Sun sank lower in the sky; the light of the day melted away, making the shadows to appear twice their size. The heat of the day had been replaced by a cool soothing breeze, sending birds to their home and crickets to sing in the swaying grasses. As I followed the little glowing ball of air, I let the gentle energy of nature flow within myself, making me feel serene and peaceful.

As I entered the forest, the dark shadowy grooves sent chills down my spine. The nicotine-brown trees seemed to be staring at me like silent sentries; I gulped at the sight of the darkened forest. Willing a ball of fire to form in my palm, I continued to follow the glowing orb; my feet making crunching noises as I stepped on dead dried leaves.

"Where are you, Conrad?" I whispered, looking around for my ignoramus mate.

A ferocious growl was heard, making my eyes widen and body stilling like a statue. My heart was racing as I looked around frantically to find the source of such a fierce growl. I looked at the glowing air orb which had stopped a little distance away from me. Squinting my eyes, I tried to look between the trees when a large animal stepped out in the dim light of my fire. Moving with his head held high was a wolf, grey glossy and thick fur covering his majestic body. His stance was confident, glowing grey canine eyes looked intelligent and human-like.

I was still admiring the grey wolf when he let out another fierce roar, grey eyes conveying his anger.

"Conrad, please calm down. Can't we talk about this?" I cajoled, slowly moving towards him.

He eyed me for a second, huffed and then proceeded to turn towards the trees again. The rustling of leaves was soon heard, followed by the breaking of bones. Conrad stepped out of the trees dressed completely in black, making it harder for me to look at him in dark.

"It's dark here. Why did you come?" he asked while slowly walking towards me

"I wanted to talk to you," I answered, suddenly feeling nervous at his proximity.

"What did you want to talk about?"

The air around us seemed to get heavier as he stood close to me, my head reaching his chin. My magic was bursting in flames, making me feel uncomfortable by its warmth. Conrad's grey eyes had turned obsidian black; I had never seen him lose control before. My eyes widened when I realized that even in his wolf form, Conrad didn't let his wolf take over. I looked at his fingers; it had been replaced by pointy claws and his sharp canines were glinting in the dark forest.

"If you're trying to scare me, that isn't going to work," I said, looking straight in his midnight eyes.

"You think I'm trying to scare you?" he asked, his voice deeper than usual.

I narrowed my eyes at him. I had never met his wolf but I could tell that he wasn't like Conrad.

"Can you tell me your name?" I asked, as politely as I could. I had no knowledge about his wolf, making him a huge enigma for me.

"Valdus," he answered, smirking, "more questions, mate?"

"Yes," I answered, slowly nodding my head.

"I can answer," he replied, with a big smile on his face.

I didn't know what to feel; my eyes seemed to be stuck in their widened state. Conrad or Valdus still had a big smile on his face, making his cheeks rise a little with his sharp canines pointing out of the corners of his mouth. The sight of a grown wolfman smiling with his canines and claws pointing out would have been scary but he, somehow, looked adorable with that smile.

I shivered as the chilling wind touched my skin, making Valdus furrow his brows and glare around him as if searching for a possible culprit. I rolled my eyes at his reaction.

"You're cold?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

I smiled as I noticed that Valdus seemed to express more emotions than Conrad. I shook my head to answer him.

"You're lying, come with me," he said, extending his hand towards mine.

"I want to talk to you," I said, looking at him as he walked on my side; his sharp claw holding my finger carefully.

"Me or Conrad?" he asked, looking at me expectantly.

"You," I answered without hesitation; I needed answers and I knew that Valdus would be a better option. His eyes lightened and a huge smile formed on his face effortlessly. My magic sparkled at the sight of an innocent looking smile on his face.

"Can I pick you up?" Conrad asked.

"What? Why?" I asked, bewildered from his question.

"You're slow," he answered seriously.

"You think so?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He nodded; a befuddled expression formed on his face when he saw me smirking at him. We didn't know each other but it was the right time to start our journey. With that thought in mind, I closed my eyes.

The smooth breeze touched my skin and I felt a cool tingling sensation envelop me. It started with my toes as it started to transform into a soft breeze, interweaving itself with the particles of air. The cooling sensation travelled from my legs to my hair quickly, like a wave of air flowing through my body. I imagined Conrad's room when I felt the speed of air; I was the wind rushing through the fields of the wild creek pack. The rustling of the leaves, birds cuddling in their humble abode, I could feel everything.  It was exhilarating. I could hear the soft whispers of creatures below me - Nick arguing about something, Agnor scolding a wolf. I flowed through the pack house, as transparent and invisible as the air itself. When I neared Conrad's house, a warm feeling ignited in my stomach that travelled throughout my body like electricity. My body slowly materialised itself, stopping right inside his room.

Feeling proud of myself, I sat on our bed patiently waiting for my mate.

Conrad was certainly a mystery to me; a mystery that I was desperate to solve.

Thank you for reading!