Jaeson, Taekwoon, and Jungwoo ran through the forest towards Julie's house. Long and lean in their wolf forms, they easily navigated the forest that surrounded the town that Julie's pack lived in. Jaeson had to see his mate but due to the danger of the mating pull, he wasn't going alone.
"Her scent is stronger this way." Jay indicated a new path.
"Her home is not this way," Jaeson objected.
"She is this way." Jay insisted.
Jaeson turned in the direction that the scent dictated and indeed, it did get stronger. Taekwoon and Jungwoo followed letting Jay direct where they were going.
The scent of coconuts increased and joined that of sunflowers, vanilla and cinnamon, and peppermint.
"She is with her friends. A girls night? Stacy is with her." Taekwoon's wolf said with interest.
"These four girls all have an intriguing scent to them." Jungwoo's wolf commented.
Jay growled as he listened to his packmates comment on the four girls. "Appreciate the others, Jewels is mine."
Taekwoon's wolf huffed in laughter. "Jealous much?"
"Give him a break, he just found his mate. He hasn't tasted her yet." Jungwoo's wolf teased causing Taekwoon's wolf to laugh harder.
Jay kept growling as they ran unable to tolerate any comments about his mate. She was his and nobody else could appreciate her. Jaeson smiled to himself at his wolf grumbled and bristled at his friends' comments. He was indeed proud of the woman who was his. He hoped Jay's possessiveness would calm down once they could finally mark her as their own. They had a long way to go before the tour was over and they could claim her as was their right.
The three wolves approached the house where the four girls were staying. As they watched the house, Julie came up to the window and grinned. She turned to say something and soon there were four faces looking out the window. Two of the new faces broke out into grins while one stood there looking reserved. The girls all disappeared from the window and they could hear the stomping of feet downstairs. Soon the back door opened and there stood all four girls on the back porch.
Julie grinned to see her mate. "I don't suppose you guys brought clothes with you to change into?" She watched the chocolate brown wolf shook his head. He then raised his eyebrows and jerked his head, inviting her to go running with them. Julie grinned in excitement and ran back into the house to remove her clothes and change into her wolf.
'Hey, you are not going without me," Stacy ran inside to change into her wolf.
"You guys better keep an eye on that pair," called Darcy indicating Julie and Jaeson. "Don't you dare let them mate." Taekwoon and Jungwoo's wolves nodded their heads once, showing their understanding.
Julie's red pelted wolf soon bounded out the door followed by Stacy's light brown wolf. Jewels ran straight toward Jay and jumped on him playfully. Sparks erupted along their fur as they came into contact. Jay licked Jewels in a caress as they greeted each other. Stacy's wolf bounded around Taekwoon and soon butted him in the shoulder. All five wolves then turned around and ran back to the forest.
"I wonder if they can stay out of trouble tonight?" Darcy laughed.
"I don't think Jaeson and Julie are the ones we have to worry about," Elizabeth commented as they returned to the house.
The five wolves ran through the forest enjoying the cool earth beneath their feet and the smell of green earth all around them. Spring brought new life to the forest and even at night the scents filled the noses of the wolves and told the story of the forest. For Julie, this was still a time of magic and discovery. New senses awakened and a new body to explore gave her mind so much to ponder on and react to. Then she had to contend with the close proximity of her mate. Their fur would touch as they bounded together through the forest and sparks would light up where the hairs would meet. She knew just how potent skin contact was, but the individual sparks that coated each individual hair when caressed by her mate made even casual contact an explosion of sensation, each a separate point of light that caused her and Jewels to shiver.
I'm enjoying the sensations. Each is a caress from Jay that I can enjoy even as I must refrain from completing the mating process. Jewels was being pragmatic about their circumstances.
"You always manage to impress me, Jewels. I can feel how our hormones are raging and yet you sound so calm and assured." Julie was awed by her wolf's self-control.
There is a far greater pleasure to be had once we are free to do so. I will not sully that beautiful moment only to fight for that right later. He is mine and no one else can take him from us. What is there to worry about?
"I wish I could be so trusting. This can go so wrong if his fans don't accept it." Julie worried.
"You are being most quiet, my love. What is wrong?" Jay's concern could be seen in his face. Jay slowed down and Julie and Jungwoo slowed down with him.
"You guys work stuff out, I'm going to take Stacy for a run." Taekwoon's wolf replied with a grin.
