Intuition

The creeping sedum tea had been doing it’s job. Eve hadn’t shifted in her sleep, or even dreamed, since she began drinking it. Bastian was pleased with himself, to say the least. The Luna was grateful to him, but she still wanted to return to Green Tree.

The tea helped to keep her wolf from overwhelming her. Still, the power that welled up within her from time to time remained. Instead of the power pushing her inner beast into a frenzy, it simply made Eve feel weak in it’s wake.

She was in her wolf form three days a week and during some nights. This guise felt stronger somehow and helped her channel the power within her. This was the case a few days after the half moon. She was running through the forest around the cabin, spending her energy while she was able.

The familiar, musky scent that swirled around her told her who was waiting for her atop the next hill. Bastian. True to her senses, the large, gray wolf was standing in her path several yards ahead of her.

Hungry? Bastian’s wolf’s voice was rough like sandpaper and it radiated strength.

Yes. The she-beast replied curiously.

Come. He demanded before darting away.

Eve followed him through the trees for several minutes. The muscular, gray wolf paused. He stepped behind a nearby fallen tree, clearly on alert. The small, black wolf crept around him, peering in the direction of his sight.

A deer was standing several yards away, sniffing the ground. Like any predator, Eve’s heart began thundering in her chest at the sight of her prey. She could hear the same reaction in the chest of the wolf beside her.

Live meat, Sunshine. Your move or ours? Bastian’s beast entered her mind.

The question amused her. Most wolves hunted in groups and attacked the same way. Bastian had never been on a hunting party on the mountain, so he was unaware. Sometimes, his naiveite was almost charming.

Why not both? She replied in a jovial tone.

His dark eyes settled on her, holding an undisguised smile within them.

Right behind you, Sunshine. He answered.

She sneaked around the side of the log, getting closer to the unsuspecting deer. Just as the animal turned its head in her direction, she lunged toward it. Eve sunk her teeth into the deer’s throat, latching onto the now shrieking animal.

Bastian watched her in awe for a moment. She was fast, vicious, and calculating. She fascinated his mind, heart, and imagination. When she brought the animal to the ground, he ran to her. Without any further hesitation, the large, gray wolf tore into the mammal’s stomach with his snapping jaws.

The deer screamed and shivered before growing silent. It’s wide, terrified eyes were deep and hopeless. The sound of its rattling breath was distracting from the smell of fresh meat. Eve moved to tear out it’s throat and end its suffering, but Bastian stopped her quickly.

Eat. He stated.

It’s alive. It’ll taste like fear. Eve’s wolf replied.

It’s better red. Bastian’s beast answered.

The Luna disagreed. She watched as the Shadow Alpha ripped into the deer’s abdomen. The creature whimpered and flinched. Bastian nudged the animal closer to Eve, urging her to eat. Eve moved forward and buried her face in the animal’s torso. A moment later, she bit into its heart and ended its life.

As the wolves continued eating, Eve could feel Bastian’s emotions. They were turbulent and violent, like the winds of a tornado. If she focused on his feelings, she could nearly hear the thoughts of the large, gray wolf.

Blood. Meat. More, more, more, more...

It was at this moment, a realization struck the Luna. Bastian’s wolf was always in charge. The beast was in the forefront of his mind all the time. It was obvious in retrospect. It took no time for his voice to become that of his animal. It happened as soon as he got agitated or emotional.

Bastian was impulsive, like an animal. He had taken Eve from Green Tree without knowing how far the power had deteriorated her health. His personality was as contradictory as it was unpredictable. As impulsive as he was, he was also clever and calculating. Like in the way he used the trees to disguise his scent and move around unseen.

Bastian was a true Lycan and Alpha. The duality of his animal side and human side were interchangeable in their strength and beliefs. It was surprising to her but in a way, she’d expect nothing less of him. Having eaten some of the fresh meat in front of her, she’d taken to examining Bastian.

He felt her gaze and glanced upward to see her watching him. His eyes offered her a content smile before he began eating again. Several minutes later, they made their way back to the cabin. As Bastian sent someone to gather the remains of their kill, Eve got dressed upstairs.

She hardly had time to pull on a comfortable sweater and a pair of thermal pants before a knock fell on her door. The door opened a moment later and Bastian stepped inside. He handed her a mug of creeping sedum tea, watching as she blew carefully across the top to cool the steaming beverage.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something.” She stated once she recognized that he had no plans of leaving her alone.

“Shoot, Evie.” Bastian sat at the foot of the bed.

“When you were in Green Tree, you told Flint you only wanted to kill him to get to Elijah. Now you say it’s because of your little mate theory. Why?” Eve sat across from him.

“I don’t give my plans away. Telling him would have done that.” He smiled mysteriously.

“What is that look for?” She asked.

“You’re thinking about the things I’ve said about you. It interests me.” Bastian answered simply.

“Be less interested, punchy. I was just curious.” Eve took a sip of her tea.

“Please stop calling me that.” The sincere tone he used drew her eyes to his face.

She paused her movements to gaze at him. His dark eyes held the same level of barely hidden mania that always made Eve nervous. Now, however, there were more obvious emotions atop it. Bastian was remorseful and his gaze pleading. Self hatred flitted just below the surface. To Eve’s surprise, she had the sudden urge to take back her words.

“I-” She hesitated. “Okay, Bas.”

A wide, happy smile spread across his lips. The sight of it made Eve’s heart skip a beat. She immediately began to internally curse the organ for betraying her. As much as Eve wanted to escape Bastian; she didn’t want to see him, or his pack members, get hurt. Not even by her own people.

“I didn’t want to hurt you. I was angry because of the Calling and at Flint. I thought hurting you, as unpleasant as it sounded, wouldn’t have an effect on me. I’ve hurt plenty of people.” He eventually stated.

“I know.” Eve replied.

“Not really, you don’t. You see, it did effect me. It felt like I hit myself twice as hard as I hit you. Your bruises-” Bastian stood and began pacing.

Eve watched him curiously. She remembered the bloody, blackened marks like they were yesterday. The fact that Bastian was effected by them gave her a small bit of hope. Perhaps he wasn’t evil, just perhaps.

“I felt like shit. I hated it. I hated it and I’m sorry for it.” He sat down again, this time beside her.

“Just this once and just for that, I’ll forgive you.” She eventually sighed. “I felt like it wasn’t really you at the time anyway. Maybe your wolf... I wasn’t sure.”

He beamed at her for a moment until the sheer intensity of his dark eyes forced her to look away. She sipped her tea again, delving into thought.

“It was me. He is me and I am him.” Bastian shrugged and relaxed back on the wall. “What’s the difference?”

“One part is more adept to society. The other to the wilderness. Get it?” Eve smirked sarcastically.

“When you have an animal in your mind that’s always growling, it’s hard to be human. Why try? I don’t. When my wolf starts chanting and raving ‘kill it, kill it, kill it, kill it’, eventually I kill something. So, which part does that. The human or the wolf?”

As he spoke she stared at him with wide eyes and furrowed brows. His statements were confusing, but somehow enlightening.

“Your wolf chants and raves until you kill things?” She asked curiously.

“Everyday. Yours doesn’t?” Bastian was equally interested in her answer.

“No, Bas. Definitely not.” Eve answered honestly in a concerned tone.