Celeste asked Jeremy to take her, and so Jeremy took her. Or probably, it was their deepest desires and cravings that took them away eventually.
And it seemed as if even the Moon Goddess herself was swayed by their raw yearning and decided to take their side this time. When Jeremy and Celeste left the house, they successfully dodged the rogues on the watch.
Celeste couldn't put her finger on why she felt so restless. She simply couldn't bear to wait for another second, feeling an urgent need to flee this place with Jeremy. As the knots in their hearts unraveled, it was as if a heavy weight, suppressing their true selves, lifted away into thin air.
Before they could even fully shake off the rogues, Celeste felt her wolf already itching to burst free, eager and impatient. And through Jeremy's eyes, Celeste caught a glimpse of that same fiery desire, knowing that his own wolf was on the verge of breaking loose as well.
Suddenly, rustling sounds emanated from the surrounding woods.
"Who's there?" A voice came from a distance. Celeste recognized the voice as a rogue from Kent's pack. They seemed to have belatedly noticed Jeremy's scent in the air and were finally catching up to them.
For a split second, Celeste found the situation oddly humorous. She had always thought the rogues were highly vigilant, but it took them so long to notice Jeremy. She couldn't decide whether to praise Jeremy's stealthy skills or if she had indeed overestimated how alert the rogues were.
"Let's run!" Celeste looked at Jeremy and smiled. Jeremy nodded.
Celeste could see the big smile on his face, unburdened by worries or doubts about their bond. It struck Celeste just how much she had yearned for such a radiant grin. Her heart skipped a beat, fueled by anticipation.
They ran into the lush forest, but the echoes of pursuing footsteps persisted behind them, refusing to wane.
Faintly, amidst the rushing wind, Celeste thought she could hear someone calling her name. Yet, the rustling wind masked those voices, or perhaps her mind was determined to filter them out. At that moment, her ears were attuned only to the wind's whispers, the rhythmic patter of their feet on the ground, the relentless thumping of her own heart.
As they weaved through turns and twists, Celeste stole a glance at Jeremy, their eyes meeting in unspoken accord. They knew they should shift.
While running forward, Celeste leaned her body forward, slightly lowering her center of gravity, and extending her limbs forward. The forest air whizzed past her ears, a symphony of exhilaration. Unable to resist, Celeste closed her eyes, imagining the touch of moonlight on her skin, surrendering to the transformation as the wolf essence consumed her being.
When she opened her eyes again, she found herself on all fours, a tapestry of snow-white fur cloaking her form. Curiously, she turned her head and discovered Jeremy, a stalwart wolf, exuding an aura of unwavering loyalty and reliability.
The two wolves didn't stop or slow down even a little. Instead, they dashed straight into the heart of the forest, their paws pounding the ground in perfect sync. With each stride, they left their pursuers farther and farther behind until the distant echoes of the rogues' cries faded into oblivion.
Lost in the thrill of their escape, Celeste and Jeremy didn't know how long they had been running or which direction they were heading. All they knew was that they were running in the forest, deep into the mountains.
Neither of them was familiar with this particular area. As they walked deeper, a hint of uncertainty tickled their minds, yet strangely enough, neither of them was worried at all. Instead, Celeste felt a wild sense of relief washing over her.
Probably it would be better to get lost in the forest like this, as long as she was with the man she cared about. They didn't need to worry about where they were or what time it was. They had each other, and that was more than enough. Standing freely between sky and earth, they were truly free. That was what suited their nature as wolves, right?
And lo and behold, in this mountainous area, they stumbled upon a lake, not too big nor too small. The two wolves stopped to quench their thirst.
After running for a long time, their stomachs also began to growl with hunger, so the two wolves hunted in the forest.
When the darkness completely enveloped the sky, they found a snug, comfortable cave that promised solace for the night ahead.
So they snuggled up together in the cozy embrace of the cave.
Celeste had been worried that when reason took a backseat, the two wolves of theirs might lose their minds and surrender to their animal, primal desires. And she was not ready for that.
But after a long run, the insatiable desire to mate seemed to step back. Perhaps it was replaced by sheer exhaustion, or maybe it was simply because they had spent far too long apart, and now just being with each other was more than enough to quench their thirst and longing. This longing transformed into a sense of dependence, a desire to find solace in one another. It seemed that just by staying by each other's side without doing anything, they could greatly alleviate this longing.
At least Celeste's wolf found solace by snuggling against Jeremy's wolf.
The moon was not a grand spectacle tonight, which allowed the stars to steal the show. The two wolves lazily enjoyed the night breeze, their eyes fixed upon the dazzling display of stars above. Slowly, they succumbed to the gentle embrace of slumber, completely unaware of time slipping away.
When Celeste opened her eyes again, she found herself curled up in Jeremy's embrace. But different from last night, this time, she wasn't in her wolf form but in her naked human body.