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Betrayed by Blood
The sun had already dipped, making way for the moon to glow. Avery stood by the window of her room, her gaze fixed outside in the woods. Her wolf was clawing to be set free, and she desperately wanted to relieve the shifting. The first time she did it, it was cut short way too soon, and she didn’t even have the chance to explore her wolf.
Avery glanced at the wall clock in her room; it was past nine pm, and yet she felt the insane urge to shift. Avery glanced at the door, her lips caught between her teeth. Could she do it? She wasn’t a servant any longer, so she could, right?
Avery’s gaze darted towards the wall clock yet again. Thirty minutes. She’ll shift and run for thirty minutes, and by ten pm, she’ll be back in bed. That’s it.
With her mind made up, Avery stepped out of the room.
The moment her feet t
the cool grass outside, she allowed her wolf to take over. The shift was smoother this time, natural even, like slipping into her true skin. A rush of exhilaration coursed through her veins as her paws hit the earth, and for the first time, she felt truly free.
Avery turned around, unable to believe it even though it had happened before. She truly shifted, and it was everything and more.
An excited howl left her lips as she took off running. The wind rushed through her fur as she ran, weaving through the trees effortlessly. The scent of moss, earth, and fresh pine filled her senses. It was exhilarating.
She ran, jumped, and continued running again. Everything was different as her wolf. She could hear even the slightest sounds. She could even hear birds farting. That was how insane it was. And her smell? Oh, it was intense. The goddess wasn’t playing with the sense of smell. She could probably sniff out every secret in Vehiron if she tried hard enough.
Avery didn’t realize how f
she had gone until she stumbled upon the lake deep within the woods. The moonlight shimmered on the water’s surface, making it even more beautiful than it was. Avery couldn’t help but gasp at the sight; she hadn’t realized there was another lake here. She walked toward the edge and looked into the
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water only to see her reflection, and for the first time, she let herself smile.
She was stark white, and she had to be the most beautiful wolf she’d ever seen, and
this wasn’t even her tooting her own horn. Okay, maybe it is, but she was allowed to for this wasn’t even her tooting her o
now.
Avery lifted a paw and dipped it into the water, her reflection dissolving for a moment.
She tried to do it again, but then she felt it. The wind shifted.
A rustle in the trees made her ears perk up. Her heart hammered in her chest, and instinctively, she took a cautious step back. The bushes rustled again–closer this time. Her wolf panicked, and she turned to run. She silently cursed herself as she sprinted. If only she had stayed back in the room. If she hadn’t given in to her wolf, she wouldn’t be running away like this.
Her paws hit the earth faster, heart thundering in her chest. What if it was a serial killer? Is this how she would go down? The idea seemed ridiculous–serial killer wolf? Really?-but fear had a way of making even the dumbest scenarios feel terrifyingly possible.
Why, in the Goddess’s name, did she attract trouble like this? It was as if chaos had her scent memorized.
But then, just as she was about to veer left and disappear deeper into the trees, the scent hit her–familiar, potent, and far more dangerous than any serial killer. Cain.
Her wolf stuttered mid–run. It couldn’t be, right? Cain? Cain’s the one chasing after her? Cain’s the serial killer? How did he know she was in the woods? How did he find
her?
Just as the thoughts left her mind, the frantic panic she’d been feeling shifted into something entirely different. Excitement. Anticipation. A thrill that left her breathless.
No, no, no–why was her wolf excited? He was still terrifying. He was still Cain. But the primal part of her didn’t seem to care. That wild instinct inside her wanted to be caught.
Avery pushed harder, faster. Her wolf didn’t want to be caught, not yet, and so she gave her best run. She ran as fast as she could for a first–time shifter, feeling her wolf’s excitement course through her veins.
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Avery picked up her pace, feeling Cain’s heavy presence breathing down her neck as he chased after her through the woods. Adrenaline pumping like fire through her veins. Her wolf was ecstatic–their mate was chasing them. The thrill of the hunt, the primal rush, it was intoxicating.
