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His following words are more insistent.

Find mate.

I don’t fight him as he drags me onto four paws. At first, I walk slowly, sniffing the air to determine where the scent is coming from. Then, it grows stronger, guiding me where I need to go.

I throw my head back, howling in triumph. It echoes through the trees, high and eerie, as if never-ending.

We’ve found our mate.

Now we are on the hunt to claim her.

Resolute, my wolf wrests control, sprinting into the forest toward the delectable scent of our female.

The trees are a blur as I run faster than I ever have before. My entire focus is on the female waiting at the other end of the scent trail. I can only pray to the goddess that she won’t be terrified of my wolf. As much as I would love to greet her as a human man, doing so naked as a babe would likely terrify her.

Her scent grows stronger as I draw closer and my teeth ache with the urge to mark her. The instinct is all-consuming, especially in my animal form.

My steps falter as soft humming reaches my ears. Her voice is low, a little rough, but pleasing. Hoping to gather some composure, I slow to a walk, padding through the trees until I can finally see her.

The sight before me takes my breath away far more than my mad dash through the woods. She’s kneeling in a pool of moonlight, bent over a thatch of night-blooming flowers. Her hair shimmers as though it contains magic, raining down her back in a tangle of waves. The color blends in with the crimson cloak she wears. Her pale skin glows like a pearl as her bare arms move to gather bundles of the blossoms.

I can’t control the low growl rumbling in my chest at the sight of her. My wolf and I are in total agreement when it comes to our newly discovered mate.

She’s the most beautiful creature in existence.

At the sound of my growl, her hands still. Her head lifts as she peers in my direction.

The bright light of the full moon doesn’t penetrate beneath the thick canopy of trees where I’m hidden. I know she can’t see me, but I’m almost certain her eyes stop on the spot where I’m standing.

“I’m only here to gather flowers,” she murmurs. “There’s no need to be territorial.”

For a moment, I question if she’s truly human. Another Lycan could see me, sense me, but she shouldn’t be able to. Yet, she seems to be speaking directly to me.

Moving slowly, I creep from the shadows, allowing the moonlight to reveal my presence.

She gasps, and I detect the faint scent of fear beneath the honeyed spice of her skin. Unwilling to frighten her further, I stop and stand still, letting her look at me.

Despite my efforts to control it, my tail begins to wag. My mate is here, within reach, and she’s not screaming or trying to run away from me.

A small smile curves her lips as she looks at me. “Aren’t you a beautiful creature?” she murmurs.

My ears prick up, my head lifting with pride at her words. My mate finds me as beautiful as I find her. Despite my worries she won’t welcome me, I can’t stop the happiness swelling in my chest.

Excited, I take a few steps forward, relieved she doesn’t seem afraid.

She gasps again and falls back onto her bottom, her hand moving behind her back to brace her weight. When she does, I see the flash of a knife. My head cocks to one side as I continue my approach, each step slow and even.

As I draw closer, she smells uncertain and a little afraid but not terrified.

Why is she behaving this way?

“Please tell me you’ve already had dinner,” she mutters, scooting back in the dirt in an effort to keep distance between us.

I yip at her, the sound my version of a laugh in wolf form, and she freezes.

Taking advantage of her stillness, I draw closer and lower my head to her ankle. I sniff it, prodding the bare skin with the tip of my nose.

This close to her, I can smell the complex layers of her scent. There’s honey, but also vanilla, the spice of cinnamon and ginger, all mixed with the warmth of cardamom and nutmeg.