by DJ Bryce
“And, if we do decide to go forward with the claiming, would you join them again? Take a more active role?”
“I hadn’t really thought about it, but it would be expected,” I admitted.
I turned to flip the steaks.
“These are almost done, if you want to get the sides out of the fridge. We can either eat out here or inside.”
“Out here works. It’s a nice night,” Katja replied, and I heard her feet hit the deck as she jumped down. “And, yeah, Friday night sounds fun.”
The door slid shut behind her, and I wondered what the pack would think when I showed up with a prospective mate.
A few of them would probably think I was betraying Sarah, while the woman who’d been hoping to take her place may be disappointed, but as a whole, the pack was all about family, and I was sure they’d see that finding a female to help raise Sloane was the best thing for her.
For us.
In the end, that was all that mattered.
Sure, my pack was important to me, but my daughter was my life, and I had to remember why I’d decided to do this in the first place.
It wasn’t for myself, or to scratch some itch my libido seemed to have, it was to find the perfect person for Sloane. Someone who would teach her how to be a woman. Who was kind, patient, and capable of loving a child who wasn’t her own, as if she was.
So far, Katja seemed like the perfect candidate.
The way my body reacted to her was a distraction that I didn’t need right now. I needed to focus on why she was here and do what I needed to do to ascertain whether she was the role model I wanted for my daughter.
I decided to sit down and make a list before bed. To figure out everything I wanted in a person who was going to be a mother to my daughter and spend the rest of this week determining if Katja fit the bill.
After all, that’s what this trial was for.
Not to explore the way she made me feel, or to appreciate the way she’d compliment me.
I needed to make it all about Sloane.
Katja
By the time I came back out with the paper plates and salads, I knew a change had been made.
Gone were the heated looks and flirty smile, instead, Bane looked serious and more like the man who’d picked me up at the airport than the one I’d gotten to know over the course of the day.
We ate dinner outside, enjoyed the beautiful night, and then cleaned up in relative silence.
I went to bed soon after, exhausted from the long day, and eager for some alone time to collect my thoughts, process the day, and try to figure out how I felt about it all. I was attracted to Bane, there was no doubt about that, and I was excited and hopeful to meet Sloane.
I hoped I’d make it that far, but we’d see.
I opened the windows and slept peacefully to the sound of crickets chirping in the night, and the cool breeze coming into my room.
I woke early, which was normal for me, and threw on clothes and running shoes. I fit my hair back into a small pony tail and headed downstairs to go outside and get some exercise. When I hit the landing, I was surprised to see Bane was already up and starting the coffee pot.
“Hey, you’re up early,” he said, looking up, face still sleepy.
“Yeah, I like to run in the mornings,” I replied as I started to stretch.
“Oh, that’s cool, but maybe you can wait a minute and I’ll go with you. Since you’ve never been running here before, I could show you a good route, so you don’t get lost. I’d feel better if you at least went once with me, before going out on your own.”
I wasn’t one to like it when other people told me what to do, but his suggestion made sense, and I wasn’t an idiot, so I nodded in agreement.
“Great, I’ll only take a minute.”
I finished stretching out while Bane went to go get ready.
A few minutes later, we were in his driveway and taking off toward the street.
“If you go down to the road, there’s a trail that most of us in the neighborhood have carved out. There are quite a few runners around here, and we look out for each other by making sure there’s no debris on the trail.”
“You run a lot?” I asked as I hit my stride.
“Not every day, but I get out when I can,” he said, breathing evenly.
I tried not to notice how good his legs looked in his running shorts, but it was pretty hard when legs as good as his right next to you. Muscular, tanned, without an ounce of fat. Yeah, it was a struggle to keep my eyes straight ahead.
The trail was in the grass a couple feet off the side of the road. The grass was depressed from use, and easy to follow.
“How far does it go?” I asked, loving the burn.
“It’s a five k one way, but there’s a place where you can turn off at the one mile and two-mile points, depending on how far you want to run. I’ve tracked them with GPS,” Bane replied, not even breathing hard.
The man was in great shape.
Although, I was sure being a wolf had something to do with his ability to run and stay in that shape.
“Ten k works for me,” I said with a smile.
“All righty then,” Bane replied, then kicked his pace up a notch.
I met his stride easily, although he was quite a bit taller than me, and knew he was taking it easy on me.
Hoping he wouldn’t think me rude, I took my wireless headphones out of my pocket and put them in my ears. I didn’t mind running with someone, but I couldn’t spend the time conversing or running in silence, especially if I was doing ten k. I needed the music to help me zone out and lose myself in the running.
Once I had Pitbull playing in my ears, I concentrated on my breathing, and kept my eyes trained on the trail ahead.
About an hour later, we were turning back down Bane’s driveway. We slowed to a stop, then walked around and stretched to cool down.
“I’m gonna grab a shower, then make some breakfast. We’ll leave in about an hour for the hike, so pack your backpack if you have one. If you don’t I’ll get you one of mine. Make sure you have what you need to camp out and bring a bathing suit if you have one. We’ll head back tomorrow.”
