Katelyn's POV
We barely survived. Yet Jason was laughing as he pushed the damaged wolf mech to run away back to the forest.
"See? I told you we would make it!" Jason barks, his tail wagging.
"Barely," I muttered.
Jason smirks, gently nudging. "Come on Katie, you gotta admit, that explosion was really cool!"
I huff, crossing my arms. "Yeah, real cool. Almost getting blown up is exactly my idea of fun."
Jason just grins, his red eyes gleaming. "Exactly! Now you're getting it!"
I groan, running a hand through my tangled hair. The mech is barely holding together, sparks flickering from the damaged joints as Jason pushes it forward. We probably left a trail of destruction leading right back to us, but does Jason care? Absolutely not.
"You do realize the humans are going to be after us now, right?" I point out, raising an eyebrow.
Jason shrugs. "Let 'em come." He stands, stretching his arms behind his head, letting the mech drop down in the middle of the forest. "Not like they can catch me."
"Oh yeah, you'll definitely be untouchable being parked in the middle of nowhere," I said sarcastically.
I shriek as Jason sweeps me off my feet and carries me in his arms. "That's the point. With no clue of where they are or where they're going, they'll never catch me."
"You mean us?"
"That's what I said."
I sigh, rubbing my temples. "No, you said me. As in you, singular. Not us, which includes me."
Jason just smirks, his tail swishing behind him as he walks through the dark forest. "Details, details."
I roll my eyes. "I can walk on my own, ya know."
Jason's POV
I grin, hearing the familiar stubbornness in her voice. "Yeah, but I like carrying you. Besides, it's faster this way."
Katelyn huffs, but she doesn't complain further, though I can tell she's trying not to smile. Her green eyes glint in the moonlight as we move deeper into the forest, the sounds of the city's destruction fading behind us.
"Are you calling me slow?" Katelyn barks, although there was little frustration behind it.
I know. I'm too awesome for her to be mad at me.
"Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying."
Katelyn growls, kicking her legs. "Put me down! I'll show you who's slow!"
I stop and pretend to think. "Hmm...Nah."
Katelyn's POV
I groan, wiggling in his arms. "Jason, I swear—"
"Nope," he interrupts, adjusting his grip so I can't escape.
I huff, crossing my arms. "You are so annoying."
"And you love it," Jason says with a smirk, his red eyes gleaming mischievously.
I open my mouth to argue, but—ugh, fine. Maybe a tiny part of me doesn't totally hate this. Maybe it's a little nice, being carried through the forest like some kind of princess. But I'll never tell him that. His ego is already the size of the moon.
Instead, I narrow my eyes. "One of these days, I will get my revenge."
Jason gasps dramatically, twirling on one of his heels. "Oh no! Whatever shall I do?"
I roll my eyes. "Just put me down before I bite you."
Jason laughs, his ears twitching in amusement. "You wouldn't."
I bare my fangs playfully. "Try me."
Jason tilts his head, pretending to think. "Biting is a werewolf's love language, you know."
I freeze for half a second before growling. "JASON."
He howls with laughter, dodging as I swipe at his face.
Jason's POV
"So are we just gonna keep wandering through the forest, or are we actually going somewhere?" Katelyn asks.
"Obviously we're going somewhere," I said with a smirk.
Katelyn's ears twitch. "Where are we going?"
"Away from society of course!" I answered.
"That's not —"
"You didn't specify," I teased. "But, yes, we are actually going somewhere. We are going to the house where the Orian pack lives."
The Orian pack are the only ones I can trust. They have been good friends with my pack for centuries. I think Katelyn will like them as much as I do.
I picked up my pace and began running through the forest.
"Okay, now you're just showing off," Katelyn grumbles.
Katelyn's POV
Jason just grins, his red eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "What? Can't keep up, Katie?"
I huff, my ears twitching in annoyance. "You're carrying me, you idiot! How am I supposed to keep up?"
Jason laughs, the sound deep and full of mischief. "Sounds like a you problem."
"So...this Orian pack… you trust them?" I wondered.
Jason's smirk softens just a little. "Yeah. They were close with my pack. When everything went down, they were the only ones who didn't turn their backs on me."
I frown slightly. I know Jason doesn't talk about his past much—especially not about what happened to his pack. If he trusts these wolves enough to take me to them, they must be important.
The trees blur past as Jason speeds up, his grip on me steady and secure. "Don't worry, Katie," he says, flashing another cocky grin. "You'll love them."
I raise an eyebrow. "We'll see."
Jason's POV
The trees start thinning, and I know we're close. The Orian mansion is hidden deep in the forest, away from human eyes. Most people wouldn't even believe it exists.
But as we reach the clearing, the massive structure comes into view—tall, elegant, and glowing with warm golden light.
Katelyn's breath hitches. "Whoa."
I smirk. "Told ya."
I finally set Katelyn down and she stretches.
"So...do I need to act proper or something?"
"Oh, you have to act very proper," I said with a grin. "You see, the Alpha doesn't take kindly to mannerless werewolves."
Katelyn's eyes narrowed. "But I don't know how to act like a proper lady...." She whimpered.
Katelyn's POV
"No need for that dear," a soft voice said.
Jason spun around, a cocky grin on his face as he looked at the woman that was standing behind him.
"Heyyy!!!"