Chapter 25: Willa

It was still dark out when Ferrin woke me a few hours later. The clock said it was just past three in the morning. He was already dressed and ready to go. He told me to go ahead and get dressed while he went to make sure everyone was ready. I said not to worry about packing. Miranda had already taken care of everything.

I pushed the covers off, wondering if that woman ever slept. I pulled on a pair of leggings and a T-shirt and tied my hair back out of my face. I didn’t have to wait long before Ferrin returned with Damen.

“You ready?”

I nodded. “Yep.”

“Okay, Damen is going to go ahead of us to make sure the coast stays clear. We’re going to take you through the servants’ passages and out a back exit. Once we’re out of the castle, we’ll have to walk for a while. You up for that?”

I laughed. “I’ve been trapped in a tower for over a week. What do you think?”

He smiled and shook his head. “Alright then, let’s go.”

He grabbed my hand and led me out the door. I don’t know why I was so nervous. Damen and Austin had made sure this side of the building would be cleared out, and it shouldn’t be too hard to get out unseen. It may have been the changes that were about to happen in my life the moment I left that room.

But I was ready.

Ferrin kept a hold of my hand as he guided me down the stairs. I tried to look around as much as I could, trying to familiarize myself with my surroundings. The corridors were kept dark, with only intermittent dim lights along the floors for safety. Although that seemed a little unnecessary as everyone within the castle were lycans or werewolves with night vision. We paused a few times while we waited for Damen to give us the all-clear when a junction was coming up. We finally joined him as we approached a heavy metal door that looked out of place against the stone walls of the hall.

Damen pulled out a set of keys, entering a code in a keypad before unlocking the door and opening it up. Ferrin pulled me out and turned back to his beta.

“You have everything from here?”

“Yeah, you’re out evaluating the border patrol and will be back in a couple days. I’ll hold everything done here. Just check in and keep her out of sight until it’s time.”

Ferrin clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks, Damen.”

He bowed to me. “Luna, I hope to see you back safely soon.”

I stepped up and gave him a hug. “Thank you. I hope so too.”

I released him and watched as he re-entered the castle, locking the door behind him. I took a deep breath, enjoying the feel of the night air, feeling invigorated being outdoors again. Ferrin grabbed my hand, kissing the back of it before he started moving along the shadows. There was an open lawn between us and the tree line we were heading for, so Ferrin guided us around to avoid being seen. It didn’t take us long before we were under the cover of the trees when Ferrin stopped and turned to me.

He pulled me behind a nearby tree, his lips meeting mine as he pressed me against the rough surface. When he pulled away, I could see his eyes glowing yellow in the moonlight.

“Want to go for a run?” he asked with a grin.

I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. “Can we? Is it safe?”

“We’re meeting Austin three miles north of here off the main highway. This twenty-square-mile stretch of land belongs to the royal family. No one should be in the area.”

“Yeah,” I said excitedly, “let’s run.”

He kissed me again before I retreated behind another tree and started stripping off my clothes. I knew he had seen me shift before the night we met, but this felt different to me. It was exhilarating, and I wanted to come out to reveal my wolf to him. Taking a deep breath, I shifted into my huge red wolf. I took a minute to stretch out the muscles and shook out my dappled fur.

I emerged from behind the scrub to find Ferrin tucking his clothes into a drawstring bag. He was still in his human form, and he looked up as soon as he sensed me. He froze as I approached. His hand reached out, entangling his fingers in my thick fur. He leaned down, resting his forehead between my ears.

“You’re gorgeous, Willa,” he whispered.

I nuzzled against his chest, soliciting a chuckle from him. While I was pleased with his appreciation, I was ready to let loose. I backed up and crouched down, my tail in the air.

“Okay, I get it. Let me grab your clothes and we’ll head out.”

I bounced around while I waited, pent-up energy flooding through me. Ferrin stepped out in his lycan form, and I was still for a moment, realizing this was the first time seeing him this way.

He was magnificent.

Covered in beautiful dark chocolate fur, he was massive, towering over my height. While werewolves shifted completely from humans into large wolves, lycans' form was somewhere in between. They stood upright on hind legs and maintained their human-like hands rather than paws. Looking at my mate before me, seeing how much power was contained within this form, I could understand why they were seen as superior.

But could he outrun me?

