a Primal Pursuit

seventeen

Stepping away from Arabella's fearful gaze, I approached my mate by the wall. I gave him a warning glare, to which his eyes seemed to sparkle. He leaned against the wall, patting his thigh for me to climb. I gripped his shoulders, placing my right foot on his thigh. He placed his hands out, motioning for me to place my other leg on it.

This was a more PG version than previously, and I gripped his shoulder and the wall before placing my left foot onto his hands. Talking me through the motions, he pushed me up so my right foot moved from his thigh to his shoulder. I shook slightly, nerves clutching at my heart, but I knew he would not drop me. He was strong and agile, and I doubt he wanted me to break my spine.

Caleb once again was waiting for me at the top, and when Asra stood to his full height and boosted me higher, Caleb was pulling me up. My breath hitched when I landed on the top, my thighs clutching at the wall.

Looking down, I urged Arabella to copy. Asra kept his steely eyes on her as she hesitantly stepped up toward him. He softly urged her to step on him, and she looked up at me with unease.

"He won't drop you." I promised. "If he does, I will bite him."

Asra grumbled. "Don't threaten me with a good time, Tulip."

I couldn't help but grin, shaking my head with amusement. Arabella eyed me strangely before shrugging her shoulders and climbing up Asra. Moving through the motions, he lifted her smaller frame easily until finally Caleb grabbed her and pulled her up so she sat before me.

"Hi." I mused.

"H-hi..." She frowned.

The whoosh of air behind me told me Asra had just jumped onto the wall. I felt his warmth for a split second across my back before the sound of his feet hitting the floor on the other side met my ears. I had watched my sister the whole time, amused at her shocked expressions.

Asra was definitely a bunny.

"Come on, Tulip." Asra called softly.

Gulping, I eyed the drop. "Yeah, I'm coming..."

"Don't make me push you again, Luna." Caleb taunted.

Glaring at the male, I swung my leg over the other side. Squeezing my eyes closed, I pretended I was diving into water and pushed off the wall. The air whooshed through my ears before a soft huff of breath left me when Asra caught me. He set me down on my feet, kissing my temple as I stood to the side.

"Good." He whispered in my ear. "Everett and Riley are in the trees."

I shuddered, biting my lip to hold back my comments. Arabella was harder to convince, and after a hard look at Caleb from Asra, he pushed her from the wall. I watched as her dark hair flew, a scream of panic leaving her until Asra caught her with ease. He set her on her feet immediately, and her knees wobbled.

"Okay, little doe. Now things are going to get really interesting." I teased.

"Worse th-than that?" She shrieked. "I just nearly died!"

I shushed her, rubbing her cheek with my hand. "You're fine. But things are about to... change."

She gulped as she eyed the dark trees behind me. "What if there is something out there?"

"Oh, there is." Caleb hummed, coming up beside us.

I glared at him, and he grinned, crossing his arms. Ignoring him, I turned to my sister.

Time to drop the wolf bomb.

"Arabella, I am going to need your trust again."

"You seem to ask that a lot tonight." She muttered.