Chapter 10
IRIAN
“Oh my Goddess you stink of him!” I exclaimed. I loved how the pink flush crept up Isca’s neck, and the two pink spots that formed in the middle of his cheeks. He was so much fun to tease.
“Oh,” he said, eyes fixed on the floorboards, embarrassed. Then suddenly he looked up, eyes locking on mine, brows raised in concern. “Is that okay? You’re not upset, are you? It’s just to keep me safe...” his voice trailed off.
I loved getting him flustered, because it was just so easy to do, but I didn’t want him feeling bad… especially when I had no objections at all to what Talius was doing with him. Isca was my mate as much as he was Talius’, and Talius was keeping him safe for us all.
“You know it’s fine. I want you to run with us. And we can run together. It will be awesome!”
I wanted to hug him, but I knew Talius didn’t want his scent mixed with anyone else”s tonight, so I held back. Talius came out of the bathroom at that instant, which saved things from getting awkward.
He had been resting with Isca, making sure Isca was thoroughly covered with his scent. I hadn’t minded. I’d been in the kitchen preparing food for after the run. Two of the betas had been helping me and we’d laid it out in the large mess hall attached to the beta house. It would be waiting there for people to graze on over the course of the evening as they straggled in after running.
Talius dropped his towel over the back of a chair, revealing his perfect V-shaped torso, slim hips and the dark thatch of hair that nestled his half-hard cock. His pubic hairs were every bit as wild as the hair on his head, which had clearly been towel-dried and was fanning out around his head with a life of its own. His dark bushy eyebrows and the startlingly dark blue eyes gave him a fierce and dramatic vibe.
I licked my lips. It wasn’t intentional, but this was my alpha and I couldn”t wait for the part of the evening where we got to fuck.
He pulled on his jeans, not bothering with any other clothing. There was no point when we”d be shedding it again in minutes.
“Let’s go,” Talius nodded his head towards the door.
“C’mon,” Isca turned to me, rocking from one foot to the other. He had hurriedly put on jeans, having recently slipped out of the bed he’d been sharing with Talius. He was eager and clearly full of nervous energy, his pale skin flushed pink.
“I’ll be right there,” I dragged my t-shirt over my head, folding it quickly and dropping it on the chair, before slipping my socks and shoes off. I hurried to the door, grabbing Isca’s hand and pulling him along with me.
“C’mon, whatcha waiting for?” I teased.
Isca stumbled after me, and Talius followed more casually, letting us rush ahead in our eagerness. Or maybe it was just me that was super-eager. I could tell Isca was nervous and I wasn”t giving him time to change his mind. But when we got to the front door, we stopped and waited for Talius to catch up and pass us.
It was customary for the Alpha to lead the way, probably a throwback to when wolves weren’t shifters, when there were dangerous threats in the wild, and the biggest and the strongest went first.
The full moon runs were more social than anything else these days. We ran for the sheer pleasure of being close to our wolves and our pack, feeling the power of the moon surge through our veins. It was a freedom that the human form didn’t allow. We’d be primal and wild, though we’d still retain a sense of ourselves. New unions often began on these nights, when the wolves were more animal than human, and the night was filled with adrenaline and the intoxicating scents of familiar and unfamiliar wolves.
But we were safe. Both Isca and I smelled of the Alpha leading the run, and I had his mating mark as well. Talius would be nearby. As long as we ran together, Isca had nothing to fear.
◆◆◆
When we arrived at the clearing where the packs assembled, everyone was busy stripping off in preparation for the run and stashing their clothes under trees and bushes. I snickered to myself, imagining the chaos if a bunch of humans tried to do this. With such a large group, they”d never find their own clothes again, whereas we shifters could do it easily by scent.
There were a lot of unfamiliar faces.
”I don”t know all these wolves,” I murmured, looking around the crowd.
There were more unfamiliar wolves on this run than I would have expected, more than we normally had. I saw several who were friends of members of our pack, who”d come up from the city. I saw Talius talking to them, watched them bare their necks to him. I didn’t think we’d have to worry about them. It was the mass of others standing off to the side looking out of place that bothered me.
“The Inverlochs have brought a lot of strangers with them tonight,” I observed to Talius, when he came to check on us before the start.
His bushy brows drew together, lines creasing his forehead.
“There’s a festival down on the coast this weekend,” he told me, “and they had a lot of visitors on their land. I’ll make sure Lucius knows to keep an eye on them. Stay as close as you can to me during the run, and if you need me…” he broke off and tapped the side of his head with his index finger. I understood. I nodded.
Talius left us to go say something to Johnson, the head beta and Talius’ second-in-command for our pack. Technically, Lucius was second for the pack run, being a Pack Alpha, but Johnson would be keeping a supervising eye on our members. I knew he”d be keeping watch over us too. Although Talius would stay as close as he could, he wouldn’t be right beside us all the time. Johnson was large for a beta, and his wolf was almost as large as Talius”. I had no doubt he would defend Isca and myself with his life if he had to, though it was hardly likely under these circumstances. Still it was reassuring knowing he was there, given Isca”s undefined status in the pack.
