Waiting For Darkness ( The third book in the Silver Wolf series.)

CHAPTER 10: A NICE DAY FOR A RUN.

LUNA CHLOE BAXTER

It felt so good being here, breathing in the sweet smell of honeysuckle that hung in the air at the Night Sky pack. All the time that I had been at the Winter Falls pack with Claude, I had dreamed of that smell. I was nervous when I broached the subject of me visiting alone with Chris. I needn't have been, though. He was so understanding and supportive. He told me to stay as long as I needed. but not to forget about him. I had laughed at that, as though I could.

He had called me last night to tell me about Amber's visit with the twins. He had said that he was concerned for her, that she was clearly hurting. I had said to pass on my thoughts and to help her with whatever was bothering her as best he could. I loved that he was so caring. It didn't bother me in the slightest that he and Amber had a history. Why would it? I knew that Chris and I loved each other. I also knew that Amber and Chris still had love for each other, but that it was a different kind of love. Their feelings were no longer of the romantic nature. I hoped that he was able to help her through her troubles. She had helped us through ours.

A knock at my bedroom door pulled me from my thoughts. "Come in," I called out. It wasn't locked. This was my childhood home, I had nothing to fear here. The door swung open, and my father entered. "Good morning, sweetheart. How are you feeling today?" he asked. I could see the happiness on his face at seeing me there in my old bed, in my old room. He hadn't changed anything. He had just kept it clean while I was gone. I grinned at him. "I feel fantastic," I answered truthfully. "Good, I was thinking that maybe after breakfast we could go for a run in the forest," he suggested. I clapped my hands together in glee, squealing like a child and jumping out of bed excitedly. For a moment there, I forgot that I am a grown woman, a Luna. I felt like a young she-wolf again. I had always loved running in the dense forest that surrounded the Night Sky pack. It was broken only by a few clearings and a narrow road that led to the gates. I couldn't wait to get out there and let Aria loose.

My father laughed at the sight of me. "I will take that as a yes," he said , and I nodded enthusiastically in response. "I will leave you to get ready and meet yyoudownstairs for breakfast," he said, a huge grin taking up his face. I moved towards the closet as he left, closing the door behind him. I grabbed a t-shirt and sweatpants, pulling them on quickly. I would shower after the run. Right now , I just wanted to get out there. I couldn't wait to feel the dew dampened grass beneath my paws. I ran a brush through my long, pale blonde hair and wrapped it into a messy bun. I grabbed my trainers and ran downstairs barefoot to meet my father.

The smiling faces of the pack members as I entered the dining hall made me feel toasty inside. I had missed them all, and it was good to know that they were happy to see me. I waved and said hello as I passed by the tables. I was so happy to be here. I looked forward to returning again, this time with my mate at my side. I joined my father, and he pushed a cup of coffee towards me. I let out a happy sigh as the smell of it reached me. I took a sip and then headed up to the huge breakfast buffet that ran the length of an entire wall of the dining hall. I filled my plate and returned to the table. I devoured my food hungrily. My father had sat watching me, as he ate his own breakfast. He hadn't stopped smiling the entire time.

I looked over at him. "What?" I asked. He shook his head, "Nothing." I furrowed my brow, "Then why are you staring at me like that?" I asked, wondering if I had food on my face or something. "I am just happy to see my beautiful daughter sitting across from me, stuffing her face the way that you always used to," he said. I stuck my tongue out at him and went back to eating. He chuckled. It was good to see him so happy. He had been so serious lately. I drained the last of my coffee and wiped my mouth. "Ready?" I asked him. He laughed loudly, "Okay, let's go," he said. I quickly cleared our plates and pulled on my trainers. "Do you need to let Uncle Jack know where we are going?" I asked. Jack Sandford, my father's beta, was like an uncle to me growing up. He may not be a blood relation, but he was family. My father shook his head, "Already taken care of," he replied. "Then what are we waiting for?" I said, heading for the door.

The scent of pine and honeysuckle filled the air, and I stood there for a moment with my eyes closed, just enjoying it. I opened them to find that my father had already shifted into his wolf. He nudged me playfully with his huge paw and darted off into the trees. I quickly stripped, stashing my clothes next to his behind a huge rock that had stood there my entire life. We had always left our things there to make them easy to find later. I shifted, and Aria howled loudly in joy as she chased off after him. It felt so good to just run and mess around without a care in the world. I couldn't remember the last time that I had felt this relaxed. I wasn't sure that anything could change my mood right now, I thought contentedly as I looked down at Aria's muddy paws.

Suddenly, my father's wolf Damon froze, sniffing the air. His rich brown eyes were searching the trees for something, and his dark red-brown, almost burgandy fur stood on end as he did. I was wondering what was wrong when the sound of leaves rustling caught my attention. It sounded as though there was something oving in a bush, something big. I sniffed, wondering what kind of animal it might be. My father growled as the smell of something almost medicinal hit me. f**k! This was no animal. It was a caster of some kind. Before I could locate their exact whereabouts, I heard a whooshing sound, and my father fell to the ground. There was a small dart sticking out of his neck. I began to move in the direction that it came come from when another Whoosh alerted me to move. I saw a blur as the dart rushed past me. I began to run, zigzagging to try and make myself a harder target. But it was no use. I had almost reached the bush that seemed to be the shooter's hiding spot when the dart hit me. As I fell, I saw that Damon had shifted back into human form. "Dad!" I managed to whisper before everything went black.