Meg POV 

 

     "How did work go?" As soon as I come home, Ben asks. I'm hurrying because I want to meet Kael on time, and it's already 5:30.

     Alright! Okay! I ascend the stairs two at a time, yelling back at him over my shoulder. I decide to be cautious and wear the prettiest clothes I can find quickly, which includes black tights, a black velvet dress, hefty silver heels, and a leather jacket. I'm not sure whether we're meeting in human or wolf form. It takes a few minutes to wash my face and reapply makeup, and after giving myself a few quick strokes with my hairbrush, I believe I look as presentable as I can without a shower.

     I look at my phone and notice that it is 5:50. If I want to arrive in time, I have to travel to the woods.

     I praise Ben for being too preoccupied to ask me where I'm going, stroke him on the head, and tell him I'll return later. Ben was still absorbed in his video game when I arrived home. Since I seldom have plans on a Saturday night, it's possible that he would inquire as to where I am.

     However, all of that might change if I find a partner. Perhaps I will eventually be able to go on all those dates I've been fantasising about. I'll think as Sharon does every Saturday after her shift, contemplating which shoes to pair with which skirt before meeting with her lover.

     I go fast and get to the woods a little, but I almost instantly recognize Kael. His eyes, like a beacon, and his hair, glittering in the moonlight, make him unmistakable even in the blackness of a fall evening.

     Hello, I say. "I'm delighted you want to meet. I've been considering—

     I manage to get no more words out before Kael, with his soft-looking, deep brown fur, leaps toward me and lands gently on the ground before my eyes.

     And all of a sudden, I want to touch it. I extend my hand and rub the hair down the back of his neck with my fingertips. Kael doesn't pull away from me even though he shivers, and the fur on his haunches stands on edge. I carefully move my hand to his snout, letting the velvety hairs tickle my palm.

     With a deep, rumbling growl, he noses into my hand. It's the most personal gesture I've ever gotten, even if I'm in the other shape and he's in the first. I gasp. Every neuron in my body is firing with feeling, and until I'm standing in front of him, turning my head to look at him, and tucking my ears back, I'm not even aware that I'm changing.

     We don't say anything, but he tosses his head over his shoulder and starts with hardly a stop, suggesting that he knows I'm thinking what we should do next.

     I first intentionally stayed close to his heels. But as we go farther into the forest, I slow down and find that we are naturally running into each other, step after step. Running with Kael makes me feel as if I'm floating over the earth, my paws barely touching the rotting leaves that litter the woodland pathways that we zigzag over. Running has always seemed more straightforward as a wolf than as a human. I no longer feel inhibited around him, and for the first time, I don't care about who I am or what I'm doing. I flee.

     We continue in this manner for hours until, at last, stopping close to our starting point, and I find it hard to believe the moon has barely moved somewhat since we left. It seems weeks or maybe days have passed since I stepped into the woods, afraid of what he would say. When we finally slow down, our fur is almost knotted as we race. I've never felt so attuned to someone before.

     When we pause, I nuzzle my muzzle against his because I'm so at ease and at ease in his company that I don't even consider the danger I'm taking. 

     With a deep, rough breath that raises a little cloud of air above us, he leans toward my head, laying his on top of mine for a little while.

     I wanted approval when I went to the woods. I wanted Kael to declare me his mate, to tell me that my being a rogue doesn't matter, that he still wants me. And even though we don't say anything to each other as the kilometres pass, I can sense in my bones that he accepts me.

     Slowly, as if he doesn't want to leave my side, Kael takes his head from mine, and I sense the same. I miss his heat when he turns back into a human, but at least I see him looking gorgeous in tight jeans, a denim jacket that fits his shoulders, and hair so wonderfully tousled that my paws are itching to touch.

     I move back, too, breathing heavily as I stand before him and take him in.

     Even though it aches to look at him, I do it nonetheless, taking in his beauty for extended periods until I eventually tell him how amazing tonight was.

     "That, Kel, was—"

     He nods as if he understands what I'm about to say, but before he can answer, there's a nearby wig-breaking sound. His body instantly becomes challenging, as if ready for an assault, and his head swivels.

     After shifting back, Kael vanishes.

     But he glances back this time. And when our eyes connect, I know he sees me the way no one else has ever seen me, and that's what makes it all worthwhile.