The longing in their hearts was paid off as they woke up each morning entangled like a newlywed couple but more intimate than before. However, the night was different from Skylar's liking. She might be resting beside her husband, but when the clock hits midnight, her body shifts. Her senses were high, and the rush of her blood pumped drastically, making her rush to the bathroom, trying to vomit, but only to find her fangs extracted.
"Do I need to feed?" Skylar wondered, seeing her reflection not human anymore. Her eyes were bloodshot, there was no white in them anymore, and her white fangs were showing.
"You don't need blood."
"Vin?" She guessed, looking at Vincencio leaning by the doorframe, reflecting in the mirror, when she heard his wolf's voice.
"Yes, that's me." With a smug look, he replied and wrapped his arms protectively around Skylar.
"And Vince?" She wondered, letting his presence calm her.
"Still asleep." He replied, sniffing her scent over her shoulder before kissing her head, and added. "From what I could sense from you, you're not thirsty or hungry, but you want something, perhaps, someone's blood, and that's not mine."
"Monica." She whispered, leaning to Vincencio's chest.
"Want to run with me and check on her before you for the incoming hunt?" He suggested, and Skylar turned to face him. She wrapped her arms around his neck before grinning mischievously.
"You know I can do that by myself." She teased seductively while playing with his hair, making him slightly purr.
"And let that nomad sneak behind you? Not a chance, babe." He playfully replied and kissed her lips before continuing in a serious tone, "You need me now to cloak your scent from whomever the night creatures lurking around the city's shadow."
"You've sensed it too." She said, understanding what he was saying.
"I've been feeling a few pairs of eyes tailing you whenever you're not around me or anyone with you. Some were proud but protective, some were intrigued but calculating, and the rest had malicious intentions that I could not name from the reason they want you down." He sternly explained, followed by a throaty growl, making Skylar peck his lips.
"Let's have a midnight run tonight," Skylar said, pushing him away before heading to their closet to change into her training clothes, and Vincencio followed, but shirtless. She liked them, but she didn't like the idea of others seeing his fair body – he miraculously had eight packs that a human body would have. "You're not going to be topless when we're running outside."
"It's a werewolf thing, babe." Vincencio, being Vin, the wolf winked at his wife teasingly.
"NOT A CHANCE!" She shouted, not liking the idea of her husband showing off his well-toned figure.
"Oh come on, it's just a shirtless. No harm done." He teased.
"To any single creature's eyes, it does." She refuted before firmly warning him, "So, no. Firmly no, Vin, and don't make me repeat myself."
"I'm not gonna wear it, but you can." He stubbornly replied, grinning teasingly at his fuming wife.
"WHY YOU!" She snapped, glaring at her husband, teasing challenge.
"Well, I'm not Vince. So, technically, I can argue with you like this." He pointed out the difference between him and Vincencio, making Skylar groan.
"Argh! Fine, have it your way. I'll wear your oversized hoodie." She rolled her eyes, defeated, and wore his oversized hoodie. "Happy now?"
"Pretty much." He grinned, winning at their petty argument.
"Be grateful that I love you, or else, you're already outside." She sighed and walked downstairs to the back door entrance before dashing without looking back.
"Then thank you, babe." He chuckled and sprinted after his annoyed wife.
***
When they were out of the town's proper, Vincencio morphed into his wolf form, catching up with his wife's side. However, their run slowed down as Skylar's killer instincts kicked in, and she hopped on the wolf's back. They both hid in the shadows, cloaked in a presence.
'Sensed something?'
"Not sure, but my killer instinct told me to be wary around fifteen meters away from here." Skylar sternly replied through their telepathy while she became wary of their surroundings.
'Hmm, let's see what we got from the coordinates you said.'
"Wait, coordinate? Let me climb up, I might find something more accurate." She said and quickly climbed up to the tree beside them.
'Spider woman.'
"Focus, Vin." She said.
When Skylar found the right height and vantage point, she began inhaling deeply before slowly releasing them, making her navigation from her old self kick in. The coordinates began to clear, and I found a group of twenty against four. With squinted eyes, her sight zoomed in, and she clearly saw what was happening.
"Vin, I don't like this." Skylar gritted her teeth as she saw a cornered family.
'What? What do you see from there?'
"A family of four, perhaps. Two adults, a teenager, and a toddler, but they were cornered by twenty mixed rogues and nomads." With trembling hands, she replied, controlling the burning feelings rising inside her, and Vincencio felt them.
'Okay, babe, listen carefully to me. Take a deep breath and focus on the scent of the four creature you describe to me. Then tell me what their blood tells you.'
She did what she was instructed to, but when she did, everything faded. The sight turned into a memory she had dreamed before she reconnected with Vincencio. Inside the memory, she stood frightened in the protective arms of a mother, a brother, and a father who stood firmly, ready to fight for their family. However, chaos has erupted, and a heavy decision has been made, forcing the women to run separately away from the men, but they never got a chance to live with their mother.
'Dearie, be brave. Be stronger than any of us. You'll know when the time comes right, Rose will wake up. Do not be afraid of her, she's you.'
'SKYLAR!'
"I'm here. I just…" Skylar replied, but didn't finish her words because Vincencio quickly interjected.
'I know. I saw. Just focus on them. We'll discuss it later.'
"Right, I must focus on what matters at the moment, and that's them." Skylar thought, snapping from her hazy memory, and answered Vincecnio's question. "They were scared but ready to fight for their lives and to save the young ones. But I'm not going to let it happen."