Stacy's wolf rolled her tongue out in a wolfy grin and followed the brown wolf as they bounded further into the forest, leaving the others behind.
"Those two won't be back for a long time, I'll stay with you to make sure nothing goes wrong." Jungwoo's wolf replied.
Jay turned to his mate, "Now tell us what worries you."
"Julie worries." Jewels replied simply. Jay puffed up in pride at the implied trust his mate had for him. Jaeson inwardly groaned. His wolf was going to tease him about this later, he was sure.
"What does Julie worry about," Jay asked again.
"She worries that all this could end badly." Julie had to admire the way her wolf could so easily sum up the worries that filled Julie's head. "She also worries that it will all be her fault if something bad happens to affect your career."
Jay and Jungwoo's wolf looked at each other for a moment and then Jungwoo turned and left them alone. Jay padded next to Jewels and laid next to her. The sparks immediately lit across their fur where they touched, but this time they carried the comfort of care instead of the explosion of desire. Jewels also laid down and snuggled under her mate. Jay laid his head over her neck and spoke calmly.
"There are many things that could end Jaeson's career that have nothing to do with whether he has a mate or not. He could say something thoughtless. He could be too political. He could write a song nobody likes. He could get into a fight with the wrong person. He could snub a fan in the wrong way. He could even gain too much weight. There are so many rules that Idols must live by to maintain the fantasy for the fans that are very easy to trip." Jay snuggled closer to Jewels and put a paw around her. "Dani, you and Julie are the most important people in our lives. Not the fans. Not the music. Not the money. You are our mate. We have searched the world for you and we are not going to let you go. If you ever get scared and run from us we will follow you until you are not scared. There is nothing we won't do for you."
Dani nuzzled her mate and lifted her head to licked his face. Julie felt the warmth that was Jaeson's and Daniel's love for them. How did the Moon Goddess know she would need their strength in the face of all they must do? She was scared of the ferocity that comes with fan clubs. She was scared of her fight with Michelle. She worried about how all this could blow up and she also worried about how his family would handle accepting a non-South Korean as their son's mate. Which reminded her...
"Who's your Alpha?" Dani asked on Julie's behalf.
Daniel seemed surprised, "My Alpha? Ah, yes. My Alpha is our CEO. He was already in the music business, but when it became clear that none of our mates lived at home, he helped us form a band to give us a reason to search the globe for our mates. We reasoned that the mating pull might help bring us together if we could reach other countries. That our success has made him a lot of money which benefits the pack didn't hurt, either. He's strict but usually fair."
"And your parents? Do they know?"
"Yes, Jaeson's parents know and they can't wait to meet you. They are excited about having a red wolf in the pack." Daniel grinned.
"Well, it's too late for regrets now." Dani huffed in laughter.
"The only thing I regret is that it took so long to find you," Daniel commented. He stood up and Dani stood up with him. They started walking quietly through the forest back the way they had come.
"Was there ever anyone else?" Dani asked for Julie.
"Jaeson had a childhood friend he loved, just like Julie did. When they both shifted they knew they weren't a match. He still took it hard when she found her mate. I tried to be understanding because his heart was broken but she was never my mate." Daniel looked at Dani seriously. "I can vouch that no one but you resides in his heart. We are very happy to be your mate. You are everything we ever wanted." Daniel walked close to Dani and rubbed against her setting off more sparks along their fur.
Dani could feel Julie's happiness that they were so loved. Dani trusted her mate implicitly, but the human heart carried far more worries than a wolf's did. They picked up their speed and returned to their run.
Taekwoon and Stacy ran through the forest, racing each other over obstacles and around trees. Stacy indicated for Taekwoon to follow her and she changed direction.
Are you really going to go through with this? Stacy's wolf asked her.
"I will never get a chance like this again," Stacy told her wolf.
You will regret this choice later. Her wolf warned.
"I doubt it. Neither of us have mates, there is nothing to regret." Stacy put the worries of her wolf aside and headed to a secluded place that she knew of.
Taekwoon followed Stacy enjoying the view from behind her. Letting her lead him as he had no doubt of what was going to come. He knew that there would be no complication between them. She was the most like him of anyone he'd ever met. This would be fun but uncomplicated. Just what he liked best.
I usually enjoy these side trips of yours but I'm not sure this is the best choice. I foresee a problem later. His wolf warned.
