Chapter Ten

* Althea *

"Oh Zeina! You're wolf looks even more beautiful!"

My eyes widen as we both reach the ground and have transformed into our wolf form. Zeina is a Princess, but sometimes I tend to forget when we are talking like real sisters.

"Thanks, Thea, and your fur is stunning. You look so soft and have a very shiny brown fur, I wonder how you maintain such silky wolf hair. I think mine only looks good but my fur is a bit dry."

I laugh at her descriptions, I don't think her fur is dry. But I think rather she is more stunning, how could someone be so perfect in both human and wolf form?

"Are we leaving now or aren't we a bit early?"

I ask before I follow her who paces to jump on the tall gates. "We need to leave now, I already saw Beta Osuof on the path to my brother's chambers and I know where they would be going next. It's better if we don't come face to face with them."

I nodded. "Yes, I think I don't like to be found out by them as well."

The Alpha King, my husband didn't even bother to see me after the wedding and now I wonder if it's a good idea to follow Zeina. But thinking about being able to see him in his wolf form gives me chills and excitement.

"Alright just follow me, Thea, we will soon arrive at their favorite place but we must run faster."

Zeina sprints faster and I have no choice but to follow. This is the first time I was out of the Palace grounds in my wolf form and I am a bit slow compared to how she runs. Maybe I need to train harder to match Zeina's pace.

"Zeina, I think we are quite far out."

I couldn't help but say it when the forest that we are going is getting a bit heavy and too heavy. "Oh but we need to go further to see them in the far distance, I know how far my brother could smell us."

She had a point a now I am even asking myself if we could even manage to see her brother from a distance without being discovered by him. "Let's go a bit deeper in the woods Thea, my brother is with Beta Osuof I know they will soon be here."

We ran further until I was panting for my breath, it's when she signaled me to stop at the top of a hill. I stood beside her panting for my breath, I guess it's alright to do this as an exercise for my wolf to be faster.

"You are fast Zeina, I just need practice to run beside you."

Zeina laughs. "I am just used to these mountains and hills, I grew up here that's why I could run faster because I know which way to go. If you stay here longer and do this every day then it would make you run better Thea."

I nodded. Then we both looked to the other part of the Forest where a hill stood taller than the rest and the first rays of sunshine would finally be there. My eyes saw the movements of the tall grasses and then as the big gray wolf came out, I held my breath.

He was the most beautiful wolf that I had seen, with a thick fur coat and a color that was almost black but it was dark grey. I wonder how are the color of his eyes if I am standing closer towards him. He made a loud growl so intimidating perhaps informing everyone that he is the Alpha King. Zeina nudged my shoulders and chuckled as I averted my eyes away from the Alpha King.

"Are you enjoying the view now Thea?"

She sounded amused while she stood beside me. "Oh, yes of course. This place is beautiful and I could hear the wild animals not far from us."

"This place is full of them Thea, if you like we can both hunt after this. The other wolves will soon join my brother and they make a run to the borders so we can head the other way."

I nodded at Zeina and then my eyes were now back on the grey wolf until the sun came out of the sky giving the most vivid view of him in the green grass of the hill. Every ray of the sun that hit him seemed to be powerless on how strong and handsome he is which I thought would be a deadly combination. I gulp down a lump in my throat as look away and pretend that I did not want to see that.

"Come on Althea we need to head out now before my brother notices us. I could feel him getting aware of our presence and I don't feel like hearing him scolding."

I wanted to see him some more but I stepped away and followed Zeina. She begin to run the other way, a bit different route this time. She had known the forest and this place all her life so I followed her even though I had doubts when we kept heading the North.

"Zeina are we hunting now?"

She enjoys running and I could tell that her wolf loved to always do this. As for me, I am getting a little tired but if we do hunt then I could replenish my energy.

"Yes, we are! Oh, I smelled a wild boar, Thea. What do you want to hunt now? A deer is also nearby, let's see who could catch our prey first."

Her voice was full of excitement when she smiled and sprinted fast. "Alright Zeina, I would go after the deer I could smell it heading on my left."

"Then let us meet each other after our hunt. There is a river down there let's meet when after alright?"

"Yes, let's meet by the river."

I heard the sound of the shallow water running and then she ran first to her prey. I groaned, I was certain that Zeina would win this race. She loves the chase, running is easy but I never thought she could be this fast, I thought a Princess would be slow being royalty but her blood being the same as the Alpha King made her fast and I thought she was stronger than I am too.

Following the scent of a deer my feet took me to the other side of the river, the water was shallow so I easily walked on it but it was too wide to cross. It took me a few minutes to reach the other side, then I sniffed the air again. There it is! The scent became even clearer, I followed the direction reaching a road. I shook my head, I can't cross the road in my wolf form so I stayed with the trees and the tall grasses. I heard the noise of chewing from the deer that feeds on the green grass, I found him!

I tip on my paws and then slowly I walk to see the deer eating without his head down. I watched it stir and look behind him but it did not notice me or know where I would be coming from if I launched my attack. Without a doubt, I jumped high and then landed on its back causing it to wriggle and try to be free but my claws were sharp and deep against its throat drawing blood and my instinct told me I had to be fast before the blood spilled on the ground I drank it. Enjoying a hearty meal would make a wolf vulnerable, and I never became aware of how true it was until I heard the growling of other wolves near me.

My eyes quickly moved towards where the noise came from and there I saw a wolf with its mouth open wide, saliva dripping and her eyes staring at the food in my mouth. It was hungry, I could tell but what made me even more shocked was its shape, with only little fur and skin showing with bones clear. Rogue!

"Stop! Don't come closer!”

I warned him but the wolf shook his head and then its eyes turned red. While walking slowly towards me, I tried calling Zeina on the mind link. My knees tremble, I have low combat skills even if the rogue is skinny but we all know he is used to a job like this. "Zeina, please come find me. I have a problem."

Hoping that she had finished eating and that she would get to me fast, I stayed still and watched the rogue inch closer.