Avery pushed herself faster, weaving between trees and leaping over fallen branches. Of course, he could catch her in an instant, but he didn’t, letting her run.
Her wolf loved it. ‘Run faster, Let him catch you. See if he can!
Avery spun around, her heart leaping into her throat when she saw Cain impossibly close…too close and in a blink of an eye? He caught her. His chest heaved with each breath, dark eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that sent a shiver racing down her spine.
She froze as his wolf caged her in. He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. His gaze alone said it all. I caught you.
For a heartbeat, neither of them moved. Her wolf whimpered–not out of fear, but out of wild excitement that made Avery’s pulse race even faster. She let out a soft, pitiful whine and stumbled slightly, as if injured. Cain’s wolf instantly shifted, concern flashed through his eyes. His head dipped low, his nose brushing against her fur, scenting her for any injury.
Avery took the opportunity and shoved past him and ran.
Cain’s furious growl echoed behind her, low, dangerous. He wasn’t angry. He was hunting her again.
Avery ran, eyes closed, excitement bubbling in her veins, and when she’d open her eyes, she realized she was at the lake edge yet again.
Avery skidded to a halt just before the edge, breath heavy. She turned around, only to see Cain shift mid–stride, his human form emerging effortlessly from his wolf. He stood there, chest heaving, eyes dark and hungry as they locked onto her. “Running from me, Avery Jae?”
Avery took another step back, trying to keep her ground. “I wasn’t running” she mumbled.
Cain smirked, “Shift, Avery.” He said, and she did. “You really thought you could outrun me?” His voice was thick with challenge and something deeper.
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Avery took a shaky step back, toes grazing the water’s edge. “I almost did,” she managed.
Cain’s gaze darkened with amusement, stepping closer. “Nowhere to run now,”
Her heart jumped into her throat. Instinct had her stepping back again…big mistake. Her foot slipped, the water lapping eagerly at her heel as she wobbled dangerously close to falling.
Cain lunged forward to grab her–too fast, too sudden, but instead of catching her, he miscalculated.
The next thing she knew, the Alpha of Vehiron went tumbling into the lake with a splash.
Everything went still for a second. Avery blinked, stunned, and before she knew it, she burst out laughing. “You–oh my Goddess! You fell in!” She doubled over, clutching her sides as tears pricked her eyes from how hard she was laughing.
Cain resurfaced, water dripping from his hair, and narrowed his eyes at her. “You think that’s funny, huh?”
Before she could answer–before she could even breathe, he reached out, grabbed her wrist, and yanked her into the freezing water.
Avery’s shriek echoed across the lake. “Cain, no, no, no, no-!”
The water swallowed her whole, shocking her body with how cold it was. Avery pushed her wet hair out of her face just in time to see Cain grinning like he’d just won a game she didn’t even realize they were playing.
“Oh, you’re so–so dead,” she sputtered, splashing water at him.
Cain didn’t flinch. He just stood there, droplets running down the hard lines of his chest, watching her with that same infuriating, intense gaze.
Her hand froze mid–splash, the laughter dying on her lips as she immediately realized who it was she was throwing water at. Avery swallowed hard, her heart slamming against her ribs for an entirely different reason now.
She opened her mouth, ready to let out a thread of apologies when he cut her off before she could speak.
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“What’s wrong, Avery Jae? You were having fun a second ago.”
Suddenly, she wasn’t so sure if she was still drowning from the water–or from him.
Avery’s breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding like a drum. Cain leaned in, his lips met hers in a gentle kiss, and then it deepened–demanding. His hand wrapped around her waist tightly, pulling her closer to him.
When they finally broke apart, both were breathless. Cain did nothing but stare at her, his gaze intense on her. He reached up and brushed a damp strand of hair from her face. “Alright, little wolf,” he finally murmured. “No more running tonight. Stay with
- me.
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