Oh God, I thought as I stretched out my legs. I’d totally spaced on the hike. Maybe running a ten k before completing a hike wasn’t the best idea.
I went inside, took a shower, then started to pack. Knowing my legs would probably be screaming later, I threw some ointment in my toiletry bag.
Once I was done, I put on my hiking boots, grabbed my stuff, and headed downstairs. Bane had scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit prepared and laid out on the counter, his hair still damp.
“Wow, this all looks great,” I said, my stomach grumbling as the scent of bacon hit me.
“We need to fuel up,” he said, crossing to the pantry and taking out some power bars, jerky, and trail mix. “I’ve already got food packed for lunch, dinner, and breakfast tomorrow, but we may need some of these to tide us over as well. I shouldn’t have pushed you this morning.”
“You didn’t,” I assured him, taking a piece of bacon off the plate. “If anything, I’m the one who said we should do the ten k.”
Bane tilted his head in acknowledgement, then handed me a plate and said, “Let’s dig in.”
Katja
“There are a few different trails we could take, so I figured we’d incorporate a few. We’ll go along the river first, then up the mountain, and back down again, before heading out to Lake Michigan, where we’ll camp for the night. There are park rangers who offer guided tours here as well, so we’ll probably run into some other hikers, but they know me and are cool with me bringing out tours of my own. I told them we’d be coming.”
I nodded, excited about seeing the National Forest, which was sure to be very different than the hikes I took in Florida.
“There are public camping sites, but we’ll go a little further off the beaten path. I know being out is going to make my wolf eager for some freedom, so I need to be some
place I can let him roam tonight. It’ll be a good chance for you to meet him, too, if you’re comfortable with that.”
My stomach dipped at the thought of meeting Bane’s wolf. I was a little nervous, but knew if I was going to be with Bane and Sloane, I needed to be comfortable with that side of him as well.
“Okay, yeah, sounds good,” I replied, not sounding very convincing, even to my own ears.
Bane chuckled.
“It’ll be fine, really,” he assured me. “You have nothing to be worried about from me, or my wolf. He already likes you.”
I turned to look at him.
“Really? You can tell that?” I asked, curious.
“Yeah, I mean, he’s a part of me... is me… and even though I’m a man, I can still feel and understand the wolf, and vice versa.”
“Oh, that’s cool,” I said, even though I couldn’t even imagine what that must feel like.
We pulled into the National Park, Bane paid the entrance fee, then drove in and parked in the lot.
“Make sure to grab everything, because we won’t come back to the car until tomorrow,” Bane said as we got out of the Jeep.
I made sure my hiking boots were tied tight, my backpack was secure, and sprayed sunscreen on my exposed flesh.
Once I was done, we started off.
I followed behind Bane, who pointed out different things as we walked.
“That’s a blue heron, they are abundant in these woods, along with woodpeckers and kingfishers, so keep your eyes and ears peeled.”
“Up ahead, if we’re lucky, the wildflowers will be in bloom. It’s a truly magnificent sight.”
He wasn’t kidding.
As I stood there looking at the gorgeous array of flowers, coupled with the sounds of the birds, and the river running nearby, I thought I’d stumbled into a little slice of heaven.
“Wow,” I breathed. “I wish I had a camera.”
“Next time,” Bane promised, and I hoped he was right. That there’d be a next time.
We hiked alongside the river, which was surrounded by tall gorgeous trees, and so clear we could see the fish swimming alongside us.
It was a moderate trail, which took about two hours, but was totally worth every step.
“This one’s more difficult. Shorter, but a steep climb,” Bane said as we made our way to the next trail. “Nothing beats the view from the top, though.”
When we got to the base, I looked up at all of the sand.
“It’s called Mount, but is actually a large sand dune, which makes it difficult. You have to be careful of loose sand and always remain alert. Your calves will be burning, but I promise, you’ll be glad we did it. Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” I replied with a small laugh.
About an hour and a couple slips later, we made it to the top.
I looked out over Lake Michigan and smiled.
“Have a seat,” Bane said, and I looked to see him crouching down in the sand as he pulled snacks and water out of his bag. “You need?” he asked, holding a water out to me.
I’d finished mine on the last trail, so said, “Yes, thanks,” and dropped to sit down and take in the expanse of glorious beauty before me.
“Here,” he said, handing me a bag of trail mix.
I took it and thanked him, then we sat in silence and enjoyed the moment.
I could get used to this, I thought happily. I didn’t just mean the hiking for the views, which I loved, but being in Bane’s company.
I’d never been with someone who shared my passions, who listened when I spoke, and shared his thoughts and feelings with me. Sure, I knew we were on an accelerated version of getting to know each other, due to the trials, but so far everything about Bane really worked for me.
I really hoped that Sloane and I were able to share a connection as good as the one I felt with her father.
We finished out snacks and water, then stood and brushed off the sand.
