Page 61 of The Wolf and Her Shadows

*Clearly,* I sneer, annoyed that our sleep was interrupted for something that turned out to be the exact opposite of danger. *Take over for me. That thing is fuckin’ massive and seeing as how you’re the one fucking Mariane, I think it’s only fair you be the one stuck dealing with her furry friends.*

She sighs dramatically. *Fine. But only because–*

Not waiting for her to finish whatever bullshit she planned on blabbering, I throw her into control and quickly escape to the depths of our headspace where I can nurse my wounded pride away from prying eyes.

I hate wolves.

Well… The one Vannaria’s in love with is…tolerable.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Vannaria

Rayne’s previous terror still courses through our veins as I attempt to collect myself. The switch between us was much more violent than usual, so it takes a moment for our vision to clear, but when it does I realize why Rayne was in such a hurry to flee. From inside our mind, I’d been able to tell the wolf was large, but being able to fully take it in now… I find myself wishing I could flee as well.

*Not happening,* Aren mutters, anticipating me asking for them to take control.

I shake my head, still attempting to fight through our fear. *Don’t worry, I wasn’t going to ask.*

Letting go of the massive cat’s neck, Mariane turns back to me with the most gorgeous smile I’ve ever seen on her face. She briefly squints her eyes, then her smile widens even further, and she holds a hand out towards me in a clear request to join her. Swallowing down my anxiety, I force my feet to move.

Perhaps noticing my apprehension to approach, Mariane meets me halfway, grasping my hand as she leads me over to her furry friends. I let out a sigh of relief, clutching her hand so tightly I fear it might be causing her discomfort. If it does she makes no mention of it.

“Vannaria, I’d like you to meet Stephan and Kali,” Mariane says, gesturing to the gargantuan beasts in front of us.

The air around us ripples and both creatures begin to shrink, their furry bodies quickly replaced by those of humans. Naked humans.

Where the wolf once stood is now a tall muscular man with shaggy red hair the same color his fur had been and tattoos snaking up both his arms and across his chest. Beside him is a woman whose lack of a freely dangling cock, lithe body, and dusty blonde hair make her the much more appealing person to focus on between the two of them.

She also has similar tattoos as the man, but hers are delicate vines while his are bold geometric patterns. I’m honestly a bit jealous, perhaps one day I’ll change my glamoured appearance to have tattoos. Once I no longer have the need to be able to disappear into a crowd, that is.

Keeping my eyes mostly on the woman, who I assume must be Kali, I place my free hand over my chest and bow my head to them both. “It is a pleasure to meet you Stephan, Kali.”

The man, Stephan, barks a laugh so loud it echoes through the forest around us before taking a step forward and wrapping one arm around Mariane’s shoulder and the other around mine. I don’t even attempt to contain my grimace as I do my best to avoid letting his cock touch me.

“Ah, look at you, Mariane! Gone for nearly a decade and ya come back all smiles and with a woman at ya side,” he says, his accent thicker than Mariane’s and his tone light. “Thank you, Vannaria, for bringing her home to us.”

“Let the poor women breathe, Stephan.” Kali lightly smacks him on the shoulder, chuckling softly as she moves to Mariane's side.

He thankfully lets go, stepping back with a childlike pout on his face.

Mariane laughs at his expression, wrapping her free arm around the blonde. “It’s so good to see you again. I’ve missed you both so much.”

“Not half as much as we’ve missed you,” Stephan says, placing a hand on Kali’s shoulder. “Your mother will be overjoyed to see you again. She’s been worried sick about you ever since…” He trails off, his gaze drifting over to me.

“She knows,” Mariane whispers, pulling away from the woman. “And I’m excited to see Mother as well, but I’m afraid she’s going to have a bit more worrying to do. We won’t be staying long, unfortunately. We have…plans.”

“Plans?” Kali asks, her brows knitting in worry. “What kind of plans?”

Mariane looks at me with a pleading expression, so I explain, “Unfortunately, there is quite a large bounty on Mariane’s head, and a few rather significant deaths that need to occur before she will be truly safe.”

“Who?” Stephan asks. A sense of unease creeps up my spine when his gaze darkens. “What exactly happened after you were taken, Mariane?”

Tightening her grip on my hand, Mariane shakes her head. “Nothing I wish to speak of at the moment. I’ll tell you more when we get to the village. Now, I’m not sure about the rest of you, but I’m starving.”

To my relief, Stephan and Kali both nod. Then Kali says, “Well, I assume you have a camp nearby, so lead the way.” She places a hand lovingly on Stephan’s bare chest. “Hopefully you’re a better cook than this guy is.”

Mariane’s smile returns as she points a finger at the obvious couple. “Well, this is new. Glad to see you both finally pulled your head out of your asses. Took you long enough.”