Talius made his way through the crowd that was now packed into the clearing. He was taller than most, and I saw him reach Lucius. The two Alphas inclined their heads together, a discussion taking place. Probably Talius was warning Lucius to keep his plus ones under control. Lucius was nodding thoughtfully.
Talius moved to the edge of the clearing, jumping up onto the remains of an old tree trunk that had been felled years before we took over the farm and which he used as a kind of podium. He put two fingers between his lips and a piercing whistle rang out across the clearing. The ensuing silence allowed him to address the assembled shifters.
“Welcome everyone to another night run. Most of you know me, but for those that don”t, I”m Talius, Alpha Wolf of the Leongatha pack, your hosts for tonight.
Tonight we have the Inverloch pack running with us, many of whom you already know.”
A murmur of approval rippled through the gathering and there was much nodding of heads. We all had friends in the Inverloch pack.
”...and we also have some additional guests as well.”
He turned towards where Lucius was standing near the log.
“Welcome Lucius, and welcome Inverloch wolves and guests.” Talius’ voice rang out over the assembly.
Lucius inclined his head in acknowledgement.
Talius continued, “Leongatha wolves, I expect you will all be on your best behavior – to all other designations and to our guests. Other than that stipulation, have a wonderful night. As customary, refreshments will be available for everyone back at the pack house, whenever you choose to return.” He paused and with a wry grin added, “A word of warning to our guests - if you come in too late the pups will have eaten everything. Our pups have voracious appetites.”
Loud chuckles greeted this statement. The younger pack members always finished earlier than the rest of us, and they usually put a big dent in the feast before the remainder of the pack returned. But I’d prepared extra this time, with the help of the betas, and I was sure there’d be plenty for everyone.
At a nod from Talius, Lucius stepped up beside him. He addressed the crowd in a strong, growly voice.
“Thank you for your welcome, Talius and Leongatha pack. It’s not the first time we’ve run together, and we appreciate your hospitality. Many friendships have already been formed between members of our packs. That said, I’d remind my pack that some of you have brought friends along with you tonight and I expect you will ensure they treat our hosts with the respect that is due. You will be responsible for the conduct of your plus ones.”
Silence fell. The evening breeze rustled the leaves in the trees. Dark shadows flickered around us, solitary witnesses to our gathering. If any humans had strayed into the forest tonight, they would have been startled to stumble across a hundred or more naked people milling around in this clearing. But no-one came. Just the wind, and the moon.
Then Talius shifted. One moment he was a man, and a few moments later his dark grey wolf stood proudly on the massive log, muzzle pointed to the sky where the full moon was rising over the trees. He was majestic. The breeze ruffled the long hair around his neck and ears, tossing it every which-way. As a wolf, his appearance was just as wild as it was when he was human. I loved it. His devil-may-care appearance, savage and free, made him all the more attractive in my eyes. Watching him there, wind ruffling his fur, I thought ahead to the end of the night and a secret smile curled my lips.
I took a sideways glance at Isca. His big brown eyes were glued to Talius with a look of adoration and pride.
I gave him a nudge. “We’ll have him later,” I whispered. “Right now, he belongs to the pack. But tonight he’s all ours.”
Isca”s pink tongue glided over his bottom lip, leaving it glistening in the moonlight, his eyes never leaving the Alpha we both adored. I grinned and turned back to watch the Alphas.
Lucius had shifted into his wolf. His was a large pale grey wolf, almost as large as Talius, with striking light blue eyes that glinted, reflecting back the shafts of moonlight that were now piercing the glade.
The atmosphere in the clearing was electric, buzzing with anticipation. I loved this moment. It always felt like I was on the precipice of something really big. As if I was on the point of throwing myself off a cliff, a touch of fear mingling with the excitement, knowing I’d be in freefall before the tug of the ”chute lifted me up and wrapped me in the warm currents. I was about to give myself over to my wolf, and it was terrifying and exciting in equal parts, to loosen my grip on my humanity and let the wolf’s instincts take over.
Talius lifted his head higher and began a long, low howl that rose in strength and crescendo. Lucius joined in and the wolves’ song filled the clearing, bouncing off the smooth bark of the trees around us and echoing in our ears.
It was the signal for the rest of us to shift, and in moments the clearing was a confusion of sprouting hair, tails and ears, snouts sniffing, bodies half-human half-wolf, which became a sea of fur of so many colors, black, grey, every shade of brown, and splashes of white, the night filling with whimpers and grunts and whines as everyone completed their shift.
Talius howled once more, then bounded away, signaling the commencement of the run.