“We’ll take the trail back down the way we came, don’t worry, it’s easier going down, although you have to be extra careful about slipping. Once we’re back on level ground, we’ll stop by the picnic area for lunch… sandwiches, then start on our final trail of the day. This will take us through the forest and down to the beach. I’ll take you to where we’ll be camping so we can get set up, then enjoy swimming, dinner, and if you’re good, roasting marshmallows.”
The last he said with a flirty grin, and my heart stuttered.
I liked flirty Bane.
“Then I guess I’d better be on my best behavior,” I said, flirting back.
He chuckled, then led the way down the dune.
Bane
We ate our lunch then started out on the last trail. The rest of our hike was on a wooden trail build a few feet off of the ground, almost like a trail of bridges throughout the forest and over the sand.
I was really pleased with how well Katja had been doing on the trails so far. She kept up, never complained, and seemed to really be enjoying herself.
After our long run that morning, I worried that we’d taken on too much for one day, but Katja was definitely in shape. A fact I’d been unable to help noticing all day. The way her capri leggings hugged her tight ass, and her dry wicked tank top displayed her perky breasts.
I’d done my best to keep her behind me for most of the day, so I wouldn’t be tempted to imagine the way she’d feel beneath my hands, but every time we stopped, my eyes took their fill. I couldn’t help it.
She was tempting. And sexy as hell.
All long limbs and toned muscles. I never realized that did it for me as Sarah had been curvy and soft, but apparently it did, because I’d been fighting off a boner all day.
I led her through the pines and down toward the beach.
I was both excited and slightly terrified to see Katja in a bathing suit. Wet. Glistening in the sun.
Shit.
I shook my head, trying to get rid of those thoughts and focus on the wood planks in front of me.
“Everything okay?” Katja asked in that voice of hers.
That damn voice that just needed to scream out my name as I made her come with my mouth.
Fuck. Get a grip, Bane.
“Yup,” I managed to say, my tone gruff.
Focus, focus, focus.
“Almost there,” I added, thinking I’d send her off to relax on the beach while I set up camp to keep myself busy and hopefully work out the tension with manual labor.
“Oh my gosh,” she breathed out from behind me as the beach came in to view. “This place is breathtaking.”
I lifted my head and took a minute to enjoy the vast blue lake, then continued on to where we’d stop for the night.
“Why don’t you go ahead and get changed into your suit. Relax. Enjoy the water. I’ll get us all set up here,” I offered, hoping like hell she’d accept.
“Are you sure? I can help,” Katja replied.
I took off my pack and said, “Absolutely. I want you to take a break and check it out. It’s a beautiful beach.”
“Okay, thanks, but let me know if you need anything.”
“I will,” I assured her, then busied myself unloading my pack while she went into the woods to find a place to change.
My backpacking tent was up in three minutes. It was small, lightweight, and could easily fit two people. Although, for this excursion, it would only be sleeping one. I planned to use my sleeping bag on the ground outside of the tent, and Katja could take the inside.
I moved away from the sleeping area to set up the pit for the open fire where I’d cook our dinner.
I was feeling restless and a little unnerved when Katja came back, carrying her clothes in one hand, a towel in the other, her body encased in the sexiest one-piece I’d ever seen.
With a slit down the front, resting high on her hips, the blue matched her eyes perfectly.
My dick approved, and wanted to show her how much, and I knew I needed to go.
To run.
“You know what, I’m gonna left my wolf run now, then I’ll join you and start dinner, if that’s all right,” I said, my voice tight as I tried to control my growing need.
“Okay,” Katja said, her tone conveying her nerves. But, she put down her things, wrapped the towel around her waist, and waited to see what would happen next.
Brave girl.
“Be right back,” I said, knowing it was too soon to strip right in front of her and shift.
Not only did I not need her to see my straining cock but shifting in front of a person was very intimate and could be alarming the first time.
I found a secluded spot, discarded my clothes and shifted.
My wolf let out a soft whine of pleasure, and I had to admit, it felt good to loosen the reins and let him take over for a while.
We strode back into the clearing and I saw Katja start, her eyes widening as we stopped and preened for a moment. My wolf was the arrogant sort. Strong and proud, with a thick grey coat.
“Hi,” she said timidly, and I could sense she was fighting the instinct to run.
Which was a good idea, because my wolf loved the chase.
We walked closer to her and she stuck out her hand, as if meeting a strange dog, which I guessed, in a way she was. My wolf gave her a sniff, memorizing her scent, then nudged her hand with his snout.
Katja complied, hand shaking, and ran her fingers across his fur, as she murmured that it was nice to meet him.
He nudged her hand again, then stepped back and looked up into her face.
She watched warily, then gasped when we spun and shot out of the clearing and into the woods.
I knew she’d be fine, and that we both really needed this, so I surrendered to the wolf as he took off across the forest.
Katja
I stood there, momentarily speechless, as Bane’s wolf ran off into the woods.
It had been a terrifying, yet thrilling experience, having a wolf standing a few paces in front of me, his fur under my palm. He was gorgeous, and fierce, but I could still see Bane in his eyes, so I knew he wouldn’t hurt me.