KANE

She laughs and strokes my face, causing me to close my eyes. The warmth of her hand relaxes me so fucking much it's unreal, it's like her touch is magic.

"When was the last time you shifted?" She asks and I blink my eyes open.

I give her a look and she frowns.

"Honestly, are all wolfmen as stubborn as you?" She says poking my chest.

"Nope, I'm worse." I say grinning lazily.

I have an idea, not sure if she will accept though.

Amanda's voice interrupts me before I can open my mouth.

"Hey Kane, Sora! Lucas is here so I'm heading home now. Troy here wanted to say bye-bye to Auntie Sora and Uncle Kane... didn't you sweetie." She says amusingly as Sora gushes over the pup.

"Of course be safe, bye." She says as I watch her hug Amanda and kiss the pup on the forehead with interest and I have a burning desire to see her with my pups.

When I hear the door close I get my mate's attention. "Want to come with me?" I ask.

"Where?" She asks with that smile I love.

"For a run."

She laughs as she just stares at me gaping. "Kane.. in case you haven't noticed.. I can barely keep up with you walking, never mind you as a wolf." She says.

I shrug. "You could ride me."

Her eyes widen as she thinks about it. Before she can choose I decide for her. My wolf and I would kill two birds with one stone- as humans like to say, solve a problem with a solution.

I begin to strip as my mate watches me hungrily and I hide my grin as I flex my sore muscles ready to shift. I turn to my mate. "Hold onto me tight, ok?" I demand. And she nods nervously as she steps back.

I feel my bones start to break and my body start to take shape. Seeing my mate's face scrunch up at the sound but not hide as she watches my shift. She has changed a lot since the first time. Making my wolf and me proud of how brave she is becoming.

I trot my way towards my mate, fully transformed as I lean on my front legs bending down so she can get onto our back, she struggles to jump on until my head goes in between her legs to lift her up and she squeals with an 'eek'. Causing my wolf to snicker at her.

She holds onto my fur-like reigns and I begin to run at a slow pace, worried my mate might fall off and not wanting to hurt her. We are large and if she fell off... I would never forgive myself for being so reckless. But I need her close to me. Especially when I'm so wound up that only my mate can help with it, I'm clingy with Sora and I think she's noticed.

She begins giggling as I pick up the pace and jump over tree logs and big rocks in the forest. I run and unleash every built-up tension from running a pack to making plans. Listening to every sound around me, to the wind to the birds and insects on the forest bed.. to my mate's hands on me. I soak it all in to forget my day.

I run with my mate until I decide to stop at a small stream in the forest. I lay on my stomach so my mate can get down from my large body safely.

She starts giggling. "That was so fun!" She begins to say now laughing. "I feel a little dizzy." She says as she holds onto me as she steadied herself, still laughing. And I watch her with worry and amusement as I nudge her as I hint towards sitting down on the floor.

She looks at me confused. "You want me to sit?" She asks and my large wolf head nods. She does as I suggest and she lets out a sigh and looks at me lovingly, making me and my wolf happy.

"I wonder what it would feel like to be a wolf." She says dreamily. "I would be out here every day." She says with a soft laugh.

I sit beside her and listen to her as she begins to stroke my chest. "So soft." She whispers and my wolf is purring, loving her hands all over us.

She was about to say something but a noise caught my attention from a distance away.

CLICK

CRUNCH

Someone is out here with us. I stand on high alert as I hide my mate with my body, standing over her as she sits, my fur is hiding her from danger.

I growl out loudly then snarl as a warning with dominance as I command whoever is there to show themselves as I mind-link Lex my location.

He replies instantly that he and the men are on their way.

I hear the sound of dead leaves being stood on getting closer and I crouch down with my back up in fight position as I try to conceal Sora as much as I can to protect her with my large body and black fur hiding her.

"It seems we meet again, Alpha."

I stare off into the distance as I see who it is then I snarl, my teeth vicious and threatening.

Lila Grinmorte.

"I come in peace." She says holding her shaking hands up in the air as the people around her stand beside her scared of me also with their hands up.

Lila swallows hard. "I have nowhere else to go, please.." She whispers as tears fall on her face and I growl as she steps closer, my mate no longer under me.

"I do not wish to harm you or your pack, please hear me then you shall do what you wish with me after you give me a chance to explain." She pleads with me and my men show up and are now circling around her, snarling and snapping their teeth, causing those with Lila to cower and lower their heads submissively.

Lex mind-links me as he stands beside me glaring at Lila and her people who are now on their knees begging for an audience with me. "What should we do with her?" Lex asks.

I move back to my mate as I lean down to nudge her to get back on me. She gets on me shaking with nerves and I can sense how scared she is from how deadly my wolf looks right now, making me and my wolf want to kiss her sadness away for causing her fear, yet again.

"Blindfold them and take them to the cells, I want the bars laced with magic until I decide what to do with them." I command as I don't look back at them as I begin to head back to the house, with Sora's arms wrapping around me as she holds on ready for me to run.

It's all coming together.

It sooner than I thought but predictable nonetheless. Whoever is orchestrating this is surely going to be pissed when he finds out his main piece has fled from The Vale to Deepwater and into my hands.

This is getting interesting. I need to move Sora faster than I thought to someplace safe. I have to keep her safe... everything I guessed has so far unraveled and played out.

Lila being here means one thing and one thing only.

War is coming.