7 The Relaxing Run

————- ♔ ————-Seven

♔Tristen (P.O.V)

In my wolf form, the cold breeze blows through my fur, and I welcome the relaxing feeling it brings. Even though the cold would bother a normal human, it normally doesn't affect werewolves the same way.

The reds, yellows, and oranges shine through the trees that surround me as the leaves slowly begin to die off. It'll be winter in almost a month, one of the harshest seasons for those of us without a pack. Or worse, those of us who are weakened by a lack of nourishment.

The cold can get to anyone if you're weak enough. More often than not it's the reason some of the werewolves out there don't shift back. A sign for their imminent demise if they keep shifting is when they are forced to allow their wolves to take over. Normally our human half has control over both shifts, contrary to some beliefs.

If the wolf starts to take over then that means the human is extremely weak and soon they won't turn back.

Even though winter can be hard for some it's going to be harder for me. After tomorrow afternoon I'll have to go through the holidays by myself. Even worse, I'll be the reason I have to. All because of the stupid system for our pack to take over as the king.

"Tree!" Felix shouts into our pack link.

My solid red fur stands on end as I almost jump out of it. Whirling around I see him in his wolf form, standing at a 3 foot and 2 inches he is only 2 inches shorter than mine. His grayish fur blows in the wind as his silver eyes reflect almost the same color mine do.

Felix's tilts his blockish wolf head, "Eh, you're jumpy you sure you'll be alright on this run." He asks inquisitively.

"I'm fine just deep in my thoughts that's all," I tell him through the link. I need this run, he doesn't grasp how badly.

He casually starts walking towards me as he opens the link once more, "then let's... go!" He howls over the link and nips my tail on the way through. Rushing through the heavily tree lined forest.

Yelping in surprise I bolt off after him casually keeping a slow pace, allowing him to get a lead.

We weave in and out of trees, kicking up leaves as we run through the collateral on the earthy ground. The smell of earth and the dying leaves rush through the air as we shower them with our heavy paws. The wind flows through both our fur helping me keep Felix's sent and trail any time I lose him.

"This is nice," Remus speaks up. He hasn't had anything to do with me since this morning. Other than the coffee accident, that was purely out of surprise. After that ordeal, he went right back to ignoring me.

"Now you decide to talk to me?" I question.

"I know Remi. " I couldn't be mad at him and even if I was there's no way it could last too long. We share the same mind almost. Sure some of our thoughts are separate, but we're always going to be together no matter what. At least until one of our sides become weakened to the point we lose it. Even if it didn't come down to that point, I know he's right.

Weaving in and out of the trees following Felix's trail it slowly starts to get stronger. He's close. Since I've kept my pace slow he probably thinks he's lost me. My fur starts itching with excitement at the very thought of catching him. In some form of words my prey. Without hesitation, I bolt quicker through the forest.

An unfamiliar smell swirls into my nose as I'm briskly running along Felix's trail. Slowing my speed I allow the smell to can faintly make out the outline of another wolf. Their brown fur molding as the wind rushes over them.

Brown fur.

The realization sinks in rapidly, that's not Felix.

Alarm rushes through every inch of my body as my fur stands on end. Who is that?

Hastily I try to catch up to them, my carefree jog now a brisk sprint. Yet, the unfamiliar wolf mysteriously vanishes from my sight. Briskly smelling the air around me trying to pick up on something. Anything really to give me some sort of answers. Is it someone I could recognize? Someone from my pack or not? Most of all do they pose a risk to my pack? The smells from the air flood my senses. The dead smell of leaves, the earthy dirt smell, mixed with Felix's smell and the unknown wolf's.

That's not a smell I recognize, but it's not another packs smell. It belongs to my pack, but barely. We have had a few new additions to the pack in the last week. Most are relatives to higher ranks so It would make sense if they are running around freely, unlike rogues we sometimes pick up. Those... Those stay locked up for a few days so they can be observed. Not in a cell, of course, that would look bad for anyone who would want to join us. They're locked in their private little room. Doors and windows locked.

" Ce n'est rien." I silently say inside my head, relief flooding over me. It's nothing.

I have too many things on my mind to think about other things. As long as it's not someone outside the pack I'm not too terribly worried about it. Except there is the fact that it vanished almost magically when I was on its trail. The very thought of that sends a shiver down my spine, promptly causing me to stop thinking about the possibilities that wolf could do. Even if it was just escaping the senses of a werewolf it's a bigger deal to escape a lycan. Especially since our senses are better than the average werewolf.

"Come off it Tristen," Remus growls inside my head. "Stop acting like a spoiled brat. You're an adult and it's time to act like one. There is a strange wolf in these woods and as much as I enjoy this stroll, the pack comes first." His voice slowly becoming a crescendo as he continues, "Even more so now that you're about to be king!"

"Shit." Sometimes I forget he can hear things in our wolf form even if I'm not talking to him. Its sort of a one-sided love though. I can't hear him unless he's talking to me. The only peace of mind I have is when I'm human. Although one could argue I'm not, considering I can turn into a beast. The truth of the matter is that werewolves are half-human and half-beast, so I'll take it as it is. As crazy as everything makes me sound, ideas are always going to be different.