With only a yip as a warning, I took off, sprinting north through the forest. I could hear Ferrin behind me without looking back. We darted through the trees, jumping over fallen logs and creeks. At one point, he started to pull ahead of me, weaving through the shadows. I took the challenge and pushed my legs to full speed, quickly overtaking him.

I felt a smug satisfaction as I left him behind until I suddenly realized I no longer felt his presence close by. I slowed, sniffing the air to catch his scent. But I couldn’t find it. My ears pricked up and I searched my surroundings. The forest was quiet, the only sounds coming from the summer insects and the distant rustling of animals beginning to stir for the day.

I was about to backtrack along our path to pick up Ferrin’s scent trail but was pulled off my feet. My world was suddenly spinning. I was rolling, not able to tell up from down. The restraint around my waist tightening as flashes of glass and metal burst through my mind, forcing me back to that night in the woods.

I came to a stop and scrambled to free myself, my paws digging into the earth as I kicked out. Freeing myself and turned on my attacker. It was him, the one who hurt my mother. The need to get to her screaming inside me as I growled deeply, baring my sharp teeth. I had slashed his leg when I kicked myself free, and I could smell the blood running through his fur.

He shifted in front of me, but his face wouldn’t focus as anger and fear blurred my vision.

“Willa…”

I heard my name in the distance. I stepped back as the lycan advanced.

“Willa, it’s me.”

I registered Ferrin’s voice. My fear started to recede, my mind coming back to reality as the face in front of me finally became clear. I whimpered as I recognized Ferrin’s worried features, his hands out in front of him, the blood smeared across the broken flesh of his thigh.

I shifted, clambering back across the forest floor until my back hit the rough bark of a tree. I was panting as I tried to shake what I now understood was a memory away. Pulling my knees to my chest, I forced my fingers through my hair, gripping my head as a sob ripped through my chest. Forcing the images of that day back into my subconscious.

Arms wrapped around me, pulling me against a hard chest. The tingles and low purring told me it was Ferrin.

“You’re safe, sweetheart,” Ferrin whispered in my ear. “I’m so sorry, Willa. I didn’t mean to scare you. I promise you’re safe.”

I tried to speak. I wanted to do something to explain. I didn’t mean to hurt him. But whatever sound I managed was incoherent.

“What was that, sweetheart?” He pulled back a little.

“H-he flipped the car…” I stumbled out.

Ferrin cursed under his breath. “That was stupid of me.”

“No,” I said a little stronger. “You couldn’t have known. You were just trying to play and I ruined it.”

“No, baby,” Ferrin insisted, kissing my head. “This isn’t your fault.”

“I hurt you.”

He chuckled softly. “Nothing I can’t handle. It’s already healing. See?”

I lifted my head to look. He was right. The bleeding had slowed, and I could see the flesh already starting to knit itself back together. But it was still a deep wound. Guilt had me tasting bile as fresh tears streamed down my face.

“Hey,” Ferrin said, lifting my chin to pull my attention away from the damage I had done. “It’s okay, babe. Really. I’m glad to know that you would fight like hell to protect yourself.”

I heard footsteps approaching and my head shot up.

“Shh, it’s just Austin. I mind-linked him to come to us. We aren’t far.”

Ferrin moved his arms to cover me better as Austin stepped into our little clearing. He carried a blanket that he draped around me, his typical carefree expression replaced with concern. Ferrin instructed him to retrieve the bag that held our clothes from a short distance away as he wrapped me tightly in the blanket.

Now that I had calmed down, I was feeling awkward and a little ashamed about the whole ordeal that just happened.

“You okay? Better now?”

I nodded. “Yeah, kind of embarrassed. It’s been years since I’ve had an episode.”

“Willa, you’ve been through a serious trauma in your life. There is absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“But now you’re going to treat me differently. You’re going to worry that any little thing will break me. Like I’m weak.”

“Anyone who has met you — the real you — would never dare to think you’re weak,” Austin interjected as he got back. He knelt down in front of me, setting the bag at my feet before meeting my eyes. “Trust me, Luna. We would never allow anyone to consider you weak.”

His tone was serious and his gaze insistent. A strong contrast to his usual playful attitude. I didn’t know what to say. It meant a lot coming from him. Ferrin was biased because of our bond. But I was no one to Austin. Just the woman his friend was fated to.

He offered me a soft smile, bowing his head before he stood.

“I’ll head back to the car. Don’t take too long. The sun is about to rise, so we should get moving again.”