A Werewolf Fantasy
Chapter 12

All of the activities going on outside of the tent seemed muted to Erin as she stood in front of her mate and stroked the fur behind his ears. Danshak did not move a muscle as his mate continued to rub his fur with her human hand. However, underneath his calm exterior, his pulse was racing and he was doing his best not to shape shift into a man and sweep this nubile being off her feet to fulfill his basic instinct.

"You are very handsome when you're not snarling at me," she said softly with a smile, surprising herself with such honesty.

"Why do I snarl at you?" he asked quietly.

"Because you lose patience with me?"

"That is true. Perhaps I have judged you too harshly in the past..."

"Shh," she shushed him and ran a hand down his neck before leaning forward to kiss the side of his face. "We can talk about all of that later after we - "

"Are you two packed already?" Weruona called out to them as he stepped into the tent.

With a gasp, Erin squatted beside Danshak, shielding her nakedness from her brother-in-law. It was a good thing that her husband hadn't shape shifted into a man yet because it would have been excruciatingly embarrassing if they'd both been caught stark naked together during a critical time like this.

What was she thinking, seducing her mate when they should be getting ready to flee with the rest of the clan?

"We will join you outside shortly," said Danshak. He had lowered himself to a sitting position to fully shield Erin from his brother's view.

"Where is Edvana?"

"She is with me. Now, if you will excuse us, we shall begin gathering our things."

The dismissal was clear and Weruona asked no further questions. Once he left, Erin let out the breath she had been holding.

"That was a close call," she said with a shaky laugh.

"Gather your things quickly and let us go outside to join the others," said Danshak gruffly.

His sudden change in mood surprised Erin. Weren't they just cozying up to each other a few moments ago? Why does he now sound annoyed? "Have I done something wrong again?" she asked.

"No. I will wait for you outside," he said and left the tent without a backward glance. Erin had never been more confused in her life. What was wrong with him?

Seisa came into the tent in time to help Erin haul her basket of clothing and other personal items to the wagon. The servants were in charge of pulling along the horses and wagons full of supplies on the journey.

***

Forty-five minutes later, Vak Smallchief and his traveling companions were ready to begin the next leg of their trip to his home in Denai' Vena. The warriors took the lead, while the Prime Alpha and his family followed behind them, and then the servants took the rear.

The clan was flanked on both sides and the rear by the guard werewolves who kept their eyes peeled to spot any sign of danger in the woods. It was a dark night with only a hint of moonlight shining through the thick forest, but the werewolves were unbothered because of their superior eyesight.

As they raced through the woods, Erin did her best to match the pace of her family as they sped ahead of her like arrows. She didn't know if it was because she had just returned from the future where she only got to run like this once in three months as she accompanied her family to the quarterly Full Moon Feast, or if she was generally a lazy werewolf, but she was struggling to keep up with the others.

She noticed Danshak slowing down ahead of her and she did her best to pick up her speed and catch up with him. When she did, he glanced at her before looking straight ahead again.

"Are you tired?" he asked without looking at her.

"Not really. I think I'm just out of shape," she said.

"You do not look out of shape to me. You look perfect in both werewolf and human form."

The unexpected compliment warmed her insides, and Erin wondered if he could see her blushing under her fur. Who would have thought that the stone-cold Danshak was capable of dishing out compliments?

"Do you want me to carry you?"

His question surprised her. "Would you? There's no way you will be able to keep up with the others with me on your back. I don't want to slow you down."

"This is not a competition. We are going home and what matters is that we get there alive. Jump on my back, let me carry you."

Erin was touched by his concern for her. Danshak may not have a single romantic bone in his body, but he clearly cared for her welfare and to her, that was probably as romantic as he can get. "What are you waiting for, Edvana? Hop on my back," he said when she continued to run beside him.

She let him run ahead of her a little and then she propelled herself on her hind legs and landed on his back. Erin instantly felt relieved to be off her legs and she took her time to catch her breath.

She would have probably stopped running in the next ten minutes or so if Danshak hadn't come to carry her. Once he was sure that she had latched herself onto his back securely, he picked up his pace and within seconds, he was at par with his brothers who were running closely behind their parents.

The werewolf brothers did a double-take when they saw Erin on Danshak's back. "Is Edvana well?" Zanisck asked.

"Yes. She is only tired," replied Danshak.

"Well done, brother," said Weruona with what looked like a grin on his wolf face. "It is good to see you and your mate bonding like this. What a beautiful sight to behold."

"Be quiet, Weruona!" Danshak snapped. He knew his brother was teasing him but he wasn't in the mood for that right now.

"We are now heading into the border village of Ketjuok!" Monah announced from the front where he was leading the exodus.

"Great! We are halfway home," said Zanisck with obvious excitement.

Erin could feel everyone's excitement and how the general's announcement seemed to boost their morale. The werewolves ran faster and it was as if they had just begun their journey.

She too relaxed because she knew that in a few hours, this grueling trip would be over and everyone could relax properly. She loved how Danshak's strong muscles moved under her as he ran and the movement began to lull her to sleep. With her cheek resting on his soft fur, she let her eyes scan the blurry trees they were running past. There were fireflies in the woods that appeared to follow them in a parallel line as they moved. She turned her head to the other side and noticed that the fireflies were there too, flying in a straight line beside them in the woods.

"Do fireflies fly in a straight line?" she asked absently.

"What?" asked Danshak.

"We are being followed by a bunch of fireflies on either side of the woods," she said. "Look, there they are."

Danshak turned his head to the left to see what she was talking about and Erin felt his muscles become rigid as soon as he saw them. "Those are not fireflies!"

"Invaders!" a guard called out.

The werewolf traveling party immediately descended into chaos as the glowing yellow lights in the woods rushed towards them, snarling and barking like dogs. For the first time, Erin saw the beastly creatures up close, and they were not a pretty sight. She watched with wide eyes as one of them dived out of the woods, coming directly towards her with unsheathed claws, bared long fangs, and eyes that burned with malice.