Brushing the question, and Remus, out of my mind I go back to the task at hand. Finding Felix.

Besides the other wolf's smell surrounding the air and area me, I can still smell Felix and his musky scent. Felix's scent is stronger than it has been for a few moments. He's closer than ever. Almost as giddy as a schoolgirl about approaching my prey I run quicker anticipation coursing through my body. I howl as the stress rolls off of my tense muscles. I bathe in the thrill of the run.

Twigs snap ahead of me grabbing my attention, Felix. His gray wolf is sitting snug right between two large trees, about a leap away on either side from him. His back facing toward me, his body motions mimic the act of licking his right front paw.

"Go," Remi whispers.

Mentally nodding I quietly lung forward in a hunting crouch and slink my way towards him. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. SNAP! Another twig breaks in half by whatever used force against its limber being. He's probably suspicious that I'm near, no time to waste. Breaking into a full sprint I quickly lunge forward, ready to pin him down.

Instead of pinning Felix down I graze over his head and contact the ground in a loving embrace, head first. Bouncing off the ground a few times like a fish out of water, due to the force of the impact. For what seems like forever I slowly come to a stop.

Oof.

Felix dies laughing in our pack link, almost resembling a hyena. I stay still with my eyes shut ready to not hear the end of it.

"Y-you alright bruv?" His question was rattled with laughter.

"Just had a jolly good time," I sarcastically reply. Almost immediately beginning again, " I am not alright I just swan dived over you."

Felix howls louder with laughter, "That was a tremendous pas fort Tree. It's near the best damn thing I've ever seen."

"Alright, alright. I get it. It was hilarious, can we please get over it." I ask.

After a moment of waiting he doesn't reply so I open my eyes to look in his general direction. Felix in his gray wolf form is staring straight past me. His eyes widen as his tail starts to wag, beating itself against the hard ground.

"Felix?" I pause slowly turning around to face behind me. "You alright ther- " I get cut off as I realize what it is.

The brown wolf from earlier is standing a few feet away from me. The wolf is standing upright, its brown eyes wide and its tail wagging at the speed of light. Its solid brown fur has a silky smooth appearance and a curious round black patch of fur covering its left eye. The black patch extends a thin dime-size line down from the corner of its eye to the very top side of its muzzle, finally meeting at its dark colored nose.

I've never seen this wolf before, although it smells of our pack it has a small musky smell that a rogue has. Easy to assume the wolf has recently been brought in with the others from a while ago. Yet, here it is. Outside. In wolf form. So, it's easy enough to assume it's related to one of our higher ranked pack members.

Snapped back to reality as Felix and the mysterious wolf both begin whining at the same time. Almost as if they're-

They're mates!

"Felix, you dog." I smile a wolfish grin continuing, "That wolf is your mate isn't it?" Not replying to a single word he just udders a small head gesture assuring that that wolf is his mate. Laughing I walk behind Felix and push him towards the other wolf.

Almost instantly they both embrace rubbing their wolf heads against each other. The brown wolf nudges its muzzle into Felix's chest and whines affectionately.

"I'll take my leave." I chuckle at the two, ignoring the pain in my chest from wishing I had my own.

"Wait. Prince Tristen, I have a message." Before I even had the time to fully turn and walk around an unfamiliar female voice opens the pack link with me. Confusion washing over my senses I swerve back around and look straight at this stranger.

"Go on," fumbling around for the right word I just settled on the easiest thing to say.

"Firstly, my name is Evelyn Collins. Avery and Luka are my cousins," she states as a matter of fact.

That explains why she can run around freely so soon. Avery at an astonishingly young age of 18 became the lead warrior second only to Jakub. Three years later, at the age of 21, she has been announced to take over the warrior title when Jakub passes. That is as long as she can beat Felix in a spar when he becomes my duke. Royal customs and all that. I bitterly laugh at the thought. Their spar isn't to the death, mine is.

Luka, Avery's older brother by a year, is one of our smaller wolves. Although his size is small, just like his sister, his power is relatively large. His slender shape both human and wolf form allows him to sneak around freely, allowing him to get around unnoticed. Giving him the unique title of being our spy.

"Secondly, Duke Jakub sends an urgent message." She pauses almost as if she's trying to remember what she was told. Her eyes glaze over almost as she recites the message, "Tristen, your father is failing in health. It's worse than we thought. Tristen, I don't know how to tell you this," she pauses again her voice cracking. "His cancer, it's gotten worse. He- he's begun coughing up blood. Your father is demanding that you get your ass bare or not back to the palace and begin practice. The ceremony has been moved to tomorrow morning." She stops as her eyes slowly return to their original brown hue.

My stomach turns and flips at the thought of the ceremony. I knew it would be soon but I didn't know that it would be tomorrow morning soon. The thought of leading a clan let alone an entire species is hard enough, but I'll have to kill my dad with my own hands tomorrow.

"I-" I squeak. "I understand. Thank you, Evelyn." I bow my head, mentally noting that I need to ask her about what just happened when she recited the message to me. I rush off in a hurry, dreading the meeting with Jakub I will no doubt have soon.