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It was logical, but knowing she was so close wasRand wondered if Fane had known that and tried to ease the burden on hi the verification reconnaissance with Stalker instead

Rand co and hip When Fane brushed his body against hi to a squat to affectionately butt heads, Rand tried not to let his heart twist into knots at the double-edged sword of welcoe of another wolf

"When your task is done, you corieving period You now need to heal fully, and for that, you need your own kind"

Fane paused, his hand resting on Rand's back Huth and kindness," he said "She told est and et into trouble, you may turn to us for help I don't knohat response I'll be able to muster, but I don't wish you to come to harm"

Rand was moved, and trans, though his expression remained serious But as Fane himself had pointed out, this wasn't about wolf kind, nor wolf kind's fight Rand wouldn't risk a single member of Fane's family, nomen, which usually translated into a similar-sized wolf Todd and Chad had a sliht just as well Sahter and he'd have taught those skills to all his young

Rand's response was easy enough for Fane to read The male set his jaw "You call for aid if needed Grey's pack spread their lies and, in your absence, I didn't trust what Lynn and I knew of you I owe you a debt for that Cilya's already taken rity was as obvious to her as one of her students declaring he hadn't eaten candy, while chocolate was still on his face"

Rand cocked a head, his eyes glinting, and Fane s his hand on Rand'sRand's h I have no love or trust of vaive you what a wolf's heart and soul needs I think you know that You're a strong, valuable pack member Don't take that away from all of us"

Fane nodded at Rand's sudden, intent look "Yes, I'reed If you want to be part of our pack, ill find a place for you"

To be wanted, included Yes, he'd gone out of his way to avoid it, but in the perverse, self-destructive nature of grief, he'd also longed for that feeling again Rand sed, struggling with his eardless of his decision, he rubbed hi hi a sratitude Fane was the first to offer Rand acceptance and kindness since he'd lost his family Well, the first wolf to do so

Despite what Cai said to the contrary, he'd been the first

Fane straightened and stepped back As if reading Rand's thoughts, he added, "Perhaps, one day, we'll allow your vampire friend to join us at dinner If only for the company, since I expect e offer won't be his preference"

Depends on if a certain wolf I know is sitting at the table Cai distracted Rand considerably with follow up iht of the other things Fane had said, but the vampire was silent on that issue

Rand bid Fane farewell He didn't i Not so ry; Lynn had fed them exceptionally well Too well He probably needed to run soht-ready He needed to hunt, stalk, trap Exercise his full range of skills in his wolf form, since that was how Cai needed his backup

He disappeared in the woods with just a briefto sleep some more

Rand was able to use his skills, several tiile heart could haht a fat quail mid-air as he flushed him from the bushes

Then he ca on his own detected him immediately and bolted, but Rand was already in h the trees after the deer, exulting in high leaps over logs and roots As they e, the deer leveled out

Here was another way a shifter differed from a non-shifter wolf One-on-one, a healthy deer like this one could outrun a wolf on open ground Whereas Rand closed the distance between them

If he'd been with a pack, the fe s, weaving in front of hierous antlers or hooves, but cause as much panic and confusion as possible to slow him down

Hunting in a pack had an energy he had always relished, but it wasn't necessary for him to make the kill The power of the chase fueled every powerful athered himself to leap

The stag dodged but Rand twisted in mid-air and landed where he intended, on his back, teeth set to the neck He could end it there Instead he avoided being bucked off and gored by launching hi continue its flight Standing there panting, Rand watched him disappear into the woods on the far side of the meadow A noble opponent, free to live and run another day As a lone wolf, he chased deer regularly to stay in practice for hunting them, but he rarely took one down Far more meat than needed for one wolf

Then he saw Cai

The va with him, he realized, a shadow on his peripheral vision Cai opened hishilea muscle, the sharp teeth that could take lifebut hadn't

The vas A challenge You need a work out before we go into the lion's den? I feel like doing a bit of hunting myself before daolf And you're who I'm after

Rand stalked forward, and Cai's feral sed Cai braced, and Rand sailed over hi into the woods He knew forest terrain, but so did Cai In and out of trees, over branches and roots, fallen logs, rocks Through a creek, water splashing up, birds sending alarhttih the woods in a chase that was part hunt, partelse that had Rand's heart ha in his chest

He wanted to turn and fight He wanted to run and see if Cai could catch hiround himself He wanted to run with thewith a pack was a place of peace for the mind, even as the body was strained to its maximum limits

Cai got close enough to leap, andon Rand's back and rolling them both across the forest floor Rand snapped at him and Cai wrapped his arms around Rand's chest and the narrow part of sto his head back into Cai's with a resounding thwack Cai let out an oath and loosened his hold Rand flipped,his face in Rand's fur over his ribs, his ar theainst Rand's scrabbling back legs

Shift for me, wolf I want my mouth on your skin Cai nuzzled the thick fur, and the heat of his breath teased the flesh beneath, penetrating the four-legged anied one

Rand resisted it, as he always did, but as Cai's fingertips stroked his fur deep, fir touch, his body listened He shifted in the vampire's arms Cai adjusted to acco upon R

and, arms around hips and waist, body sprawled between his spread thighs

Cai was as good as his word He began to press his ainst the valley between Rand's pectorals, over the at his shoulders His hands stroked the arrow of hair down Rand's abdoripped Rand's hips Cai's chest pressed Rand's aroused cock hard into his pelvis

Rand's hands fell naturally on Cai's head and shoulder, fingers digging, curlingcaressing He explored that sunburst scar, all the different textures of uneven skin He thought of how Cai had killed another vampire to win his freedom from the Trads Into how many pieces had Cai broken to survive? Was the cynical, hard-to-understand ether? Did he remember his mother? His father? His life, before his life was stolen?

Cai didn't pause in his ministrations, and Rand didn't know if that was because he didn't wish to acknowledge the thoughts, or if he was co The latter was an overwhelht

Cai moved down, his intent clear, and he wrapped his hand around Rand's wrist, holding it to his thigh in a firm pin when he moved to put his mouth over Rand's cock He slid down, sucked on it, fro and pushing up into his mouth Cai took his balls one by one into that sa Rand curse and writhe, before Cai lifted his head to flash hiain, occasionally letting Rand feel the slide of a fang