Nature is not a place to visit 22

Chapter 22
*“That’s like leaping off a precipice and trying to knit yourself a parachute on the way down.”*
*Kelli Jae Baeli*
“So, all this killing you’re going to,” Luke started, his eyebrows scrunched together, “Is there a plan that comes with
that?”
Since Ambrose had healed Luke and seemed – at least for the time being – like he wasn’t going to hurt him, Luke had warmed up a little bit more. By that, I mean that Luke no longer looked like he was actively fearing for his life. He still
looked hesitant around Ambrose, but I could hardly blame him.
Aside from the fact that he was an immortal being, Ambrose exuded raw power. I suspected that it was more manageable for me as his mate, but I couldn’t say the same for Luke or any other wolf he encountered.
Ambrose stared at him, his face pulled into a blank expression I was beginning to think was a signature look. “The plan is
simple,” he said, “You take me to these Blood Moons and I’ll handle the rest.”
Luke didn’t seem completely convinced by that, but he didn’t question Ambrose any further. “If we leave now,” I said,
“We can make it there within hours. Maybe before nightfall.” Although I trusted Ambrose to help us save Rae, Marcus,
and the others, my anxiety was only growing with every minute we weren’t on the run. Every minute, every second
counted.
“I know the route Marcus was going to take, I can lead us there,” Luke said, and then his eyes trailed over Ambrose’s bare
chest and light harem pants, “You…uh, need an extra shirt or something? I think I might have something in my supply
bag.”
*And take away my view of his perfectly-sculpted abs and pecs?*
*How else am I supposed to entertain myself on an extensive run through the woods?*
*Then again, it probably wouldn’t be a very good look if I ended up running into a tree headfirst because I was too
distracted.*
*On second thought, maybe he should wear a shirt.*
Before I could chime in, Ambrose answered first. “No, I do not feel the cold,” he said, and this time, he was the one to
look Luke over. “And the fashion of this millennium is quite…peculiar.” He then turned to me and asked, “I’m used to
fashion changing with the times, but does everyone dress this way, little wolf?” He subtly gestured to Luke’s t-shirt and
gym shorts.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Luke shoot him an offended expression.
“Well, we are in the twenty-first century now,” I said, “Nobody wears tunics and girdles anymore.”
His eyes roamed over my form, his expression darkening. “Even your clothing, little wolf, is quite…tight with very few
layers. Do the men in your pack regularly see you this way?”
Even I could sense the danger in that question. Something told me that the wrong answer and the Blood Moons might
not be the only ones to lose their lives tonight.
“Luke and I are both dressed this way because we’ve been on the run, and need to be able to move freely and
comfortably,” I explained, “It’s pretty typical casual wear for people in the twenty-first century, but it’s not all we wear.
I’ve got plenty of cute outfits that I haven’t had an excuse to wear yet. Until you.”
*Hopefully, he understands that my definition of a ‘cute outfit’ is the cocktail dress collecting dust in my closet, not a
handmade skirt from the Middle Ages.*
*Not sure how intact his fashion sense is after the thousand year coma.*
“Well, now that we’ve got that cleared up,” Luke butted in, rubbing the back of his neck. “Should we be on our way?”
Ambrose gave a small incline of his head and I nodded enthusiastically. The sooner we got to the Blood Moons, the
sooner we could save our pack members.
“Should we change into our wolf forms?” I asked, but as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I paused. “Wait, do
you even have a wolf form? I mean, I guess I just assumed but then again, you *are* the Moon God so –”
“It’s quite complicated,” Ambrose cut me off, his face expressionless again, “And a story for another day. In the
meantime, I suspect you’ll both be almost as fast in your human forms.”
Part of me almost wanted to ask what Ambrose meant by complicated, but it was clear he didn’t want to explain and we
didn’t have the time for it either.
“So, you want us to run in human form,” Luke stated.
Ambrose nodded.
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Luke nodded and began heading for the tree line. Although he didn’t say anything, I could tell he wasn’t looking forward
to a several-hour run in human form. There were a couple of reasons wolves preferred to run long distances in our wolf
forms.
Not only were we faster, but our stamina was better too. In our human forms, we were more likely to get winded or
physically exhausted. Granted, we could still run laps around humans any day of the week, but even we had our limits.
*If I keel over in front of my mate, that’d be embarrassing.*
As I began trailing Luke into the woods, I felt Ambrose grab my hand and intertwine our fingers. His hand was much
larger than mine, and yet, the weight of it felt just right. Everything about Ambrose felt just right.
I had no idea what the future held – what even the next twenty-four hours held – but with Ambrose’s hand in mine, the
anxiety didn’t feel so crushing. It felt as if I could still survive the next several hours on the run, not knowing if my best
friend or my pack members were alive.
*Is this what having a mate is like?*
*It feels like the entire world could end right now, and somehow, it’d be okay as long as Ambrose was safe*.
*If I was a human and I said this about a man I’d met an hour ago, I’m pretty sure I’d end up in the mental ward.*
*Not sure if that makes me feel better or worse.*