I touched you and then shifted in front of you." His tongue lolled out in a wolfish grin. "I was convincing your human side that your wolf should come out and play with me."

"So, I just have to convince both sides to agree on which form to take," I mused.

"That's the easiest way."

"I thought you were going to give me some sort of ‘visualize what your human feet look like' advice."

"That certainly helps, but that alone isn't enough for your wolf to relinquish control."

The way he said those last two words made me wonder what it would take to get Rowan to relinquish his control over whatever was holding him back with me. He'd said Gage's name that night by the bonfire, which annoyed me — that Rowan somehow felt like he needed his pack alpha's permission to be with me.

Maybe it was the heat or my wolf's insistence that we were mates making me impatient. But I sensed that Rowan felt the same way about me as I did for him.

"What does it take to relinquish control, Rowan?" I whispered into the mental link between us.

When I looked up into the face of the massive wolf, his golden eyes fixed on me hungrily. He wanted me — badly. Now that our wolves had met, confirming we were mates by running under the full moon together, maybe all he needed was another push.

He'd touched my rune, the reminder that I was a witch. Maybe I needed to show him I was way more wolf than witch.

Rowan's massive size made me feel safe out here alone with him. If anyone else threatened us, he would end the threat just as he had in Ironwood and in the wildlands. It wasn't only his massive size that gave him an air of dangerous ferocity, though. He'd lived outside the rules of shifter society for so long and had found his way in nature like a true wolf.

That gave him the aura of a dangerous loner, even as part of a pack. It was as though his animal side always remained the dominant side of him, not his human nature. No matter which form he took.

Though I wasn't the type to run from my problems, something in his gaze made me want to run now.

Let's run, my wolf demanded.

She wanted to tempt him, to make him give chase, to have him catch me, and to see what happened when he did.

Letting her take over, I gave a quick yip, and then spun around. Nimble on my small paws, I turned tail and raced through the woods. Our mingling scents in the air reminded me we'd come through here already. Heath had told me not to leave the estate grounds, and I knew now that's why they'd been turning me back after I'd first shifted. They'd guided my initial run, and now I could use my sense of smell to keep me safe within our borders.

"Freya," Rowan growled in my mind.

"Catch me if you can!" I laughed.

"I can… even if I give you a head start."

"We'll see about that," I challenged him, knowing his alpha nature wouldn't be able to let that slide.

Without a doubt in my mind how this would end, I lunged into an all-out run. My wolf loved the sense of freedom, and the scent of her mates in the air made her feel safe and secure in this unfamiliar territory. But what I loved most of all was the sense that a big, dark wolf trailed me even now.

When I dared to glance back, I caught sight of nothing more than the shadows moving. Rowan was stealthy, but I thought he'd care more about my challenge than he did about staying invisible. Still, I heard no sound of him behind me, and that made me shiver.

From a different direction, I heard something in the bushes, and my heart raced. What if Rowan and I weren't the only big predators out here? I didn't know this territory. What if I wasn't safe here alone?

I changed course abruptly, heading back toward the house. Golden eyes surprised me from an unexpected direction, and I yipped and dodged away. How had he gotten over there so fast?

Only moments later, I heard rustling from a different direction. That couldn't be Rowan… could it? My heart raced, and I sensed a hint of worry coming from the pack bond. Gage was reacting to my fear, and I didn't know whether to reassure him or not. I sensed Rowan's presence nearby, but I couldn't pinpoint him. What if that sound wasn't Rowan?

I again turned toward the house. Either Rowan would catch me before I got there, or I would arrive first and convince my wolf that human form was better for opening the door and escaping whatever might be out here in the woods.

I caught sight of something bright in the moonlight ahead, and I gave it a wide berth. But as I passed it, I realized three things — one, I still sensed their presence through the pack bond and knew they weren't far away if anything went awry. Two, the scents of Heath and Flint clung to the thing, which meant they'd brought it out here. Three, it was a dark blanket, spread out flat at the edge of the forest, not far from where we'd had the bonfire.

