Snarling, he turned back to scowl. “I’ve never been scared of anything in my life.”
“But you are now,” Danko replied firmly. “You are one stubborn ass.”
Throwing up his arms Zohar spat out, “Fine! I’ll go find her and talk to her. Maybe then you’ll get off my fucking back.”
He didn’t wait for Danko to say another word, turning on his heel and striding after Maisy. His beast finally quieting in his head at his decision.
He followed her scent, it was easy to do, it was ingrained inside him and he was certain he’d be able to track her down no matter where she was running to. If she thought she could hide from him then she was sorely mistaken. Didn’t she know who he was? What he was capable of?
His feet sped up, breaking into a jog he carried on her trail, grasping sight of her as he left the cabins of the camp behind as she walked into the forest. He could still feel her annoyance as she flounced away from him.
A smile tugged at his lips as he wondered how someone so small could possibly move so swiftly. His long legs quickening to catch up to her. Maisy’s scent wafting toward him, changing to an earthy musk which aroused both man and beast and then he caught sight of her as she finished transforming. Her golden hued Wolf shaking itself from head to tail before taking off in a dead run to disappear between the trees. He’d never seen such a glorious sight, the sun glinting off her golden fur causing his breath to catch in his throat and his heart to stutter in his chest.
The sight of her beast running away from him sent ripples careening through him as the thrill of a hunt stampeded through his blood. His hands tearing at his clothes as he ran forward, he barely paused long enough to kick off his boots in order to remove his jeans. At the earliest opportunity, he forced his change, mid-stride morphing from man to Wolf, two legs to four, his paws hitting the ground with such force that his claws threw up great clods of earth as he took off after Maisy’s beautiful beast.
His Wolf let out a howl, the sound ripping through the forest, as he tore after Maisy.
Rushing through the forest Zohar felt exhilarated as he zipped between trees, darted around bushes, and pursued the golden Wolf.
She knew he was on her tail, soft yips filling the air as she careered swiftly ahead. Maisy’s knowledge of the landscape aiding her in the chase but Zohar’s speed keeping him from losing sight of her beast as she hightailed it away from him.
For the first time in a very long time he realized he was “hunting” just for the sheer fun of it. Not chasing down a renegade, or an escaped prisoner, and when he caught his prey, this time, he would not be doling out justice or ripping another Wolf apart. That thought settled inside him and suddenly, like some sort of an epiphany, his soul soared high as he howled with glee.
It had been so damn long since he’d heard that sound that it startled him. The noise alien to his ears and his eyes had darted around looking for another beast before he’d realized it had been his own Wolf that the sound had elicited from.
The momentary lapse gave Maisy the opportunity to disappear from his line of sight but her scent was like a beacon to his sensitive nose. He could taste her excitement on his tongue as he tracked her through the unknown landscape, searing every tree, bush, and root in his path in his memory. Soon he’d know this forest as well as she did and she’d no longer have an advantage when they played these games.
His paws faltered . . . realization dawning so hard and fast his heart stopped beating for long moments, his breath stuck in his throat until finally his beast spoke through their link. “Yes, she is ours.”
Zohar couldn’t believe how damn stupid he’d been and he sure as hell didn’t know how this was going to play out, but for now, all he knew was he had to reach Maisy . . . his mate.
Shit, he couldn’t comprehend the magnitude of the feelings coursing through him as he was forced to accept that fact, knowing it was his beast that had made it happen, his Wolf’s paws speeding up with urgency surging inside him as he flew toward the golden Wolf and his future.
He let out a small yip, one that was new to him, one of welcome and speaking to her beast like he’d never before communicated with another Wolf. Her answering call was immediate, his claws digging into the earth to gain purchase and change direction, veering toward the sound with a renewed vigor.
Maisy no longer ran from him, he sensed her waiting ahead. Zohar shot around a large oak with an agility that defied his size, skidding to a halt when he caught sight of her. She stood facing him, her head cocked to the side as if she were unsure what to expect.
No wonder. He’d been an ass. That was something he planned on rectifying, although he wasn’t sure how, not exactly, he’d spent far too many years as an Enforcer with no time for wooing a woman. Any sexual encounters had been swift, rough, and never repeated with the same woman.
He was flying blind but he damn sure would learn fast.
Zohar lowered his massive head, slowly approaching Maisy’s beast, circling her to sniff every last inch. His Wolf finally licking her muzzle and whining. Her green eyes bored into his before she mirrored his movements, stalking around his Wolf and taking in his scent before stopping in front of him, her tongue snaking out to lightly caress
