This time, I easily turned my back on Fenris.
“I regret getting out of bed this morning.”
He chuckled behind me and closed the trunk.
“Ready for a hike?”
“Lead the way.”
The soft sound of snow crunching underfoot measured our progress as we walked into the woods together, and the relative quiet gave me a chance to think. Maybe I’d been too hasty to reject Tegan’s offer, given that Adira was tracking me when I still needed to find Ashlyn. Sure, she was currently more focused on my feeding than why I was in the woods, but she was smart. It wouldn’t take her long to figure out I was up to something. Especially if she decided to pop in again when I was with the druids.
Something moved to our right, just at the edge of my vision. When I looked, though, nothing was there.
“Dryad,” Fenris said softly. “The woods are filled with them and centaurs.”
I didn’t know much about either creature, other than both kept to themselves and rarely sent their children to the Academy. They didn’t have to since most of them never wanted to leave the protection of their wooded homelands. Dryads could look relatively human but couldn’t survive without their trees, which is why they lived in Uttira. There was no tree cutting allowed in the Drys Woods. Centaurs had a much harder time blending than the dryads and needed more space to run free than the human world would allow them.
“Are they going to mind that we’re here?” I asked softly.
“You? Probably not. Me? Definitely.”
“Why?”
“There was a little incident a while back with a stag hunt. The pack got too close to the Drys border, and the centaurs didn’t like us chasing a stag that they considered under their protection.”
“Why did you offer to help me if it’s going to cause you trouble?”
He grinned.
“Trouble is just the unapproved version of having fun.”
I shook my head at him.
“That explains so much about you.”
Fenris laughed. “If you keep everyone on their toes, they’re more wary of what you’ll do next.”
The cold didn’t penetrate my borrowed coat, but it numbed my jean-clad calves and my feet after a few minutes. I began to shiver and glanced at Fenris. He’d buttoned the shirt when I’d turned my back to him but didn’t wear anything else. Despite the meager clothing and chilly temperature, he seemed completely fine. I couldn’t help but envy that. Mom’s comment about my coldness being due to my underfed state bounced around in my head.
“What?” he asked, catching my eye.
“Just thinking.”
“Oh, I love our conversations that start out with you thinking. Are you daydreaming about eating cake? Want to talk about last night’s flavor?”
I snorted.
“No. I was thinking that I’m a little jealous that this cold doesn’t even bother you.”
He reached out and brushed the back of his hand over the tip of my nose, startling me.
“You’re too cold. Time for a ride.” He didn’t wait for my permission but, instead, swooped me up into his arms.
I opened my mouth to protest as he continued to stride forward, however with the buffer of my jacket, my hunger didn’t stir like I thought it would. At least, it didn’t until I looked up and saw Fenris’s throat inches from my face. The lean cords and the ever so slight thump of his pulse heated my core, and I immediately closed my eyes.
“I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“Are you getting colder?”
I felt far from cold at the moment.
“You know it’s dangerous to touch me, Fenris. You’re going to end up in the snow on your back with me on top of you.”
I felt the shudder that ran through him and his misstep.
“I’m sorry, Fenris, but I know how uncomfortable it was for you to have to deal with me the last time I lost control. I don’t want to put you through that again.”
His silence had me opening one eye to peek at him. His straight-ahead stare and serious expression worried me enough that I could ignore the hunger.
“Fenris?”
His gaze met mine. “I’m never uncomfortable when I’m with you. The only thing I don’t like about you letting your iron-clad control slip is that you hate yourself for it.”
“You’re far too understanding,” I said, giving him a sad smile.
“And you’re far too hard on yourself.”
I made a non-committal noise and focused on the trees. Having my feet out of the snow helped a little. The heat that Fenris radiated helped even more. As soon as I felt my toes again, I asked to be put down.
It was a good thing, too, because a minute later, we heard a distant howl. Fenris tipped his head and listened. Another howl came a little distance away from the first one.
“Trouble?” I asked.
“No. It sounds like a few of the pack are searching this part of the woods. They’re coordinating their efforts.”
“What are they searching for?”
“Ashlyn would be my guess.”
My heart gave a little jump of hope.
“How big are the Drys Woods?” I asked.
“About 144 square miles, give or take.”
My steps slowed as I mentally calculated the number of days I had left before Megan returned and how much time each day I’d be able to spend searching for the druids. It equaled too much on them and not enough looking for Ashlyn.
“We’re never going to find her in time.”
“Ashlyn?”
I nodded before I could stop myself.
“So that’s why you want the druids? You think they can help you find Ashlyn.”
“I think they’re the place to start.”
“Why?”
My chest tightened with panic. I wanted to confide in Fenris so badly, but I feared his reaction. My friend list had already shrunk drastically, and I couldn’t afford to lose another.
“It’s okay,” he said softly. “When you’re ready, you can tell me. There’s no rush.”
But there was. Ashlyn’s safety was on the line, and time was against us.
Another howl echoed in the air, this time much closer. I startled when Fenris howled back. The sound was deep and throaty and very inhuman. The answering howl was immediate, and Fenris stopped walking.
“What?” I asked.
“They’re coming to us.”
I wanted to ask why but spotted the wolf running through the trees ahead and knew he’d hear. So I waited next to Fenris and let out a little squeak and closed my eyes when the wolf’s form shimmered and melted into an upright and very naked man.
“Fenris, what are you doing out here?”
“Hey, Conall. Trying to meet up with some friends. What about you?”
“Looking for someone. Have you seen anything?”
“Nothing the way we came. What about you? Seen any girls?”
Conall snorted. “You don’t have enough of them panting after you at home?”
“What can I say? I like the attention.”
I knew for a fact that was a lie. Based on the man’s next words, he knew it too.
“We’ll see if you still feel that way Tuesday night. The only females we came across were three druids a few miles back.”