Chapter 456:

🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙

I took a step back, and then I shifted. Heat rushed through my body. My bones changed, fur spread across my skin, and the world grew suddenly sharper. The forest exploded with scents. I opened my eyes.

My wolf stood beneath the trees, larger and stronger than she had ever been, the runes shimmering faintly through her fur. Nero stared. For several seconds, he said nothing.

I tilted my head. Well?

He slowly shifted, and his dark wolf emerged, massive and powerful, his eyes fixed on me. He stepped closer. Beautiful.

Obviously, Parrot said, preening.

Nero’s wolf lowered his head slightly. Stronger.

𝗨𝘱𝖽𝗮𝘵е𝗌 𝗲𝘷еrу 𝗐eеk 𝗼𝘯 𝗴а𝘭𝗻𝘰𝘃𝖾𝗅s.сom

My tail flicked. You sound surprised.

He gave a low growl that sounded suspiciously like laughter. Then he turned and ran.

I stared after him for one second. Oh, he wants a race. I sprinted after him.

The forest blurred around us. We raced between the trees, leaping over fallen branches and splashing through shallow streams. Nero was faster at first, but I refused to let him stay ahead. I pushed harder, my paws striking the earth, the wind rushing through my fur. I caught up. Then I passed him.

I WON.

His wolf growled behind me. Don’t celebrate yet.

I ran faster, but it was too late. He caught up again, and we ran side by side, our wolves moving in perfect rhythm. My wolf was finally free, and when Nero bumped his shoulder against mine, I bumped him back.

We ran until our legs ached and our breathing grew heavy, until we finally collapsed onto the grass beneath a towering pine. I shifted back, laughing breathlessly, and Nero shifted beside me. He turned his head toward me. “You cheated.”

I stared at him. “I beat you.”

“You distracted me.” He smiled. “By being beautiful.”

I rolled my eyes.

He kissed me then, deep and hungry, and the playful edge burned away into something far hotter. We barely made it back through the cabin door. Nero kicked it shut behind us, his hands already at the ties of my simple dress. I pushed his shirt up and off, and with our mouths fused together, we stumbled toward the wide stone fireplace, where he had thoughtfully left a thick pile of furs and blankets.

The fire was already lit, low and golden. Nero lowered me onto the soft heap of pelts and followed me down, covering my body with his. The heat of his skin was clean now—no fever, no curse, only living, powerful man. I ran my palms over the hard planes of his chest, the ridges of his abdomen, lower, wrapping my fingers around the thick length of him. He was already hard, already leaking against my wrist.

“Remi,” he groaned, forehead dropping to mine. “I’ve waited so long to have you like this. No countdown. No poison in my blood. Just you.”

“Then take me,” I whispered. “I’m your Luna. Show me.”

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