Angel’s beast seemed to have calmed by the time they started to head back, and he felt physically strong and sharp almost as he was right from the beginning; before this nightmare started or even stronger.
As the cold engulfed him and the gentle breeze swept through his fur and face and the sweet smell of grass, flowers and rabbits assaulted his nostrils, he yearned to be one with nature, wishing he could continue to roam and blend in with the wild.
For that short period, not being in chains or in any danger of being tased, shot at or harmed in any way made him feel at peace and, for the first time in a long while, he wanted to embrace his true nature and let out his beast, allowing him to be himself, to hunt and just be the nocturnal predator he was. Having Nadia holding on to him heightened the feeling somehow, making him feel like she was the complete half of him and they could survive just about anything together.
However, Nadia’s true nature halted his musing. She was not a she-wolf, but a human. The reality of their situation dampened his mood. He had always been attracted to the outdoorsy kind of she-wolves. Someone, he could get lost in the wild, filling their bellies with their kills and having sex nonstop. The moon goddess was indeed in quite a mood for her to pair him with a human – the very vicious species who hated and hunted their kind. And not just any human, a party girl, a princess who, he was certain, could never survive a day in the wild.
He couldn’t make sense of it and the thought that it must be for a reason caused him to pause. Without Nadia would they have been able to get this far in their escape plans? Would he have survived all his injuries? Perhaps the moon-goddess knew what she was doing after all. He wondered if after what he had shared with her, he could be able to trade her for a she-wolf. After all, he was wulfblood, he could choose to cast her aside when he escaped and take a more suitable mate, someone strong enough to stand his rough sex and insatiable need; someone he wouldn’t be forced to be gentle with.
The thought made his heart clench painfully and a low growl vibrated deep in his throat. He felt Nadia stiffen on his back and smelt her fear. He shook his head, trying to calm his beast. ‘I get it you want her, not some random she-wolf. Calm the fuck down,’ he thought to himself.
“We are close…” Kurt said in somewhat warning, after about thirty minutes of running through the woods. Everyone paused when they got close to the tunnel.
Angel signalled to the others he would go first and strode forward. He opened the gate, paused, and walked in as quietly as he could muster.
A strange feeling suddenly washed over him and the hair on his skin bristled in a warning. He paused to listen, noting it was from behind him. He turned around and saw one of the Weres, backing off from the tunnel opening. The feeling of fear, pain and determination contorted his features. His body was wavering and fighting to shift from his human form to the werewolf form. Kurt turned in the same direction and so did Blaze and the other Weres. Nadia, watching too, let out a silent gasp.
The Were made to turn around and bolt, and without a second thought, Angel dropped Nadia, leapt, shapeshifting in the air. The other Were didn’t get to go far before Angel pinned him down in his massive werewolf glory. The others gasped when they saw he was pure white and far bigger than any of them could ever imagine.
Angel held the struggling Were to the grassy patch, and slowly laid his forehead against his.
“I know this is scary, Amarok, but I promise you we just have a few minutes left. Calm down, I don’t want to lose another brother today…” Angel said in his deep guttural voice. The other Were took deep calming breaths, looking into his eyes. When Angel thought he had calmed, he stood up and shifted back to his human form, standing naked in the open.
“You are wulfblood!” Odwolf interjected. Angel, realising he had fully turned, let out a quiet curse. When he turned to face the others, they were all looking at him in awe except for Kurt, who already knew, and Blaze, who was watching him with excitement.
“Um… Yeah?” Angel said in his ‘you-got-me’ tone and groaned when Odwolf lowered his knees to bow to him.
“You are our alpha,” the Were said. The others joined him.
“Get up!” Angel snapped. “I am nobody’s alpha here,” he added, sounding exasperated. Odwolf rose, still watching Angel with shock. The others imitated the act in pairs and then one after the other.
“I have always known there was something special about you. Now I know why,” Fenrir said.
“I am confident we are getting the hell out now!!” said Ralph. The others started to murmur in agreement.
“Guys! Please stop. Let’s focus, shall we?” Angel replied, sounding angry and sheepish at the same time.
“You might want to tie this around your waist, alpha,” Kurt said in a laughing voice as he made Blaze remove his top to give Angel.
Angel lowered his eyes to his body and cursed. The others laughed. When he raised his eyes to the tunnel opening, he saw Nadia watching him. Her eyes swirled with a mixture of emotions: lust, fear and another he could not describe. He swallowed hard, wondering what she thought of him now. ‘At least she had not run inside screaming like a banshee,’ he thought.