Chapter 28: Hidden

I finished packing clothes and went to the kitchen and grabbed food to bring with us.

Thankfully, there were a lot of foods that didn’t spoil for a long time. I grabbed cans of tuna, sardines, spam, and two bags of beef jerky. We’d have to boil water to make it drinkable, since we couldn’t bring a lot of bottled water along.

I grabbed everything and met Zander outside, my eyes asking if he was ready to go. We had to go the long way back to my pack. It was going to take a few days to get back there on foot. I wished we could take the truck, but it wasn’t smart to have a vehicle.

We didn’t want to be followed by anyone and be brought in for questioning.

As we walked, I kept glancing behind us to make sure no one had trailed after us.

A realization hit me. I’d be alone with Zander for quite a while. My heart raced with the thought. How would I fight the attraction? It wasn’t like I could leave him on his own in the woods.

Zander slowed his walking speed and turned to me. “I was thinking we should be in wolf form at night. We'll be able to travel greater distances."

“Good idea. We should stay low during the day. We can’t draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves.”

“I agree.” Zander moved to walk closer to me and asked, “What about sleeping arrangements?”

Yikes. I hadn’t even thought about that. My heart wanted to sleep next to him but was it right?

I tried to talk in a normal voice and said, “You can sleep in your own place, and I get a separate area.”

“I don’t want you to be cold at night.” Zander smiled and said, “I think we should be close for warmness sake. It’s nearly fall.”

What was he trying to suggest? I really wanted to put this idea to a halt but couldn’t. He did have a good point. I decided not to answer him.

As we continued walking, it started to get darker.

I turned towards Zander and asked, “Can you promise me something?”

Zander smirked and said, “It depends on what promise you want.”

I tried to remain unaffected and said, “Don’t look at me after I shift back to human form.”

Zander frowned and said, “Damn. I was hoping you’d let me see you.”

I could tell that he was teasing. My face felt hot and I said, “Thanks. But it’s still a no. I won’t look at you when you shift back either.”

“I don’t care if you look at me naked.”

No way was I answering that and kept walking onward. He tried to hold my hand, but I pushed it away. I wasn’t going to cave in yet.

Zander quit walking when the sun went down. He started shaking and his clothes ripped off of him, as he completed the shift. I took in his appearance as a wolf. He was a beautiful silver wolf.

I prepared myself for the shift. My body shook and human bones transformed into wolf ones. Fur rippled all over where skin used to be, and my teeth became sharper and canine. My fingernails changed into claws.

When I was done shifting, I looked at Zander. I grabbed my duffel bag in my teeth and started sprinting.

Zander ran alongside me and gave an almost grin.

He telepathically said, “So are you impressed with this form?”

I let out a warning growl and answered, “Not really.”

A few minutes later, Zander stood next to me and quickly licked my muzzle. I was surprised at his action but didn’t mind it.

My attraction was growing for him as we spent time as wolves. I wondered if it was the same for him.

We found a clearing in the woods and took a break by resting alongside the river.

Zander suddenly snuggled up against me and licked me a couple times on the face. I snuggled back and whined.

He asked me with his mind, “Is something wrong?”

“No. Can’t you tell I’m happy? How long has it been since you last shifted?”

“It’s been a while.”

“I get it. Should we make camp soon?”

“Sure.”

I ran off from him and went to shift privately.

When I came back, he was shirtless. Glad I took my time changing and reapplying deodorant. But why was he only half dressed?

Zander gave a mischievous grin and said, “Are you enjoying the view princess?”

“Maybe a little.”

Zander smiled and pulled out a couple blankets from his bag. How had he fit those in there?

I looked at him and asked, “Did you bring a tent or anything with you?”

“Nope.”

“Zander. How are we going to make camp without any camping equipment?!”

“I can make a hut.”

“You’ve got to be joking?”

Zander shook his head no and started gathering things for a hut. I hoped he was making two.

After a while, he had the two huts done. Then Zander chuckled and gathered some wood.

I admired how handsome Zander looked as we stood before the fire.

I hugged him. His muscled arms went around me. I didn’t even care he was still shirtless. He was so warm and comfortable and smelled of a very fresh woodsy scent. Zander looked into my eyes with affection.

He cupped my cheek with one hand and said, “You’re so beautiful. I'm lucky that I get to spend time with you."

My breath caught while my knees felt wobbly. Zander moved in closer to me, and I felt his warm breath.

Zander gently pressed his lips to mine. It was as if he was being careful with me.

My lips reacted to his, and I gently bit on his lower lip. He groaned softly and deepened the kiss. Sparks spread to all parts of my body, and I wanted more. His hands went through my hair stroking it gently. I kept my arms around him and ran my tongue slowly to touch the roof of his mouth.

He moaned and; I was clearly driving him wild. . I let my tongue explore his mouth and made sure to do it slowly.

Zander kept kissing me and sucked on my lower lip. He broke away shortly and carried me back to the hut and laid me on the blanket.

He got on top of me and gazed into my eyes. Zander broke our embrace to look into my eyes for a moment before sealing our lips together.