They did not speak as they moved through the palace. The hallways were quiet. Most of the servants had retired to their quarters. A few guards stationed at their posts nodded as they passed. Galen led her past the outer wall through a rarely used gate. The guard on duty let them pass without question. They crossed into a field of dry grass and then entered a line of trees. The path was narrow. They walked for about twenty minutes. The trees grew thicker, and the moonlight filtered through the canopy in wide patches.

Galen stopped at the edge of a large clearing. He turned to face her. "Here. This is where I run whenever I need to let go of tension. And believe me when I say, my wolf likes it here," he said.

Aveloria looked around the clearing. The grass was worn down in places from repeated use. She could see the trails leading off into the woods on the far side, paths carved by paw and claw over time.

Galen started undressing. He pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on the ground. Then his leather trousers. He folded each piece quickly and set them in a pile near a tree. Aveloria did the same. She unbuttoned her dress and let it fall to her feet. She stepped out of her undergarments and folded everything into a neat stack beside his clothes.

Then cool air brushed their skin, making them shiver. Aveloria closed her eyes and called her own wolf forward. It has been quiet for weeks, buried under council meetings, decisions, and fear. But it was still there waiting. She let go.

The shift was no longer painful, but it was neither comfortable nor pleasant. She felt her spine crack and reset. Her bones realigned. Muscles and sinew stretched and compressed. Her hands became paws. Furs replaced her skin. Her senses heightened; the smell of the stream was far off. The scent of Galen next to her. She opened her eyes, her vision sharpened, and the colors of the clearing shifted into new ranges. She dropped to all fours.

Her wolf turned sideways. Galen was already shifting into his form. His body bent and reshaped itself. Within seconds, a large ash wolf formed. His wolf was larger than hers. Ash fur with patches of white around the muzzle. His wolf shook its head once and then looked at her.

They stood still for a long moment. Galen’s wolf took a step forward, and its nose extended toward her. Aveloria’s wolf held her ground while he sniffed at her muzzle, then her neck, then along her flank. She did the same to him. His scent was pine and earth.

When the sniffing was done, his wolf lowered its head and rested it against her neck. She leaned into him. The weight of his skull against her fur was solid and warm. They stayed like that for thirty seconds. Then it pulled back and took a step away.

His wolf lowered its front half into a play bow, and the tail went up. Her wolf also answered with a bow of her own. Then it took off running toward the tree line. She chased him. He was faster because he knew the ground. He cut left before a root she did not see, and she had to scramble to correct her path. By the time she looked up, he was already ten lengths ahead of her. His tail disappeared around a thick oak.

She followed his scent through the woods. Her paws kicked up dirt as she pushed harder. She found him waiting near a fallen trunk. As soon as she got close, he darted right and vanished into the ferns. She chased again.

The cool air filled her lungs. As her muscles worked, the knot in her chest began to loosen. The running and chasing around the woods went on for what felt like two hours.

She lost count of how many times he outran her. Every time she thought she had him, he would find a new gap in the trees or a shortcut down a slope she had not seen. Her wolf did not care about losing. The chase was the point. The running was the point. The smell of the earth and the cool air pulling through her fur was the point.

By the time they circled back to the clearing, her wolf was tired in a way that felt complete—not exhausted. Satisfied. Her body had done exactly what it was meant to do. Her soul had followed.

They stood still for a long moment. His wolf was next to her, breathing hard. He let out a loud howl into the night. She kicked her paws into the earth a few times, and she howled. It was louder.

They shifted back at the same time. The return to human form was slower. Aveloria felt her bones settle and her skin smooth out. She stood up on two legs again. The grass was cool under her bare feet.

She looked at Galen. He was standing a few feet away, also naked, also catching his breath. His chest moved up and down. There was a thin line of sweat at his hairline.

She smiled. "I have not felt that relaxed in months. I also enjoyed the way your wolf ran. It sure knows the land. It was thrilling. I could do that every night."

Aveloria started walking toward the tree where they had left their clothes. She reached down for it. Galen moved before she could pick it up. He crossed the distance in three steps and pushed her gently against the tree. His hands touched the tree trunk on either side of her body. She felt his boner pressing against her belly.

His face leaned close to hers. "The fun is not over yet," he said.

She furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?"

Galen smiled. "Our wolves had their fun. Now it is our turn."

Aveloria looked at him for a moment. Then she understood. "You want to have sex here in the woods," she said.

His smile got wider. "Yes."