Her Cursed Mate

Chapter 19 (unedited)

Annabel's POV

When I arrive at Austin, Eunice is wide awake now. She dozed off for the majority of the drive here but she was awake to talk my ear off.

She showed me a great area to take cover and shift and my Wolf began to get excited. Apparently, from what she's told me, this part of the mountains people rarely ever came here. When I asked why, she just explained that she never knew why.

I park the vehicle in a park near the trees to shield it, and together we head off on foot. Our feet create loud sounds as we hit the branches laid down and I'm holding in the urge to shift for a few more minutes. I turn to glance at Eunice who's searching the area for any lurking individuals.

Her eyes are closed and I find it amazing how she can walk without crashing into anything. Just in case, I watch out for her.

When we enter a clearing, my mouth drops at the different scenery. "Eunice!" I exclaim. She opens her eyes and looks around. "Can I shift now?" I ask bouncing on the soles of my shoes with excitement.

She checks the clearing once more and nods, her curious brown eyes observing me. I bend over and my Wolf immediately bursts out of me. I land on all fours with Eunice nodding at me in approval. "Nice," she grins. She already saw me shift before but it's as of she has never did.

With a howl, I run around as fast as I can. Eunice sits in the grass with her book in her hands. I run, my Wolf finally feeling free. She's been hollowed up for so long, it feels great to finally be released. My white fur doesn't exactly blend in with the surroundings and I know if there were people around, I'd probably scare them to death. I'm bigger than average Wolves and I'm smaller than a bear. Maybe they'd think I'm a fox?

... A big white fox in the middle of Austin.

I disappear between trees and branches. I howl and let loose, scaring a few animals out of their hiding spots. Birds, mice, and one squirrel scatter away. On instinct, I snatch a mouse and bite down on it, hearing the snapping of broken bones. I swallow it down whole and run away.
Twigs snap under my weight and I don't care how loud it sounds. No one was around besides Eunice and I was glad for this. I find my way back to her and lay my head down in front of her. She is in the same position and is reading from the book she brought with her.

She points to something and I lean closer to get a better look. "This is the tree bark we need," she explains. "Its somewhere out here and it's going to take a while to find it."

I observe the picture on the page. It looks exactly like the trees surrounding us right now. How were we suppose to find this? I look up at Eunice who begins speaking.

"This tree is different from the rest here," she says waving her hands around us. "It's tree bark has circles on them as if they've been carved. You have to look very close."

I nod my Wolf head and take off. The wind blows through the tips of my fur and I love it. I feel at complete peace being here. It reminds me of home.

I dash deep into the trees and begin searching. The tree bark had to be here somewhere. I scour the trees and search for however many minutes or even hours. By the time I'm exhausted, the sun is setting and I wonder how I haven't found it yet. Sighing, I drop my head down and growl. I had to find this for Thaddeus. Saying his name gives me a heartache but at the same time it gives me the reassurance I need.

I find my way back to Eunice and find her packing up. While I was out she must've went back to the car to get more books and such. Shifting, I stand on my feet and stretch. Eunice gives me clothes and I thank her, taking them away from her.

"How are we suppose to find this?" I ask. "Isn't there something you can do to find it in a snap?"

Eunice thinks hard for a minute. She snaps her fingers and looks at me just as my hope rises. "No," she deadpans. My shoulders sag and I sigh. She only giggles.