'Babe, I'll do it. Stay hidden, I sensed somebody else fifty yards from their spot, and I don't like their sinister smiles. So, cloaked yourself.'
"Noted. Be careful and take them with you." Skylar replied coldly but with firmness, making Vincencio jolt, but she understood her tone.
Skylar watched Vincencio sprint to their spot like a lightning bolt, flashing in anger, cutting the twenty rogue and nomad formations. It frustrated them. She could tell that Vincencio's wolf liked the adrenaline of being in action once again, as their attention was with him, forgetting their real target. Noticing their attention was on him, Skylar sneaked behind the four, but before she could show herself to them, she felt it.
"What the…" She mumbled softly, feeling the same bond she felt around Irina, but a little different. "A blood bond with wolves?"
She immediately pulled out her emergency mouth mask before jumping in front of the toddler, who yelped in fear when a rogue managed to notice them. I quickly gave them a rogue and inhuman kick before crouching on the kid.
"Do you want to dance with me?" She gently asked the kid since the adults fought side by side with their teenager, leaving the young one unprotected. The kid nodded, making Skylar smile. "Good girl. Let's dance."
Skylar took the kid's hand and began swinging like they were dancing a waltz before joining forces on kicking rogue in their way. Then lifted the kid with an instruction to kick the nomad with such power. The kid giggled when the nomad stumbled back on his feet. But before it could retaliate, it was already Skylar's turn by simply stamping her foot like an axe kick. The nomad was stunned, making them join forces and kick its stomach, landing perfectly on Vincencio's wolf's razor teeth. Ending the twenty bullies and the sinister eyes left from the scene.
'These rogues and nomads were manipulated, which I think included what Shana told us before.'
"Seems like I'm going to meet you there again," Skylar replied with an annoyed tone, making Vincencio giggle as he approached them. But Skylar crouched before the kid and gently asked. "Did you enjoy our dance?"
The kid nodded and hugged her with familiarity, although they had just met. Then the adults went to the kids' side, standing behind the kids protectively. Skylar eyed them, carefully. She noticed how restless they were, and the kids weren't even having a life as they had been running for quite some time already. She sighed sadly over their restlessness, touching her heart, making the blood bond thicken as well.
"Thank you for saving us, Luna." The woman respectfully bowed as she thanked them for saving them.
"Luna?" She narrowed her eyes, confusedly.
'My scent and mark told them.'
"No problem. Let's get you something warm." Skylar told them gently before asking the kid, "Do you like that?"
'You're good with kids.'
"Ahm, we don't want to trouble you." The man politely declined, but Skylar knew they needed their help more than they knew.
"I insist unless you want my husband to force you?" Skylar said daringly, making Vincencio step closer with intimidation of an Alpha before adding her sincere concern, "…and besides, the kids are shaken up. Let them rest for the night."
***
Back in their household, the couple welcomed the stray family and comforted them with warmth, making the children relaxed after years of restless running. As the kids were taken to their comfortable rest, the adults began talking to them.
"So, tell us your story of why you're being hunted like that? And for how long you've been running?" Vincencio, still as Vin, firmly asked through his gentle tone.
"Two years already, Alpha." The man answered before sipping his tea, calming him more.
"We came from a mixed pack in the city. It was nice and peaceful, but when we were being raided by them, we became slaves and were sold to rich people. Some got lucky to find their lives saved by kind people, but the rest weren't, and we ran away because we're about to be sold separately. We don't want that for the kids since we can't ensure their safety in the hands of unkind strangers." The woman continued with a shaken tone, making Skylar sigh.
"I didn't know human trafficking also existed in your world." She commented, making them confused before adding, "Don't get me wrong, I just got awakened and mated to one, obviously."
"Why do you make sound difficult?" Returning in control, Vincencio reacted with a frown.
"Well, you're difficult to get laid on." She bluntly answered, making their visitors blush.
"Wifey, not in front of them." He warned, but couldn't hide his blushing cheeks.
"They'll get used to it." She waved it off, making them chuckle, amused by their mate bond.
"What do you mean?" the man wondered about Skylar's message.
"I've got a place for you to work and to live in." She simply answered like she already thought of putting them to good use.
"What? Saving us is enough…" the woman tried to reason, declining the offer, but Skylar sternly looked at them, making them gulp.
"Just agree to your Luna, she won't take a no, it's for the sake of her pack." Vincencio chuckled but made a point, catching them off guard.
"Welcome to the Night Rose." Skylar welcomed them warmly.
'Whoa, on the spot, you came up with that? Impressive.'
"Well, I was born in a battlefield, and changing tactics and plans on the spot is nothing to me." She answered through their telepathy.
'Fair enough.'
"So, do you agree?" He asked warmly.
"Yes, Luna, Alpha. We're very glad to be in your care." They agreed and were excited to have a place to call their home before retiring for the rest of the night with their kids.
"So this is what it's like when starting a pack with your mate." He muttered with joy.
"You didn't know? Are you sure you're a wolf shifter?" She teased with sarcasm.
"Hey, spare me from being a lone wolf after leaving my home." He chuckled, but was defending himself.
"But here you are creating it with me." She sweetly said, pecking his lips.
"And I won't change a thing about it." He grinned, very content with what they had. However, they knew it was only the beginning of something bloody.
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