Louis’ POV

I ran. My feet pounded against the marble floors as I sprinted through the halls, then down the steps and out the castle doors. The night air hit me, cool and crisp, but my body burned with fear. I shifted mid-run, my clothes tearing as my wolf took over, massive paws hitting the earth with force.

She was out here. Alone.

The woods stretched before me, dark and quiet, but I could scent her—her familiar, intoxicating scent mixed with the fresh earth and night air. My wolf pushed harder, faster, weaving through the trees as I followed her trail.

And then I saw her.

She stood in the middle of a clearing, the moonlight casting a glow on her. She wasn’t shifting. She was just standing there, staring up at the sky.

Something about the way she stood—the stillness, the quiet surrender—made my wolf snarl in warning. I shifted back into my human form before stepping forward, my breathing heavy from the run. “Olivia, what are you doing here?”

Olivia tilted her head slightly, an annoyed look tugging at the corners of her lips. “I could ask you the same thing. Why are you following me?”

“I don’t trust you out here alone,” I replied bluntly, my eyes scanning the woods around us. I was scared, so fucking scared that she might try to hurt herself here.

She scoffed, folding her arms. “You don’t need to worry about me, Alpha Louis. I can take care of myself.”

Before I could respond, she turned and started walking away.

“Olivia,” I called after her.

She paused but didn’t look back. “Go back to the mansion, Louis. I just want to shift,” she grumbled and continued walking away.

But I didn’t listen. I kept following her until she stopped and turned back to me, her face etched in a frown.

“Is there a problem, Alpha Louis?” she asked, her arms crossed.

I couldn’t tell her. How could I tell her that I was horrified she would hurt herself here?

“Not really. I also want to shift,” I lied, watching the anger on her face deepen.

“Alpha Louis, the forest is big enough. Why don’t you go somewhere else and shift?” she snapped.

But I refused, my feet stubbornly rooted to the ground.

“Come on, Olivia, what is there to hide? Are you feeling embarrassed that I’ll see you naked?” I teased lightly, but the look on Olivia’s face showed she didn’t find it funny. I missed teasing her—it was my favorite thing to do.

“Far from it. Just leave me the hell alone,” she snapped and continued walking deeper into the woods.

I followed her until she stopped and turned to face me again.

“What the hell is your problem, Alpha Louis?” she yelled, but I remained unbothered by her anger.

I realized I hadn’t really seen Olivia’s wolf. I desperately needed to see her wolf. I didn’t care what it looked like—I just wanted to know. The mystery of it gnawed at me, and her determination to hide it only fueled my curiosity. I wanted to plead with her to let me see her wolf. I was so curious to know what my mate’s wolf looked like. Even my wolf was more eager than I was, but I knew Olivia. Begging her would never work, so I had to do what needed to be done.

Provoke her.

“Olivia, I just want to see your wolf,” I said, my tone deliberately calm, even as my wolf urged me to provoke her more.

Her eyes narrowed, and I saw the anger intensifying. She clearly didn’t want to give me what I wanted, which only made me more determined.

“Go back to the mansion, Louis. I bet Anita’s wolf is more pleasing to see than mine,” she snapped. “I don’t need an audience.”

I smirked, crossing my arms. “What’s there to hide? Unless…” I trailed off deliberately, watching her closely. “Unless your wolf is… small. That’s it, isn’t it? You’re embarrassed because your wolf is tiny.”

Olivia froze, her body going rigid. Her jaw clenched, and her eyes blazed with anger.

Bingo. I got her.

“You’re ridiculous,” she hissed, her hands curling into fists.

I pretended to inspect my nails, keeping my tone light and teasing. “I mean, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Some wolves are just… underwhelming.” I tilted my head, smirking. “But hiding it? That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think?”

Her wolf must have stirred in her mind because her eyes momentarily flickered gold. She took a step closer, her anger radiating off her like a storm.

“Are you trying to mock me?” she snapped, her voice trembling with rage.

“Clearly not. I just wanna see your wolf—unless your wolf is really that tiny.”

Olivia’s face darkened, and I could see my words had gotten to her.

“That’s not true.”

“Oh, it is,” I said, taking a step toward her. “But hey, if I’m wrong, prove it. Shift right here, right now. Show me what you’ve got.”

Her glare could have melted stone.

“You don’t deserve to see my wolf.”

I chuckled softly. “Maybe not, but at this point, I think I deserve to know what my Luna’s wolf looks like. Are you too ashamed? Or is it something else?”

Her hands trembled as she clenched and unclenched them. My wolf and I both felt the moment she cracked, her anger boiling over.

“Fine!” she snapped, her voice sharp and biting. “You want to see my wolf so badly? Then sit tight.”

Before I could respond, she began stripping off her clothes, her movements quick. My teasing smirk vanished as I watched her, the intensity of her glare daring me to back down.

“Don’t say a word,” she warned as she tossed her shirt aside, her back turned to me.

I swallowed hard, my wolf growling with anticipation. Finally, I was going to see her in her wolf form.

My heart pounded as I leaned against the tree, watching Olivia stand still. She was naked, her back to me. My eyes trailed the curves of her naked form. Damn! She was so sexy, and the urge—the urge for me to ask her to turn around so I could take a good look—was intense. But I held myself back while ignoring the rising of my cock between my pants and the possessive howling of my wolf, who wanted me to go to her, touch her.

Then it happened.

Her bones cracked and reformed, the familiar sound of a wolf’s transformation echoing in the quiet woods.

She shifted.