Micah lays on my bed and watches me as I pack my bag, placing a change of clothes and a torch on top. Then, noticing cake smeared on my hoodie, I laugh, pull it off, and toss it aside before grabbing a fresh one from my wardrobe and putting it on.
‘Ready to go camping? It’s going to be nightfall soon, and we haven’t even left yet,’ Micah laughs.
‘Yeah, well, it’s not my fault Dad had my party drag out all afternoon,’ I reply.
‘Alpha Maximus was just so excited for you, for us, that we are fated mates. He was definitely making the most of it and was very proud to show us off. It was also a great party,’ Micah laughs.
‘Yeah, I’ll admit it was lots of fun,’ I say, swinging the bag over my shoulder, ‘Ready?’ I ask.
‘I’ll carry your sleeping bag. Do you want me to carry that bag too?’ Micah asks, pointing to the bag over my shoulder.
‘Nah, I’m a big girl. I can carry this myself,’ I say and kiss his cheek.
Micah smiles and nods, then follows me downstairs to where we find everyone waiting. No one but Sally and Amara has packed a bag.
‘Are you not bringing any supplies?’ I ask my Dad and brothers.
‘We were just going to sleep in our Lycan forms to keep warm and hunt down a rabbit if we get hungry,’ Leo says.
‘Of course,’ I say, rolling my eyes.
‘What about you, Mum, and Bella?’
‘We were just going to shift into our wolves, and I can use magic to start a fire, so I don’t need supplies,’ Mother shrugs.
‘I was going to go wolf mode too,’ Bella laughs nervously.
Sally walks over to me and drapes her arm over my shoulder, ‘It’s okay, Lylah. I packed a human survival pack to get us through the night since I don’t have a wolf either, nor do I wield amazing, magical powers like your mother. Us humans have got to stick together, you know?’ she laughs and unzips her bag. ‘But don’t fret, my dear Lylah, I have lighters, torches, rope, duct tape, tarp, whistles, glow sticks, batteries, wire, cable ties-‘
‘Um, Sally, my sweetheart. We are only camping for one night, and you have packed the essentials of what a serial killer would bring,’ Nathan points out.
‘What can I say? I’m human. Better to be safe than sorry?’ Sally laughs.
I turn to Amara, ‘Why have you packed a bag then? Are you not going to sleep in your wolf form?’ I ask her.
‘Oh, um,’ Amara unzips her bag to show nothing but snacks, popcorn, marshmallows, chips, biscuits, you name it. ‘Someone had to pack the essentials,’ she laughs.
I shake my head, smiling at her, ‘Okay, let’s get out of here then.’
Micah shifts, I climb on his back, and he bolts into the distance. My white hair bounces in the wind. I can hear the scurry of the others in their Lycan or wolf form racing along with us. They are too fast for me to see them.
We arrive near the waterfall before nightfall, giving us time to collect sticks for a fire.
‘Inferno Flamo,’ my mother says, starting the fire.
Micah sits on my left, and Amara sits on my right and hands me some long sticks and a bag of marshmallows.
‘Thanks!’ I say to Amara and pass Micah a stick.
‘You’re welcome,’ she hums and gives a stick to Billy as soon as he sits next to her.
We poke the marshmallows on the end of the sticks and hover them over the fire.
‘We should tell stories?’ Theo suggests sitting on the opposite side of the fire to me.
‘Maybe Dad could tell us his story of how he met our mother?’ Leo says.
‘Oh, boy,’ Nathan says nervously, scratching the back of his head and giving Alpha Maximus and Alex a glance.
‘I’m not sure if you should know in detail how we met. It might be too upsetting?’ Dad says.
‘But you and Mum are here now, together,’ I say. ‘So we know you at least have a happy ending,’ I smile.
‘That’s very true. If your father wants to share the more in-depth details of us finding each other, then I’m okay with that,’ she smiles and nods at my Dad.
Dad tells us how he came from being mateless and shunned and the last Lycan to now being with his true my, my mother Hope, and no longer being the last Lycan as he now has twin sons and then me, his daughter.
