One Bite

Chapter 5-4

The lush, soft grass near the Southern packhouse pressed in between every toe on Lumi's paws as she ran at a furious pace. Wind whipped in her face from the frenetic pounding of her paws.

We didn't know where we were going, but she put as much distance between us and the packhouse as possible... between us and Caleb.

I should've seen it.

He's with Alpha Fenris, Beta Baron, Gamma Erik. Loyal snakes.

Even Solomon trusts him. And I... I am an idiot.

The muscles in Lumi's legs and shoulders warmed as her strides lengthened. Despite running at her top speed, she slipped into an even rhythm of movement. Her chest cavity expanded with her deep breaths, surging her forward while I took a mental and physical back seat. Her thoughts were quiet but her emotions jumbled into a mess.

Fine by me.

Now wasn't the time when I wanted them disentangled.

Under any other circumstances, this was an enjoyable day for a run, despite how the hot air was thick with humidity. The sun shone overhead in a clear blue sky, grasses tickled Lumi's underbelly, and birds chirped. Lumi's nose twitched at the smells of the rich soil and wild grasses growing out of it.

Despite her white fur, the overhead sun combined with the humidity raised her body temperature. Her mouth parted and her breath shortened to pants but she showed no signs of slowing down.

Do whatever you want, Lumi.

I'm done adulting for a while. You do it.

She stayed silent, including an excluded 'Not mate' I hoped to elicit from her when pushing my close proximity to Caleb. When she didn't say anything, a false hope flashed through me, until extinguished by Caleb himself.

Hee's a traitor to his family and mine.

Rustling sounds twitched Lumi's left ear and her nose picked up a slight upwind scent. Within a flash, she stopped with grounding paws. With a low growl, she braced herself a split second before a large, reddish-brown male wolf's jaws snapped at her.

A wall of heat and pheromones hit us right when his body slammed into her side. Almost crushed under his weight, momentum shoulder-rolled us over a few times together. Snarls vibrated her chest as she landed on her back in the grass. Like instinct, she pushed her hind feet into his soft underbelly and tossed him off.

He landed shakily, then lowered his head, curled up his lips, and revealed his sharp teeth. Like sharp, brown spikes protruded from neck to tail as his hackles raised. With a snarl, he lunged and reached for Lumi with claws extended and full-force intentions that he buried them into her flesh.

The vibrations of her growl radiated out of her chest cavity and rippled through the rest of her body. Her muscles tensed in anticipation, her heart beating like a drum. At the last moment, she side-stepped his lunge and sank her canines into his shoulder. Delivering a non-fatal bite, she locked her jaws until the warm taste of his blood flowed over her tongue and his howl of pain seared into her ears.

With one shove of his giant paw into the center of her chest, he pushed Lumi off with a snarl. They spaced apart and faced off, as neither backed down. His large paws padded into the grassy ground while he paced back and forth. His eyes tracked Lumi's similar movements like he considered an alternative approach.

"Samuel, no!"

A loud voice barked out and, to my dismay, Caleb stepped in front of Lumi with arms stretching wide. His eyes stared down the wolf, who growled. Based on their stare-off, Caleb must have mindlinked with the wolf, who kept his attention focused on Lumi but paused his movements.