Hunter's Heart

Chapter 39

The white wolf ran through the trees, going so fast that it felt like she was gliding. Ahead of her, a large black wolf led the way, playfully darting through the trees, though always keeping a protective eye on her. Suddenly, he was gone, veering off so quickly she lost track of him, and she had to stop, turning her nose up to scent the air. He was still close by, she could feel him down their bond, but he was toying with her now. A faint movement off to the side caught her attention and she wagged her tail. There he was. She had just enough time to duck as he came darting out of the bushes to her right, making him soar over her and land a few paces away. Chuffing happily, she approached and gave him a playful nip before darting off into the trees. Now it was his turn to chase her and one glance over her shoulder told her he was hot on her heels, his tongue lolling out almost lazily.

Something shifted around her and she was no longer being chased by her mate, but something else entirely, something darker that filled her with terror. A shadow without form chased after her, gaining on her with every second, no matter how much she forced herself to run faster. It kept creeping closer and closer until she was engulfed blackness so intense it cut off all sight and sound and she could no longer feel the forest floor beneath her feet.

The blackness dissipated to forest again and she was still running, but now she was running towards something up ahead in the trees. Terror even worse than that brought on by the shadow. There was a sense of urgency she had never known, pushing her to keep running. Don't be too late. Please, don't be too late. She crashed through the treeline into a clearing, where her goal was, only her urgency turned into horror as her heart broke. The black wolf, her mate, lay sprawled in the clearing, the ground beneath him soaked in his blood. Unable to process what she was seeing, she crept forward, whining softly, until she saw the little brown pup curled up against the black wolf's chest, unmoving, not breathing.

Her heart shattered. Her mate. Their child. Both gone. She hadn't been able to protect them, to save them. The white wolf threw back her head and let out a heartbroken howl that echoed through the trees and rang loud in her ears.

*

Quinn started awake from her dream, disoriented. Her heart pounded so hard against her ribs that it felt as if it were trying to break its way out of her chest. A gently touch on her cheek pulled her attention away from the fear that washed through her and she focused her gaze on the touch's owner.

Christian was lying in bed beside her, leaning over her slightly he stroked her cheek with his free hand.

"You alright?" he asked softly, his ice blue eyes darkened slightly in concern.

Seeing him lying so close to her had the memories from the night before coming back, chasing away the fear from before as if it had never been. She took a deep breath and nodded to answer his question. Already, the details from the nightmare were dissipating into nothingness.

She found her gaze drawn to his throat, where there was a fresh bite mark at the point where his neck met his shoulder, and she felt her wolf almost wriggle in delight.

God, she thought to herself. She and Christian had really slept together. And she had instinctively bitten him, permanently marking him as hers.

The thought was almost impossible for her mind to comprehend. In only a few months, they had gone from bitter enemies, to friends, to now being lovers and mates. Despite the nightmare that had jolted her awake, the wolf inside her was more content than she could remember it being.

"What did you dream about?" he asked in that same soft tone. "The compound? Your cousin?"

They were bonded now, properly this time. The Alpha could sense her emotions as strongly as if they were his own, and he'd be able to read her thoughts again. But he was choosing to ignore the change in where her thoughts and her emotions were going now to get to the bottom of what had frightened her awake.