123. Rune
Rune
Volik points at the TV. “This part is great.”
I press my lips together as I poke Vameer in the side, stopping him from saying something sarcastic.
He tightens his arm around my shoulders and makes a humming sound instead.
I jabbed Vameer more than once with my horns when we were getting comfy on the couch. But this whole not sleeping thing is actually kind of fun. And even if Volik is a bit overexcited about sharing his favorite films with his brother, it’s sweet.
I’m about to ask Nix if they have any popcorn by chance, when both brothers sit up.
Instantly on alert, Nix and I do the same. And rather than asking what’s wrong, we wait.
The answer comes from outside.
It’s faint. Hard to hear from inside this underground home. But the sound of a wolf’s howl is undeniable.
The brothers jump.
Nix and I run after them.
Nix might be good enough at jumping now to manage the winding stone hallways, but I don’t bother trying.
“Stay inside,” Volik shouts down the hall at us.
The front door is already shut when we reach the entryway. But the front wall is floor-to-ceiling glass.
Nix and I stand side by side as we look out to the clearing in front of the house.
Volik and Vameer are standing still in the grass. Both facing forward, backs to us.
Volik tilts his head.
He holds up a hand to Vameer, signaling something.
Then a giant wolf appears, emerging from the woods at a sprint.
It skids to a stop before the brothers.
And I press my hands to the glass.
This has to be a shifter.
“I think that’s Orion. The Alpha,” Nix whispers.
And as I blink, the wolf becomes a man.
He’s tall and muscular. His chest is heaving. And… he’s completely naked.
Nix snickers. “Yep, that’s him.”
Vameer and Volik step closer to each other, blocking our view of the nude wolf.