Grace stood in the shadows of the Silver Moon Pack’s mansion, her heart beating a little faster than usual. The soft silver light of the moon bathed the forest, casting long shadows and painting everything in an ethereal glow. She had accepted her fate and given up on Chris, finding solace and a strange comfort in Martin’s company instead. Over time, she had discovered his patrol schedule and made it a habit to “accidentally” bump into him in the woods or the mansion's corridors.
Tonight was no different. She crouched by a cluster of wildflowers, pretending to pick them as she waited for Martin. The air was cool, and the sounds of the night were a soothing backdrop to her thoughts. She heard the soft crunch of footsteps on the forest floor and looked up to see Martin approaching.
“Madam Luna ?” Martin’s voice was warm and familiar.
Startled, she turned, clutching a handful of flowers. “Oh, Martin! I didn’t see you there,” she said, feigning surprise.
A knowing smile spread across Martin’s face. “Picking flowers at this hour?”
Grace laughed softly, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I couldn’t sleep. The moonlight was too beautiful to waste.”
Martin nodded, his eyes reflecting the silver glow. “Would you like to go for a walk ?”
Grace’s heart skipped a beat. It was late, and Chris was away, probably involved in one of his usual escapades. The idea of a midnight run with Martin was tempting—a perfect escape from her worries. She smiled, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Yes, I’d love to.”
They moved into the open clearing, where the moonlight shone brightest.
"Can you tell me your age?" Grace asked Martin as they got closer and closer to the centre of the woodland.
Martin announced with a flourish, "I am twenty, my lady."
She turned her chin to the side and cocked her head.
"You are so young, and it's hard to think that you are two years older than me!" she exclaimed.
Martin chuckled. "Age is just a number."
As he took her hand in his to aid her in climbing a hill, he couldn't help but laugh at himself.
"We can shift here, and I'll go to that corner. You can shift, and after that, we'll go for a run."
He lowered his head and then vanished under the cover of a nearby tree. His gentlemanly behaviour took Grace by surprise. By allowing her to undress and change in private, he showed he respected her need for discretion. That was something she looked for in a man. She undid her khaki shirt and pants and stepped out of them. After that, she changed into her wolf form, which was a dirty brown colour.
After a short period had passed, Martin's black wolf's form emerged from behind a tree that was nearby. Grace was taken aback when she discovered that Martin's wolf was substantially bigger than she was; he was as big as Chris. He could easily be mistaken for an alpha.
Grace nudged Martin playfully with her snout, and he responded by giving her a gentle nudge back. They sprinted into the forest, their paws barely making a sound on the soft ground. The trees blurred past them as they ran, and Grace felt a sense of freedom she hadn’t experienced in a long time.
Grace and Martin were laughing to themselves as they skipped the trunk of a dead tree that had fallen. The combination of her brown and his black fur blended in with the surrounding vegetation. She forgot about her difficulties for a short while, and her face lit up with pure joy as she gave in to her wolf's instincts to run as fast as she could. It appeared he was sprinting to get ahead of her, but then he paused and turned to the left side of the road.
As he got closer to Grace, he yelled to her, "Madam Luna, hurry up. Come with me!"
She allowed herself a mental grin. She found him to be quite amusing. He was unlike any other wolf she had ever met before. When she was single, most wolves would try to impress her by saying stupid things, giving her expensive gifts, and talking about how great they were. Martin was not like them. The truth hit her like a stack of bricks all at once. Martin didn't have to use the usual ways of dating or even try to flirt with her because she was already mated. He could just be himself with her.
Martin stopped running when they reached the top of a cliff. She slowed down her pace and watched Martin transform into his human form. She watched him minutely and tried to remember every curve and crease in his beautiful body. But his body wasn't built like a wrestler, like most wolves; it was built like a swimmer. He was strong, even though he was skinny. The well-defined muscles and blonde hair that went with his overall look made him look almost beautiful. She wanted to know more about him, perhaps in a more intimate way.
Was she developing feelings for a low-ranking pack member?
She couldn't get a good look at his whole body because he was facing away from her. He did, however, give her a stunning glimpse of his beautiful asses. At the time, she was still in wolf form, and she wasn't sure what to do. She debated whether to shift or continue observing from a distance. The pull she felt towards him was undeniable.
He pointed his finger at the scene in front of her and asked, "Grace, why aren't you shifting back?"
She was so busy checking him out that she didn't realise she was still in her wolf form. With a quick shake of her head, she strolled behind him on her four paws, observing the rising sun that created an orange glow over the area. At this point, she had no idea that they were on the highest point of the land or that she could see the manor from where they were. The golden light from the sun shone on the grass and made it look bright. As the people went about their daily business on the estate, she could make out the shapes of the people in their pack if she looked closely enough. She shifted back into her human form, feeling a sense of awe at the beauty of the view before her. Taking a deep breath, she realised that this was the first time she had truly felt at peace since arriving here.
She didn't care that she was naked after her shift; wolves were not modest, and nudity was not a big deal due to constant shifting, but here she was alone with Martin, who was also naked.
But he seemed to be too preoccupied by the scenery. She couldn't help but admire the way the sunlight danced on his skin, casting a golden glow around him.
"This is my secret place," he told her proudly. "I found it accidentally when I was six. He grinned as he folded his hands on his bare chest and said, "I was a very naughty cub."
"You're sharing it with me?"
She exclaimed, her voice tingling with disbelief.
He chuckled. "Yes," he nodded, looking at her, "it's boring to sit here and watch the sunset alone.".
Alone.
The word echoed in her mind, filling her with a sense of bitter loneliness. She was the only one who felt truly alone in this place. When she realised Martin was looking at her, she quickly looked away, blushing as she remembered they were both undressed.
She quickly shifted into her wolf form.
‘I’m tired,’ she said in his mind, lying but using it as a valid excuse. ‘I think I’ve had enough fun for today.’
Martin didn’t reply; instead, he shifted and broke into a sprint, running ahead of her. She followed his lead, and they returned to the place where they had left their clothes and returned to the manor in utter silence.
“Thank you for today, Martin,” Grace said softly, meeting his gaze.
His eyes were warm and understanding. “Anytime, Madam Luna. I enjoyed it too.”
She nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. “We should do this again sometime.”
He smiled back, a hint of mischief in his eyes. “I’d like that.”
"And please call me Grace." She said.
"But you are my Luna !" he exclaimed.
"We are friends now." She replied, and with a final glance, they parted ways, each heading towards their respective quarters.
Grace’s mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. She couldn’t deny the growing attraction she felt towards Martin, but she also couldn’t ignore the complexities of their situation.