Chapter 57

As I read my book, Victor’s image kept flashing through my mind. It made me smile until I remembered how he had practically run from the living room.

What had been wrong?

I put down my book and wandered out onto my balcony. The night air was cool and clean, and the moon shining above me made me feel energized and happy to be alive.

Victor’s face flashed through my mind once again. His image was even clearer, and I thought I could smell his scent a moment before Jennifer called me back into my room to discuss any new cosmetics I might need for the ball.

After she left my room, I was walking to my balcony to close the glass door when there was the sound of movement outside. Then I heard something land on the ground outside my bedroom.

I ran to the balcony railing and looked down at the ground.

Was someone hiding here on my balcony? Why?

I couldn’t see anyone in the dim moonlight, but a large shadow near a lilac bush seemed to move.

Was it my imagination, or had someone been on my balcony?

No, I was sure I felt someone’s presence.

“Hello,” I called as Victor’s image flashed through my brain again. “Who’s there?”

The shadow by the lilac stirred and then bolted along the side of the house.

Someone was down there. And that someone had been on my balcony.

I looked at the chaise lounge and detected a tuft of black wolf hair behind it.

I put it into my pocket, and then quickly returned to my room, stuffed my feet into sneakers, and grabbed a jacket before running downstairs.

I rushed to the east wing side door a few feet from the main staircase. Soundlessly, the door swung open, and I slipped into the night. There was only dim moonlight to see where I was going.

All the night sounds seemed to stop as I walked along the east side of the mansion. The quiet enabled me to hear the sound of feet running in the distance.

I followed the sound, wondering whether it had been Victor on my balcony. I was concerned for him after he behaved strangely while explaining how to shift.

He hurried out of the house like it was on fire. Yet, when I checked before coming upstairs, the Lamborghini was still parked outside the front door. That meant he had not left the property.

Where did he go?

On my way to the garden, just past the east side entrance, I found Victor’s clothes scattered on the ground.

Victor must have shifted into his wolf after he left the living room. Victor being in his wolf form explained how he could leap onto my second-floor balcony and then jump back to the ground.

Why didn’t he reveal himself to me, and why would he leap to the ground and then run away when I called for him?

Was something wrong?

I picked up his clothes and held them in my hand. I could smell Victor’s scent on the clothes. It was masculine and fresh.

The sound of someone running grew fainter, so I pushed myself to run faster. I rushed past the rose garden, the pond, and the pagoda.

As I ran through the high grasses on the other side of the gardens, I saw a four-legged figure slip into the woods at the edge of the field.

Something inside me pulled me forward to where I had seen the wolf enter the woods.

Asking the Moon Goddess for strength and courage, I plunged into the woods in search of Victor.

It was too dark for me to run. My eyes adjusted a little to the darkness, but I still tripped over a fallen branch and almost fell onto the sticks and leaves that covered the floor of the woods.

My footsteps thundered in my ears, and my heartbeat accelerated when an owl screeched from a branch high in the trees.

Shaking, I froze to try to hear if anything was moving nearby. I could hear much better than I could see.

At first, all I heard was my own ragged breathing, but after holding my breath, I detected more than one thing moving nearby.

Instinctively, I tried to hurry out of the trees. But I had to be going in the wrong direction, and I found myself wandering deeper into the woods.

Adrenaline spurred me into hurrying forward. I felt so frightened and vulnerable that I didn’t care if I tripped and fell.

I had to find my way out of the woods. At least in the field, the moonlight would allow me to see what was around me.

But which way was out of the trees?

I stopped and put my back up against the trunk of an old pine. In the distance, I could see a patch of dim light to my left. Was it the field?

The sound of something large moving through the fallen leaves and sticks to my right forced me to move. I ran as fast as I dared toward the patch of dim light.

Finally, I broke through the trees and into a small clearing. I was still surrounded by trees, but there was a little more light here than in the woods. I rushed to the center of the clearing and stood with my arms wrapped around myself.

I thought it was Victor that was on my balcony and who I saw running into the woods.

But what if I was wrong? Maybe it wasn’t Victor who was on my balcony and who was in the woods with me now.

Who or what else could be out here in the darkness with me? I could still hear movement in the trees all around me.

I was lost, and I was frightened. “Victor, where are you? Please help me,” I called in my mind.

The violent snap of a branch behind me made me scream. How I wished I hadn’t left my room. I had no way to defend myself from whatever was out here.

It was darker among the trees where the moonlight barely penetrated. I froze as a huge black wolf walked out of that darkness and toward me.

It was so big! Even though I was afraid of such a large predator, I thought the wolf was beautiful.

With every movement, its muscles rippled beneath its thick black fur that glinted with blue highlights in the moonlight.

But as beautiful as the wolf was, I was terrified as it slowly made its way closer to me. I held my breath as it reached my side, nuzzled my shoulder, and gave me a gentle push with its head.

I still couldn’t move until it pushed me again and then looked up at me with stunning, turquoise eyes.

I knew those eyes. It was Victor.

Slowly, I reached out and touched the fur on the top of his head. It was softer than silk, and I let my hand slide down his back.

The Victor wolf stepped back, shook his head, and sneezed. I giggled at the amused expression in his eyes because I was petting him like a dog.

“Am I safe here in the woods?” I asked him. “I heard things moving all around me, and I could have sworn something was following me.”

The wolf trotted away and went back into the trees. A moment later he returned with something struggling in his mouth.

“A raccoon,” I said, when I saw what the wolf was holding in his teeth. I couldn’t believe I had been afraid of raccoons!

I slapped my forehead and giggled again when the wolf released the small creature from his mouth and watched it run madly back into the trees.

The wolf shook his head at me again and stomped one front paw before walking back into the trees.

Before I could get anxious alone in the dark again, I saw Victor walking out of the tree line to my right. His incredible body was naked. I blushed, yet I couldn’t pull my gaze away from his perfect masculine form.

“Are you finished staring?” Victor said with a smirk on his face. “Can I have my clothes back now?”

“What are you doing here?” I blushed even more, handing Victor his clothes and turned the other away while he dressed.

“Talking about shifting made me crave a run,” he admitted while putting on his clothes.

“Why did you leave my balcony and run away?” I asked. When I turned my gaze back, he was already dressed.

“Did I?” Victor lowered his head when he asked. I could tell he was blushing even in the darkness.

I pulled the wolf hair from my pocket and showed it to him.

“Alright,” Victor stared at the wolf hair for a while and admitted. “My wolf Adam wanted to see you through his wolf eyes. He seems to like you.”

“Adam…likes me? That’s great. I liked him too.” I remembered how beautiful Victor’s wolf was, and I could still feel his soft black fur on my hands. “Why did you ask him to run away then?”

“I didn’t want to get caught. You may have thought I was some kind of pervert or a peeping Tom,” Victor answered with a smirk.

“Actually, I don’t know how you followed me all the way here, since you were even scared of some raccoons and deer.”

“It was dark in the trees!” I protested.

Victor laughed.

“Then let me escort you back to the mansion. It’s already late,” Victor said.

“Since you can’t shift yet, I will remain in my human form. We will have more time running together after you get your own wolf.”

That must be fun. I couldn’t wait to be able to shift and be able to go for a run with Victor.

Thinking about it, almost pushed all my anxiety about my birthday ball to the back of my mind.