I chuffed out a laugh at their audacity. They were acting as our wingmen, which meant they believed we were safe out here. Now it was my turn to land this plane. Maybe I should leave it all up to my wolf.

Powerful mates, she thought with a smug satisfaction.

She felt freer than ever before, running in the dark. With her mate giving chase not far behind and the reassuring scents of her other mates in her nose, she came alive.

Suddenly, I remembered the dream I'd had during my heat, where a dark wolf had chased me through the forest, caught me, and fucked me on a yellow blanket in the middle of the darkened forest.

The sound of panting filled the night behind me, and I knew Rowan must be only a few strides from catching up to me. The big, bad wolf of my dreams had shown at last.

I twisted, doubling back around the trunk of a wide tree, and headed straight for that blanket. It was time to see if Rowan would let me down or—

Teeth nipped at my flank, and I let out a yip of terror. He'd caught me.

"I've got you," he growled in my mind, and I could sense the anticipation there.

My heart raced, terror turning into excitement. I gave everything to put on a final burst of speed. The blanket was up ahead, if I could just reach it first—

A big body collided with mine and a wolf's growl in my ear thrilled every part of me. "Caught you."

I expected to have to wrestle control from my wolf, but as soon as she heard the sound of breaking bones coming from behind me, she practically pushed me out. I fell on my hands and knees, my fall softened by the blanket beneath me.

Before I could even look behind me, rough hands grabbed my hips, lifting them as the tip of something round and hard notched against my wet entrance.

"Is this what you wanted?" he growled.

"Yes," I moaned.

And with one smooth stroke, Rowan stretched me, making me cry out with the pleasure of it. With one brutal thrust, he roughly pulled my hips back against his.

When I tried to look back at him, he growled, grabbing my hair to keep me in position in front of him. With his other hand on my hip, he set a punishing pace, slamming into me without waiting for me to adjust to his girth, completely overwhelming me. Shuddering with pleasure, I cried out again and again as he slammed into me, taking me roughly, pulling my head back with his fist wrapping in my hair.

I could do nothing but take it, proving that this time, Rowan had finally given in to his wolf, who had always known we were mates. He no longer questioned it, not letting his human thoughts get in the way.

Our bodies joined with a primal, animalistic need. At last, we both gave into our desire, finding what we craved. And in the back of my mind, I sensed my other two mates not far away, standing guard and listening in.

Rowan paused, and I held my breath, fearful that he would change his mind even now.

But instead he leaned over me and growled in my ear, "I want to see your face when I make you scream my name."

My wetness gushed down my thighs as he withdrew. He manhandled me onto my back and grabbed my ankles to pull me into position. They weren't even fully settled on his shoulders before he pushed inside of me, as if impatient to return to my warmth. The new angle let him slide even deeper inside me.

"Yes, alpha," I moaned as I gazed up at him, loving the way he took control.

The moonlight bathed our connected bodies as we joined as one, my mate's golden eyes glowing in the night. As he pulled back and then slammed into me, another growl tore from his throat. I loved every second of it, my hands grasping at the blanket beneath me as pleasure tore through me.

Leaning over me, Rowan spread my thighs wide before lowering them to wrap around his hips. The night filled with the sounds of my moaning and his growls as he pistoned in and out of me, his golden eyes fixed on mine.

"Someday, I'll take my time with you," he promised. Through gritted teeth, he added, "But not tonight."

Rowan and I had a beautiful start to something special, and I wanted him to know this wouldn't be our only chance.

"Someday, I'll make you chase me again," I promised in turn.

He leaned down on his elbows, caging me in with his powerful biceps to either side, as if I would try to run again.

"Touch yourself," Rowan demanded as he breathed me in. "I want to feel you squeezing me tighter and tighter until you come."

I reached down between us, my fingers circling my sensitive nub, and I realized I was already ready to explode.

"Rowan," I groaned, my back arching. "I'm—"

"Come for me," he growled in my ear. "And let them hear it."

