Lead Me Astray

Original Edition: CHAPTER 51 - ZYR

September 11 | Late Night

Ignoring the intensifying storm, Mys studied me a full twenty seconds before asking, "What's the ace up your sleeve?"

I shook my head. "You know how you say it's easier to show than tell? This is one of those moments. I was trying to explain before the Security forces dropped in on us, but perhaps it's better to reveal things when we get back to New Orleans. Did Kittie give you an ETA?"

"She left thirty minutes ago."

"Shit. We won't make it to the convenience store in time." I strained to hear a car in the distance. Nothing but silence. "No luck hitchhiking, either. How do you feel about being carried?" I raised a brow.

"You're serious?" Mys giggled.

"Yeah, I'm serious. Otherwise, what's the use of having greater than average strength?"

A shy Mitsuyo draped my back. My mind and body felt like I had been in a blender the past few hours, but the gentle touch of slender fingers clutching my shoulders and arms sliding around my neck soothed me. Their scent was intoxicating.

"How badly did she hurt you?" I murmured, nostrils stinging from the faint smell of blood.

"It's superficial. I'm okay."

I turned and kissed their lips. "I wish I could take away the pain."

"You just did." Mys stared into my eyes.

Blushing at the frank display of affection, I turned away and took off at a brisk pace. Perspiration beaded my skin, and endorphins rushed through me. My lungs expanded with air as my feet pounded the pavement. I ran as fast as I could through the night while the clouds overhead raced across the face of the moon. The dappled light plunged us in and out of shadows.

I hardly saw the otherworldly beauty of our surroundings. The only thing on my mind was Aurie. Whether I took down Darcy Cyprian, I had to tell her the truth before we were out of time. Things had gotten way out of hand. From the day I had met Aurie and Mys, I had imagined coming clean when I felt they were ready to know the most important details of her case. I hadn't factored in Cyprian ruining my career and leaving me feral.

The worst part was no one ever talked about how long it took to go completely wild. It seemed by evading the Fext soldiers I had remained a wolf longer than I should have. The tantalizing call of madness tickled the frayed edges of my consciousness.

I kept thinking of the savage ease of being the animal. How I had tricked the drones into anti-climactic crashes into trees. They were glorified toys. I had terrorized the lost soldiers, watching them bumble through the woods until their superiors airlifted them.

When the hunt was called off, I heard it on their radios and circled back to my property to ensure Yazeed was okay. After I saw them load him into the helicopter and leave, I briefly shifted to man-shape to investigate the burning cabin. I could have remained a man. Instead, I had shifted back into a wolf until I stumbled across Mys. I couldn't tell my lover how right things had felt in animal form and how wrong it now felt to be on two feet.