"You were just as excited about this as I was, You think she'd get clingy later?" Taekwoon checked with his wolf.
No, she will not be clingy. This girl knows the rules and is willing to take advantage of them. There will be no problems with her in the future. His wolf confirmed his own feelings about having fun with Stacy.
"Then what's the problem?" He asked his wolf.
I cannot say exactly. I just feel this will be a mistake. His wolf worried.
"Do you smell her? She's excited and willing. This is not a mistake. Whatever worries you have we can deal with them later. Right now, this is what I want." Taekwoon shrugged off his wolf's words and focused on the very willing female running in front of him.
Stacy ran into a secluded clearing that had high cliffs and a ring of trees that provided protection from the wind and prying eyes. On a patch of soft grass, she turned to face Taekwoon as he entered behind her. Without a word, she closed her eyes and transformed into her human body and stood there waiting for him. Taekwoon looked at the naked woman before him and transformed into his human body.
He took a moment to look her over before reaching for her and taking her hands brought her into his embrace. As their lips touched, he caught the hint of a foreign scent on her skin that increased his excitement that had nothing to do with the woman in his arms. He refused to acknowledge that other scent and refocused on the woman in his arms.
Their kiss deepened and Stacy willingly surrendered to this moment that would never come again. She would finally be able to indulge a dream most fangirls would die to have. She knew that many others had had that chance, but she didn't care. This was her chance now and she would enjoy every moment.
Taekwoon's lips trailed over Stacy's skin as he lowered her to the forest floor. A quiet breeze gently caressed their naked skin as they indulged wanton desires under the moonlight.
The forest was calm in the moonlight. The sky was clear and the air was cool. The animals that normally scurry in the dark were silent so as not to attract the attention of the wolves running through the forest. Their padded feet moved swiftly over the ground. Their nails dug into the forest floor for traction as they raced through the trees. The scents of the forest filled their noses as they breathed in the clear air around them.
Mingyu and his wolf, Jin, reveled in the feel of the ground in their paws. Running through the trees with the wind caressing through their fur. Their tongue hung out as they panted while they ran. As they ran, the stress of the day melted away. Tonight, they were just a wolf. No cares, no worries. Just a wolf. Jin knew how much Mingyu needed to get away from everything, so he nodded to Jack, Hoon's wolf, and turned towards a grove of trees off to the right. He knew the others wouldn't follow. Mingyu let go of everything as he let Jin control the run. Giving over his body to the control of his best friend. This allowed his mind to truly rest as Jin increased his stride so they could ghost over the land as fast as Jin's legs could carry them.
The smell of this forest was fresh and clean. It hadn't been defiled by over-foresting which often left a forest smelling of oil and burnt wood. It was alive and vibrant. In the moonlight, the trees took on a darker glow but their scent was rich and relaxed them as they ran.
I want to get an evergreen candle to take with us on this tour. This forest smells amazing. Mingyu thought to Jin.
Sounds like a good idea. Jin grinned as he continued to run. Needing to catch his breath, he slowed his run to a mild lope, gazing at the sleeping world around him. Not that a forest is actually asleep. He would hear the flight of owls ghosting over the forest in search of food. The occasional cricket would chirp when it was disturbed by a scurrying animal under the brush.
Jin came to a bluff overlooking a small gorge with a river running through it. The moonlight filtered down through the trees to give it a magical quality. The river reflected the moonlight, giving the water a pearl-like quality. Jin and Mingyu took in the amazing view before them when a slight movement caught their attention, next to the river, two human figures moved, close together. Jin looked closer, sharpening his eyesight in the dark and identified the two figures as males. The moonlight washed out the color so all he could tell was that one had dark hair and the other light. The light one was well dressed. The dark haired one had a rough appearance to him.
Rogue. Jin identified.
"Are they both rogues?"
No. I can't tell what he is, but that other one is not a rogue.
"Rogues tend to kill others on sight. What is going on?"
Something not good. We were warned that rogues were in the area. We need to report this. Jin said.
"So much for our run." Mingyu sighed. He hated that he must go report this now. He wasn't done running.
We can return to our run after we report this. You have been under much stress. Jin was concerned.
"Yes, I have, but this tour is necessary. Jaeson finding his mate proves that our goals are possible. Our mates are out here somewhere."
Jin agreed. They watched the pair walk into the trees and then turned around and ran back.