I can’t stop staring at Micah and holding his hands. He also seems to be struggling to keep his hands to himself. While everyone is talking and laughing amongst themselves. I pull Micah’s hand and gesture to follow me into the woods.
Once clear, Micah halts. ‘Hop on,’ he says and shifts. I climb onto his back, and he races through the trees. The moon is mostly blocked by clouds, so I can only manage to see what is directly in front of me. The breeze is cool across my skin, and I feel the odd leaf and debris whip past my ears from Micah’s speed. Finally, Micah slows down and shifts back.
‘We should be far enough away that they shouldn’t disturb us,’ Micah smiles.
I smile too, and notice he isn’t redressing himself. We both have a look of hunger and desire in our eyes. I’m a few metres away from Micah. I slowly look him up and down, taking in every inch, every muscle on his body, along with his member standing very firm and salute. I stride slowly towards him. Once our faces are near, I remove my hoodie, pull my black tank top over my head and kick off my shoes.
Our lips are so close as our breathing heavys as I now remove the rest of my clothes, along with my many daggers. Micah’s eyes turn black with hunger as he looks me up and down. We stay like this for as long as we can control ourselves.
Micah’s hand caresses my arm, he leans in, and our lips brush a few times before our mouths devour each other. I grab his phallus, making him moan. Micah’s fingers find their way between my legs and to my core. We moan as we touch and stroke each other for a while, taking in the moment and making it last. The moment we have been waiting years for, and a moment we never want to end. We both explode our moans echo, sending birds flying from the nearby trees. Micah lifts me, and I wrap my legs around his waist. My hands explore his muscular chest as he leans against a tree. Micah lays me down on the soft ground, strewn with leaves that have not long fallen.
We gaze into each other’s eyes, ‘I love you, Micah,’ I whisper.
‘I love you more than you’ll ever know, Lylah,’ whispers, and his length slowly enters between my legs.
I let out a gasp in pain and pleasure. Once Micah can sense the pain subside, he thrusts faster and harder. As we are about to climax, I see his teeth elongate. He is about to mark me. I tilt my head showing I’ve submitted to him and for him to mark me. Generally, the she-wolf would mark the other as well, but I can’t as I don’t have a wolf.
As I feel waves of pleasure ripple throughout my body, Micah bites down on my nape. The pleasure triples instantly. It’s incredibly euphoric. I can feel Micah’s warmth filling me, and we both moan again, this time sending any nearby deer and rabbits running from any bushes.
Micah rolls onto his back breathing heavily, ‘That was amazing,’ he says and takes my hand. He kisses it and places my hand on his chest.
I lean on my side, ‘That was magical,’ I smile, looking down into his sable eyes.
Micah gently pushes my hair over my ear and cups my cheek. I lean down, and we kiss passionately. I wince as he accidentally touches my mark, and we sit up.
‘Here, let me help the pain,’ he says, licking the mark.
It causes the heat between my legs to reignite, and the look on Micah’s face says he knows it too.
‘Micah?’ I say, now touching my mark to find the pain is almost gone.
‘Yes, my princess?’ he asks.
‘Does it bother you that I can’t mark you?’
‘No, and it will never bother me, Lylah. You know that,’ he smiles.
‘I love you, Micah,’ I smile.
‘I love you too, princess,’ he replies and leans over me and kisses me across my collarbone and up my neck.
Micah suddenly pauses and sniffs the air. A concerned look appears on his face.
‘What is it?’ I ask.
‘Get dressed. Something is coming our way. I can hear them and smell them. It’s like nothing I’ve ever sensed before. It’s dark and powerful, and there are many of them, whatever it is,’ he says. ‘Once you are dressed, jump on my back. We need to get back to the camp. There may be too many for us to take on.’
Dressed within seconds, I make sure my daggers are in reach. I climb onto Micah’s wolf form, and we suddenly hear the sound of sticks snapping nearby and the cryptic sounds of creatures we have never heard before.
‘M-Micah,’ I stutter, sensing we’re in trouble.