Chatper 388


    Chapter 0388


    Nichs, for his part, only looked more concerned. He wasn’t rmed. He wasn’t even startled. He just


    watched me closely.


    “Talk to me, Piper,” he said. “I can’t understand your growls yet.”


    I tried to bite back my growl, but I couldn’t manage. It erupted, curling around my words even as I


    attempted to speak. “Jealous.”


    That was all Nichs needed to hear. His concern ebbed somewhat. “Yeah. I know how that feels too.”


    “Like this?” I asked.


    He nodded. “It’s practically overwhelming.”


    “How…?” I started, failed, tried again. “How do you manage?”


    “I’ve broken five or six punching bags,” Nichs said, smiling a little. “Exercise is good for it. If you


    wear down your energy, you have less to spend on anger.”


    I sighed, trying to reim myself. I was in no mood to jog, but… with our recent exertion, I was feeling a


    bit tired. I urged my inner wolf to rest.


    “You okay now?” Nichs asked.


    My body felt more rxed. On top of me, Nichs must have noticed.


    “It’s difficult to control my emotions,” I said. “I’m sorry.”


    “Don’t apologize.”


    “I hate it,” I said, only that wasn’t true. Feeling everything amplified was fine when we were being


    intimate. So I corrected, “I hate feeling this jealousy.” I blinked back frustrated tears. “I wish we could


    just be together.”


    Nichs’s face crumpled a little. He looked down and away, hiding himself from me. “I would give up


    just about anything for you Piper.”


    Just about anything wasn’t the same as anything.


    I knew the one thing he would never be able to give up: the crown. And that was the one thing keeping


    us apart.


    A growl elicited from my throat again. “Maybe I should go for a run.”


    Nichs pushed himself off of me. As he stood, he offered me a hand to help me up from the couch,


    but I ignored it. I was afraid to touch him again. I didn’t know


    +15 BONOS


    what kind of reaction I would have.


    My nerves twitched. My fingers twitched with unused energy.


    My wolf and I were tired from the sex, but… if we didn’t get out of here, I would scream. I needed to


    push myself until I couldn’t think anymore.


    If I couldn’t think, I couldn’t be jealous.


    I didn’t say a word of goodbye to Nichs. Instead, I pushed past him and walked out the door. I


    headed toward the back courtyard. I was barely out the door before I shifted into my wolf form.


    Silver and Night met me at the tree line. Silver chuffed at me in greeting.


    Night’s mind pressed to mine, “We run?”


    I barked in agreement. Then, as a pack, the three of us began to run.


    I didn’t know if they stuck to me like glue because Nichs had asked them to look out for me, or if


    they genuinely saw me as pack, and pack stayed together. Maybe both. It felt like both, and that was


    enough for me…


    I


    We ran and ran, until the stars hung high in the sky. And the moon was so big and bright. I stopped and


    I howled. Silver and Night joined me. In the distance, heard more. One of them sounded like Nichs.


    He sounded almost… sad.


    Lonely.


    My heart ached, and I pushed forward again.


    Silver barked at me, likely trying to get me to stop. We’d run very far already, but I wasn’t ready to quit.


    I wanted to push myself to exhaustion and I was nowhere near that yet.


    So I ran and I ran, until the moon rounded overhead and disappeared behind me. Then, I continued to


    run, even as the sun lifted.


    At some point, I totally shut off my mind and sumbed entirely to the instincts of my wolf.


    It was better like this. I didn’t have to worry about kingdom politics or fears. I didn’t have to think about


    how my mate would soon find another to marry and have pups with.


    Out here, I was one with nature. It would protect me. The troubles of humans seemed so far away.


    I didn’t know when I lost sight of Night and Silver.


    +15 BONOS


    But eventually, around midday, my legs eventually gave out and I copsed in a clearing. I purposefully


    hadn’t ventured overly far. Knowing there was danger lurking in every direction outside the forest, I’d


    taken topletingps within


    it.


    Though perhaps I had purposefully avoided running into other people and wolves.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Copsed though, I could no longer escape the worries that meant to catch me.


    Too soon, Julian, in his sleek wolf, jumped in front of me. He sniffed at me, then shifted into human


    form.


    “What the actual hell, Piper?” His usual smirk was missing. Instead, he looked pissed at hell. “Do you


    have any idea how long you’ve been missing?”


    I shook my head a little. I was still in wolf form and couldn’t talk.


    Julian pointed at the sky. “Two days, Piper. Two full days. Elva and Nichs have worried themselves


    sick.”


    Elva and Nichs…?


    Just then, in the distance, I heard another howl, very simr to the one I had heard in the night that


    sounded so lonely. This one sounded sad, and a bit desperate.


    I knew it was Nichs.


    “So you are pissed at Nichs, I couldn’t care less,” Julian said. “But what did Elva do to deserve this?


    You wouldn’t abandon your own pup, would you, Piper? Miracle?”


    How did he learn Miracle’s name? From Elva? Was Elva really talking to him? Was she truly afraid of


    being abandoned?


    I began to whimper. I never wanted her to feel that way. I would be here for her always. What was I


    thinking giving myself over to nature?


    Maybe if I had been well and truly alone, it could be forgiven. Even if only Nichs was waiting for me,


    I could be excused.


    But I had a toddler crying for me, and I was out here running around, losing myself to the wolf? What a


    shameful, selfish existence! I whimpered further, dropping low into the dirt.


    Julian, watching me, went from angry as hell to more annoyed to slightly concerned.


    +15 BONOS


    “Piper, it’s okay. She’ll forgive you. Nichs will too, you know that. But you have to shift back. You


    have toe back to us scaring all of us.”


    I was scaring Julian too, that’s what he meant.


    I was scaring myself as well.


    I had to let go. I had toe back to myself.


    –


    to them. They need you. You are


    So I closed my eyes. I remember the sight of Elva’s smile and the feel of Nichs’s embrace.


    I was a wolf now, but I was also human. I had a human family that needed me. To abandon my


    humanity was to abandon them, and I would never do that.


    I wanted to see them again: Nichs, Elva, Susie, Veronica, Tiffany, Mark… and Julian.


    They were my friends. My home.


    I exhaled long and slow, centering myself. The exhaustion helped. My wolf was entirelycent as I


    shifted back into my human form.


    I was underdressed for the chill in the air. Julian shook off his jacket and draped


    it around my shoulders. I felt like crying as I held it close around me.


    He notched his finger under my chin.


    “Wee back,” he said.