Jalen left the valley after only being home for a few hours. He knew Aura had taken off once he felt the pain of the Alpha through the mind link. It took a while to gain clearance from the Elders’ Council to leave the village after such an eventful day. First, he accidentally revealed his secret to an outsider while he was completely naked then Alpha Enoch came to his rescue out of nowhere and declared war on the Grim Guild. A bloody battle was fought, and the clan had lost six of their best warriors today, including Beta Nyko. Aura swooped in finally and brought the battle to an end by using her speed to kill the hunters. Now, the clan was hurting because Alpha Enoch was grieving the loss of Beta Nyko, and the rejection Aura must have given him. She had only briefly mentioned the Alpha’s interest in her, but Jalen had seen Enoch look at her with admiration in his eyes. Jalen could only imagine how things might have pushed Aura to leave, but he needed to follow after because they had a mission to finish in the Village of Lilies. Thankfully, Councilman Xerxes agreed that Jalen needed to be in the Village of Lilies to ensure the elf queen was safe during the royal visit. Jalen received council approval to leave the valley.

Jalen wasn’t as fast as Aura, but he passed Raika laying on the ground in the forest of the valley, mindlinked his sister, Ivy, to go help Raika. He thought that Raika’s predicament was like;y the work of Aura. He feared if Aura continued to exert herself that she would collapse on the way to the Village of Lilies. Aura was reckless when it came to her body’s health, which was ironic since she fancied herself a herbalist. He sighed as he reached his top speed in his wolf form. Jalen loved running through the forest at night. The dirt was cool against his paws as he kicked up dirt clouds in his wake. He passed a few animals with glowing eyes that were hunting for food buried in burrows beneath the tall trees of the forest. The leaves were beginning to give off the smell of fresh dew as the moons sunk lower in the sky when Jalen suddenly stopped. He smelt another odd smell ahead of him where the battle had taken place earlier in the day. The smell was foul, and the area still appeared foggy. Something wasn’t right here.

Jalen approached the area slowly as he held his breath. He looked down to see another wolf’s prints at his feet that just suddenly ended. Aura was careful not to leave trails unless she wanted someone to know she was there. Jalen cocked his head pondering the mysteriously ending paw prints and the smoke. He could see no other explanation for the scene in front than someone had taken Aura using that foul fog. It was likely hunters that took Aura given where Jalen was standing. He sniffed the ground for any other possible clues or a trail as to where Aura may have been taken. Jalen was confused when he couldn’t detect any tail. It was as if Aurora and her captor had just disappeared. Jalen smelt another person approaching and took off toward the Village of Lilies. He was going to need help to rescue Aura from non-shifters this time.

Two hours later…

Jalen didn’t bother to shift as he evaded the village patrols and the villagers by sneaking around in the shadows until he entered Rhys’ cottage, which had become a haven for him. He had barely made it in the door when the sun began to rise over the horizon. In the darkness of the entry hall, he could sense he wasn’t alone. Slowly, he turned to find an ax just above his body. His heart began beating out of his chest as he realized it was Rhys holding the ax to him. He whimpered at her as he sat back on his haunches. Jalen considered transforming, but then he would be bare naked in front of her again. He would just have to patiently wait for her to recognize him in his wolf form. Jalen studied her for a minute, looking for any inkling of her recognizing him when he had his realization.

Rhys stared at the fluffy figure in front of her. She had her suspicions that the figure was Jalen, but she wasn’t sure. The fluffy figure began to snicker as it watched her with amused green eyes. Rhys glared at the creature with confusion. What could be funny at this moment? She had him at the end of her ax. Perhaps the creature was crazy, she wondered.

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“What’s so funny, fluffy?” She asked the creature, with an annoyed tone. The fluffy whimpered at her and gestured its nose toward Rhys. She looked down and realized why the fluffy creature had been snickering. Rhys was only in her undergarments, exposing her womanly form to the fluffy creature. She wanted to back away and hide, but she was too proud to move. “Fluffy,” Rhys gritted through her teeth. “Transform if you are, Jalen. Now.”

Jalen knew there would be no negotiating with Rhys at this moment. He simply bowed his head at her request and allowed his body to shift. Rhys had seen it before, but watching Jalen go from beast to elf was terrifying. She heard his bones break and crack. The skin stretched and fur receded into the monstrous transformation. It almost made her sick until she saw Jalen standing handsomely naked before her.

“We have to stop meeting like this.” Jalen jokes as he stands proud as watches Rhys admire him yet again.

Rhys’ cheeks went red when she realized he was aware of her staring. She lowered her ax to the floor waving her hands about from being flustered, “Brute!” The gap between them closed. “Lousy, brutish jerk!” She pounded her fists on his bare chest. “This is how you greet me after the battle yesterday? You have no manners at all! I watched you all disappear into the forest, leaving me to clean the mess of the battlefield. Who does that to a lady? Huh?” Rhys ranted while pounding her frustration onto his chest. “Stupid, selfish brute!”

Jalen endured her tantrum as she continued calling him a mannerless brute. Rhys was so worked up that she was near tears before Jalen chose to silence her tantrum. Jalen grabbed Rhys’ face whilst she continued complaining, and she tried to smack his hand away. He instantly shut up the excitable dwarf woman with his lips pressed against hers. The two stayed still in the moment, uncertain of what to do next. Rhys rested her hands on Jalen’s shoulders. She was stunned by his sudden choice to kiss her, but it surprisingly didn’t anger her. Something about it was enjoyable but awkward.

Jalen pulled away and gently let go of her face. “Sorry, Rhys, but it was the only nice way to shut you up. I don’t want you crying because of my mannerless and brutish ways.” He says quietly looking into her stormy gray eyes.

Rhys stayed quiet. Part of her wanted to see where that kiss could have gone, but the elf in front of her was a brute. And naked… They were both undressed. She has only known this man a month, and she has seen him naked twice. This isn’t normal at all. Nothing was normal anymore. She had just kissed a beast shifter for crying out loud although he had been right about her getting too worked up. Rhys sighed, “Let me get you a blanket, so you don’t catch a cold. I don’t need another sick patient around here.”

Jalen followed her toward the sofa where she handed him a blanket. Rhys and Jalen were both unsure of what to say next as they both just stood there. The air was still. Jalen had unknowingly opened a floodgate of emotions that neither of them knew existed. Jalen wrapped himself in the blanket, but when he looked up, he was trapped in Rhys’ gaze. He saw a strand of Rhys’ auburn hair fall into her face, and his hand automatically moved to brush it back behind her ear. The gap between them no longer existed, and the intensity between them heated like a growing flame. Leaning in, both of their eyes fluttered closed when their lips met the world melted away from the intensity.

The front door opened, and Dax came charging in. “Rhys! Rhys, have you heard-” Dax walked in to see Rhys and Jalen scarcely dressed and blushing. “Okay, I will come back.” Dax went to leave.

“Wait! Dax, I need your help. It’s about Aura.” Jalen shouts to Dax.

Dax turned back around and covered his eyes to keep from seeing the scene over again, but before he could say anything, Rhys cut in. “What’s wrong with Aura?” She said annoyed. They had been so caught in the moment that the brute had neglected to mention his news.

“Aura is missing.” He said looking down at Rhys. “I suspect it was the work of...of…” Jalen stopped himself, realizing Dax was in the room.

“He kind of knows, Jalen. Dax saw the battlefield yesterday. He helped me clean it up.” Rhys explained.

“Well, that makes this easier. I think hunters from the Grim Guild have her.” Jalen said. “I fear they have taken her to the Grim Guild.”

“Shit,” Dax muttered.