Chapter 263: The Forest Run

Vivian’s POV

All the heavy strain in my body the emotional weight, the physical exhaustion melted away like it had never even existed. I felt completely free, light, and wonderfully wild.

With a playful grin stretching across her furry muzzle, my wolf trotted right over to Zahliver and gave a cheerful little bark, her tail swishing back and forth with bold amusement. He looked down at me, the corners of his lips twitching into a warm smile as those piercing blue eyes sparkled in the moonlight.

"Well, hello there, little wolf," he murmured, crouching down slightly so he could run his warm fingers through my soft fur.

Uh-oh.

Don’t pull the ear, whatever you do, do not pull the

He reached out and gently tugged on my left ear, and my wolf instantly let out a loud, delighted purr. Purring. Like an oversized cat. What even was she?

In response to his touch, she rubbed her side heavily against his leg, nuzzling her scent all over his pants like she was aggressively branding him as our personal property. The pleased, arrogant smirk that spread across Zahliver’s face only made the whole situation worse.

My wolf slowly stepped back, gave him a very obvious, head-to-toe once-over, and then winked yes, actually winked before purring loudly in my head:

I am definitely going to be back for that fine ass later, sugar. Don’t you dare go anywhere.

And with that utterly shameless thought, she bolted headfirst into the dark woods, not sparing him another single glance.

Somewhere deep inside the quiet corners of my mind, I curled completely in on myself in absolute horror.

Why on earth do you always have to do this to me?! I shrieked at her mentally.

She just threw her head back and howled with pure laughter as the sound of Zahliver’s booming, deep chuckle echoed warmly behind us through the trees.

I leapt gracefully over a thick, mossy fallen log, landing light and silent on my paws, and let out a sudden huff that sounded suspiciously human. That same mischievous glint sparked instantly in my chest as I spotted a little brown bunny curled up tightly beneath a thorny bush, looking blissfully asleep. I simply could not resist.

I growled low and deep in my throat, just enough to jolt the poor little thing wide awake, and the exact second it bolted into the underbrush, I chased after it with wild, joyful glee.

Because if I do not terrorize a random forest animal today, who will?

Besides, I only think it, my wolf argued cheerfully. You just happen to say it out loud. In ways that embarrass you in front of your mate. And honestly? I live for that kind of drama.

If I ever figure out how to physically hit you... I grumbled internally.

You would only end up punching yourself in the brain, my beast replied dryly and smugly.

I caught up to the bunny with ease it froze dead in its tracks out of sheer terror, but I had zero intention of harming it. I just let it go, watching it scramble off into the safety of the bushes in a total panic. The simple thrill of the chase was enough. With a content, happy shake of my fur, I turned around and began bounding swiftly back toward where I had left Zahliver.

He was still waiting right where he stood. His intense eyes were locked directly on me, looking as if he had been watching my every move the entire time, even before I had emerged from the dark tree line. I blinked in surprise. Could he actually see me clearly from all that distance away? That unwavering gaze felt a bit unnerving... yet strangely comforting at the exact same time.

But just before I reached his side, something caught my eye in the corner of my vision, making me skid to a sudden halt.

Up at the main house, standing dark and quiet behind a second-floor window pane, was a solitary figure.

Joshula.

My muscles tensed up tight mid-stride. He was not moving at all, just standing there... watching us. I could not read his expression from this far away, but something about his absolute stillness crawled right under my fur. The excited joy of the run instantly dulled into a heavy, prickling unease.

Zahliver must have sensed the sudden change in my energy because he glanced quickly toward the house as I slowed down to a stop right beside him.

Oh no, officer, I swear I was not stalking anyone, my wolf muttered sarcastically in my head. I was just... observing. From afar. Through a glass window. Without permission. You know, totally normal brotherly behavior. Today we look through a window, tomorrow we plant ourselves in a tree. Then boom, we get a restraining order. And we all know how wildly effective those are when the stalker happens to be an immortal wolf.

I shoved her unnecessary snark deep down and forced my attention back to the house. Joshula lingered by the glass for another few agonizing seconds, completely motionless and totally unreadable. Then, without any warning at all, he turned his back and vanished from the window frame.

Zahliver frowned deeply beside me, but he did not say a word out loud. He just stared at the empty window for a moment longer before turning his amber eyes back down to me.

I honestly was not sure what to make of Joshula’s weird actions. Was this supposed to be normal sibling behavior? Spying on people from dark windows? Shouldn’t he have just asked to join us out here if he was feeling curious or left out?

Shaking off the chilling prickle still crawling along my spine, I shifted forms mid-step, warm human skin quickly taking the place of thick gray fur. The sudden transformation left a soft, lingering ache in my limbs, but I happily welcomed the pleasant stretch of my human body. Raising both arms high above my head, I let out a long, breathy sigh and wrapped my arms around Zahliver’s neck before I even fully realized what I was doing. His strong arms caught me automatically, pulling me flush against his chest and holding me close.

I felt wonderfully weightless. Shifting always left me feeling a little high, like my soul had temporarily visited another plane entirely and just now drifted back down.

"Are you feeling a bit better now?" Zahliver murmured softly, his deep, smooth voice vibrating right against my ear.

"Almost," I whispered back, tilting my head up to look at him with my lips formed into a playful pout. "Are you completely sure you do not want to shift too? Because if you stay human, I am going to look completely ridiculous walking back all primal, sweaty, and muddy beside you while you are wearing a clean shirt. I will look like a lost rogue Bigfoot who forgot where her pack lives."

He let out a short, exasperated huff of breath, but he ultimately relented, taking my hand and gently tugging me deeper into the thick woods until we reached the clearing of a wide, ancient tree with sprawling, knotted roots. Without a single word, he began sliding his arms out of his shirt and unbuckling his belt.

I did not need to be asked twice. Stripping off my dress and undergarments in record time, I let my wolf take control of the surface again. The transition flowed much easier this time around it felt familiar now, and far less painful. My beast surged forward eagerly, and the exact second my vision cleared, Zahliver had already shifted into his own wolf form as well.

His wolf was breathtakingly majestic. All sleek, midnight-black fur and a sharp, incredibly regal posture those jet-black eyes gleamed like polished obsidian as he studied me with quiet reverence.

We stayed out there in the quiet woods for a long while, just the two of us, running deeper into the shadows and chasing each other through the brush until a pleasant, healthy exhaustion finally sank deep into our bones.

Eventually, we trotted back to the clearing where our discarded clothes lay waiting on the grass.

I dressed myself quickly, pulling my clothes back on with practiced, efficient ease, but Zahliver... oh, he had entirely different plans in mind.

He moved with agonizing slowness, acting as if he had all the time in the world. First, he pulled on his pants, securing them slowly, and then he picked up his dark shirt. He started buttoning it up, one by one. Each individual button was fastened with a deliberate, utterly torturous slowness. And those damn burning eyes of his never once left my face.

I was standing there, feeling like I was about two seconds away from screaming out loud in frustration. It was completely absurd he was not even stripping down, he was literally just putting his clothes on yet somehow, it was the most frustratingly seductive thing I had ever witnessed in my entire life.

By the exact time he finally reached the second button near his collar, I was half-crazed with impatient heat.

And the absolute bastard knew it.