The Wolf Hound

I stalked through the bushes at midnight, searching for Conan’s distinct scent. I had to sneak out through my bedroom window, which was on the 2nd floor, to avoid waking up my mom. My shifter abilities probably saved my life on that leap.

I let out a puff of breath and sat down. I had been searching for his scent for 30 minutes, but the forest was just too large. His scent was gone when I went to check where I’d smelt it before.

I laid down in that same clearing, waiting for a sign that he was coming. He hasn’t entered the forest yet, I would have sensed it if he had.

The next thing I knew, there was a black wolf sitting across from me. I stood up to avoid being caught off guard, should the wolf decide to attack. The other wolf stood as well, taking a few paw steps toward me.

Without lowering my head, I did have alpha in me, I breathed in the wolf’s scent. This told me two things, one, that the wolf was a male. Two, he smelled like pre-winter snow and honey. Conan.

“Conan,” I said in my head, allowing him to hear it.

“Acacia,” he replied.

We sat down at the same time and I took in his wolf’s image. He was strong, I could see the muscles rippling under his dark fur. His golden eyes shined and his coat was illuminated in the moonlight. He looked dashing, just as he did in his human form.

“This still doesn’t explain why I didn’t sense you before,” I said…or thought rather.

“I don’t know either,” his expression was one of confusion.

Kathrine entered the woods near her house, I felt it. Conan and I both looked in that direction. Wait…what?

I turned to him and stared. No one, aside from me, has ever known who entered Lune forest, it’s part of the reason Kathrine and I call it ‘my’ forest.

A few minutes later, Kathrine bound up to us and skidded to a stop. I was still staring at Conan, who was watching Kathrine. She looked at me, probably wondering who the black wolf was.

“Acacia-“ she began.

“Conan did you sense her?” I cut off.

“Conan!?” Kathrine barked.

“Yes,” Conan replied, looking amusedly at Kathrine before turning to me.

The only way he would be able to sense things in a forest that my soul claimed, were if our souls were tied…if we were soul mates…

I just sat there, eyes wide and mouth opened just a crack. I was standing so still I felt as if I were made of stone, not blinking and hardly breathing.

“Acacia?” Kathrine asked cautiously.

They were both staring at me worriedly, but I couldn’t bring myself to respond. I just found my soul mate, can you blame me?

“Acacia? What’s wrong?” Conan asked, taking a step towards me. Again, I couldn’t speak.

“Ohhhh….” Kathrine realized, her own eyes going wide. Her white and grey fur rippled as a chill ran
through her.

“What?” Conan questioned.

“This is her forest, you shouldn’t be able to sense anything,” she explained vaguely.

Conan slowly sat down, his face expressionless. The next few minutes were spent that way, everyone silently going over the new information.

Conan stood up and walked over to me. He licked my cheek before speaking.

“I guess we’re mates then,” he spoke quietly, a small smile tugging at his wolfish lips.

“I guess so,” I whispered, also smiling.

I leaned towards him and licked his cheek, accepting him as my mate. Conan and I spent the rest of the night in the woods. After Kathrine left, we curled up next to each other to spend our first night as mates in each other’s company, just as shifter tradition says.

His fur was so soft and his heat kept me warm that night. I fell asleep with my head on my brown paws and Conan’s head draped over my back.