Heart of the Wolf Prince

Chapter 17

The golden wolf snaps and snarls from under me, kicking me in the stomach in an attempt to throw me off. I remain steadfast, pushing my paw down onto his chest as I open my jaw and go for his throat. He tries to bat my snout away with whatever he can, but it's no use. My teeth scrape his golden ruff, and his entire body stills under me.

We remain there for a few moments, panting. Then, Alex grins, shoving my snout aside with a playful whine. "You've improved. That's the third time you've overpowered me now."

I jump off him, sending him a wolfish grin. "Maybe. Or perhaps you're just getting rustier."

Alex snorts, though it sounds more like a snarl coming from a wolf's throat. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I shouldn't go so easy on you next time."

I nudge him playfully before heading off for the thick oak tree on the edge of the clearing, where a pile of my clothes awaits me. "Right, because you were going so easy on me."

I can hear him shifting to change as well. "You really wanna bet?"

I grin myself as I duck behind the tree and shift back to my human form. I'm a little bruised from Alex's gentle assault, but it's nothing that won't heal in a few hours. Though, I'm a little envious of Alex, because my blows to his flesh will probably heal in a few minutes.

I tug on my clothes before rounding the tree again, unsurprised to find Alex back in his human form, standing in nothing but his white trousers and shoes. He shoots me a crooked grin, and I'm not able to stop my eyes before they go roaming hungrily over Alex's body. The moonlight highlights every hard ridge of his muscles, and a small heat burns between my thighs when I finally look back at him. His grin widens, like he knows exactly what kind of effect he has on me. Damnit.

"Ready to head off?" he asks as I walk towards him. I cast a look at the canopy above, towards the starry sky littered with white specs. To the right, the moon glows brightly, illuminating the clearing that would otherwise be totally dark to me. One drawback to albinism is the shitty eyesight, and though my eyes can pick up enough light with the enhancement of my wolf form, in my human form I may as well be blind at night.

A cloud begins to move across the moon, shrouding it. I scowl. "Yeah, I think so. Once that moon goes, I won't be able to see anything."

Alex snorts, putting an arm around my shoulders to guide me through the forest. I can already see the distant glow of the palace. "Sucks to suck. But you do have pretty eyes, so hey, maybe it's worth it."

I roll my eyes. "Not when you're stumbling in the dark."

"An eye for an eye?" Alex shrugs. I stifle a laugh.

"Shut up."

Alex chuckles, and that's when I notice the panful twang in my left leg. Alex notices my pain immediately and his smile drops. "What's wrong?"

"Pulled hamstring, I think," I say on a wince.

He frowns. "Will you be okay to walk back?"

"Yeah, I'll just go by the infirmary and get some moonstone splinters. Not much of a detour."

Alex nods. We reach the palace grounds, and we are about twenty yards from the back of the palace when he pulls us to a stop. He whirls me to face him. "Want me to walk you back to your room? I need to go and check tomorrow's rotations in the west wing but that can wait."

I shake my head. "No, I should be okay." I pause, and we fall into one of those tense silences. I chew my lip, fighting to suppress my smile. Alex leans down to kiss them, and I allow myself to mould into his body for a long moment.