Then he rose up on his elbows, gazing deep into my eyes. His hips continued their relentless assault as my fingers circled. I teetered on the edge, searching his expression. Any hesitation had been completely replaced by alpha arrogance, a knowing look that expected nothing less than my complete surrender.

"I want to hear you scream my name," he growled, and that's when I lost it.

"Rowan, yes!" I screamed as my body bucked against him just as our hips joined.

"Yes," he growled, grinding against me, penetrating so deliciously deep.

"Fuck, Rowan, yes, please, yes!" I cried as my orgasm only seemed to crest higher and higher.

He gritted his teeth, which looked sharper than human incisors. The thought that his wolf was so close to the surface, ready to bite me, made me climax even harder. But he maintained control, riding through it with me until the clenching of my inner walls overcame him.

He growled once more as his release tore through him, his fists clenching to either side of me, his powerful shoulders tensing. When his heat shot into me, my wolf felt content at last.

She still wanted me to bite one of those sexy shoulders, but I relaxed into the moment, enjoying the sensation of Rowan's hips still gently pulsing against mine as he chased the final moments of pleasure.

I grabbed his shoulders, trying to pull him down to me, but he was as immovable as stone.

"Rest now, my mate," I said.

Something tender passed behind his eyes, and for a moment, the golden color receded at the edges. But before I could see more, he relaxed atop me, his face by my neck.

I held my breath, both hopeful and fearful that he was about to bite me. My wolf wanted it, but if another alpha decided to claim me without—

Rowan sighed, his lips brushing my pulse point as his powerful muscles relaxed. Still, he didn't fully let his weight rest upon me.

Part of me knew he wasn't ready for a mutual mating bite, and that's what I craved from all my mates. Maybe he feared having my witch's mark on him, and I couldn't blame him for that. He may have captured my heart, but we still had a lot to work through.

He stayed silent, but his big hand came up to smooth down my hair. I basked in the moment, feeling his golden gaze taking me in. While his human side might have stopped running from me, I had not yet tamed this fierce wolf.

And that's when everything hit me. I'd been a wolf, too, and I'd shifted right back into human form effortlessly.

"My first shift," I whispered, awed and so, so relieved.

"At last," Rowan agreed.

Then he pushed himself off of me. His golden eyes drifted over my body, falling between my legs. Heat rose in my cheeks.

"We should get you ready for bed." He held out a hand to me, and I took it.

He pulled me to my feet, and under the light of the full moon, I noticed the fresh tattoo of the wolf howling in the mountains was completely healed. The skin on my wrist was no longer puffy. I gasped, examining my body as if it were as new to me as my wolf form.

Looking down at my arms and chest, I found all my scars there remained. Still, when I looked down at my ankles, I found they were the same size. I'd broken my ankle as a child and it had never set quite right. My adopted mother had always told me it would heal properly with my first shift, but we'd lost all hope of that by the time I'd turned twenty. It appeared she'd been right, though.

Rowan's hand gently came up under my chin, urging me to look up at him. "The scars on your face are gone."

Satisfaction warmed me at the thought that Luka's touch had been erased from my body — as well as the scar Nira had given me with the poison blade. Perhaps because they were newer, my shift had healed them.

"But the rest remain," I sighed, even though my eyes fell on Rowan's witchfire scars. I wasn't alone.

"As do your marks," he added.

His finger ghosting over Gage's bite mark made me shiver with an aftershock of pleasure. His hand moved lower to the glowing mark beneath my collarbone, but he flinched back. I was right — he wasn't ready to carry my mark for all to see.

But at least he didn't pull away from me this time. Instead, he bent down to pick up the blanket.

Wrapping it around me, he bundled me up like a burrito. His scent combined with Heath and Flint's to encircle me. Then, to my absolute shock, Rowan bent down once again, his thick arm going behind my knees as he picked me up. Wrapped up as I was, I couldn't even move my arms as my newest mate carried me back to the house.

His lips came down on my head as he breathed me in. Just before we went inside, I heard him whisper, "Mine."