Anyone who can shift does so and howls in return as a sign of respect. I resume another run with Nina on my back. I don’t stop, and I don’t slow down. My wolf is so happy to be running free with Nina. He hasn’t even thought about our fated mate and is extremely content like this.
I stop by the lake, run and jump into the water, the cool liquid embracing us, then thrash around playfully. My fur is soaking wet. Nina swims around and laughs. I prance out of the water and shake my body, causing droplets to splash onto her.
‘Magnus,’ Nina laughs.
The sun bathes the landscape with its warm rays. I collapse onto the soft grass, my heart brimming with happiness. Beside me, Nina, still dripping wet, wrings water from her shirt and settles against my belly. The serenity of the moment is interrupted by her cheerful exclamation.
'Magnus, I've never had so much fun! You ran faster than I could ever dream of. Wasn't it the best feeling? So thrilling, so much fun!' Her eyes sparkle with the lingering excitement of our wild run through Shadow Crest. Her gaze turns towards me for a response, but instead of a majestic wolf, she finds a giant, exhausted fluffball sprawled out on the grass. Undeterred, she snuggles into my fur, finding comfort in the softness and warmth.
As hours pass, I wake to the sight of Nina peacefully asleep, nestled against me. I watch over her silently, cherishing the tranquil moments until she stirs. Her eyes open, and a radiant smile graces her lips.
Nina sits up, patting me gently. 'You're going to have to shift back at some point. Did you want to do it here or back home?' She asks, curious. Without a word, I lower so she can climb on my back again. With a delighted expression, she does, and I return us to the packhouse.
Barging through the front door, we ascend the stairs and enter my room. Even though it will be excruciating when I shift, it’s easier when Nina is with me. I focus my mind and whimper. She knows I’m going to shift now and quickly throws my blanket half over me. The pain is horrendous, but her touch as she caresses my arm helps soothe me through the process.
Finally, in my human form, I sit up, half-covered with the blanket, thoroughly drenched in sweat. Nina throws her arms around my neck, enveloping me warmly. I reciprocate, placing my hands on her back, treasuring the moment, knowing that I’ll never get to hold her like this again once I've found my mate.
The atmosphere in the house is tense as I descend the stairs, overhearing my mother's distressed conversation with my father. My mother's words slice through the quiet, carrying worry and fear.
'Magnus needs to stop shifting. What if shifting eventually kills him, Ryker?' She frets, her eyes reflecting the dread that grips her.
I step forward, attempting to reassure her. 'Mum, please, I had no control over the shift. My wolf wouldn't even listen to me,' I explain with frustration.
My father, Ryker, turns to face me with a stern look. 'You realize if you have no control over your wolf and are shifting against your own will, and your wolf's only plan is to kill people, the council will demand you be locked up in the dungeon. Not only that, you may lose your rank as Alpha,’ he says angrily, sinking back into his chair. 'The school has asked your mother and me to come into the school tomorrow for a meeting because you attempted to attack school students,' he adds.
I shake my head in disbelief. 'But I didn't attack anyone. No one got hurt,' I assert, my defences rising.
My father's stern gaze locks onto mine. 'You were going to attack someone, though. Students stated you were trying to break down a door to enter a classroom. You terrified everyone at the school. If it weren't for Nina, you could have hurt or, even worse, killed someone and would already be in the dungeons as we speak. And how Nina was able to calm your wolf without being your fated mate is beyond us. Rumours are spreading that she must be delving into witchery or magic to be able to tame and ride your wolf. I told them Nina is into no such thing and to not spread misinformation about her, but I fear the rumours will spread anyway,' my father, Ryker, sighs, wearied by the situation's complexity.
Feeling a sense of urgency, I ask, 'What do we do now, then?'
My father glances at my mother, Astrid, then back at me. 'I think you and Nina can stay home and homeschool here for the next couple of weeks until you two are no longer a popular topic,' he suggests.
'If that's your request, then I'll diligently obey,' I reply, a sense of resignation settling over me.
My father nods, and I retreat to my room for the night.
A part of the packhouse transforms into a temporary classroom, with Seth setting up two desks for Nina and me. My father deems him the most suitable teacher for our homeschooling, though he's also notorious for being the most tedious instructor, capable of dragging on for hours about mundane topics. As Seth launches into another monologue, I can feel my patience waning.
Unable to resist the urge to disrupt the tiresome lesson, I scrunch up a roll of paper and expertly aim it at the back of Seth's head. Laughter erupts between Nina and me, but our amusement halts abruptly when Seth turns around, clearly unimpressed by our antics.
'Which of you threw that?' he demands, a note of annoyance in his voice.
We both shrug, trying to stifle our laughter unsuccessfully.
Undeterred, we escalate our rebellion, discreetly crafting paper airplanes that gracefully soar, crashing into the whiteboard. Seth turns to face us with a stern look. 'Are you two going to listen to the lesson and learn something? This is the last semester of the year until you both graduate,' he admonishes.
With a grumble, I relent. 'Ah, fine.'
Nearly two weeks of enduring Seth's gruelling homeschooling pass before a welcome reprieve arrives—the weekend of Zak's wolf ceremony. Nina, radiating positivity, bounces down the stairs towards me. I stand at the window, arms crossed, and my father, Ryker, enters the hallway and approaches us.
'I think it will be okay for you to both return to school on Monday,' he says.
'Thank goodness, Dad. I don't think I could handle any more lessons from Seth,' I jest, sharing a laugh with Nina.
'Me either,' she chimes in. 'I'll see you both at the ceremony tonight.'
'Wait, where are you going?' I ask her, confused.
Nina hesitates, glancing away before confessing, 'I'm going to see Moss.'
'What! But why?' I respond in disbelief.
'I haven't spoken to Moss ever since the night of your wolf ceremony. I wanted to talk to him about what happened, but we haven't returned to school since that night. Moss messaged me, and I want to speak to him before the ceremony tonight to figure out where he and I are at,' she explains.
‘Do you want me to come with you?’ I offer.
Nina's laughter cuts through my serious demeanour. 'Because that would go down so well, wouldn't it?' she muses.
Rolling my eyes, I relent. 'Fine, I'll see you at the ceremony tonight.'