A Rogue For The Quadruplet Alpha's. Chapter 135: Sprint

Maria.

I used my hands to part the bushes in front of , pushing the rough branches aside as carefully as I could before taking another cautious step forward. Twigs snapped under my boots, leaves brushed against my arms, and the earthy scent of the forest filled my lungs. Behind , I could hear Vincent’s steady footsteps, close enough to reassure but far enough not to crowd .

I had tried.

I had tried so hard to convince him to stay behind.

Argued.

Insisted.

Warned him.

But it had all been to no avail.

He was stubborn, far more stubborn than I had given him credit for, and once he set his mind on sothing, there was no shifting it. He was hell-bent on accompanying , and in the end, I had no choice but to let him.

We had been walking for hours now.

The sun had long begun its descent, shadows stretching unnaturally long between the trees. The deeper we ventured toward the eastern stretch, the quieter it beca. Even the birds had reduced their songs, replaced by the occasional rustle in the undergrowth.

And it was getting darker.

Too dark.

Vincent exhaled lightly behind . "Hey... it’s getting a bit darker. Why don’t we sprint with our wolves?"

I stopped mid-step.

"What?" I turned slightly, blinking at him.

"Sprint," he repeated casually. "We’ll reach faster. Less exposure. Less risk."

It wasn’t a bad idea.

In fact, it was a very practical one.

In wolf form, we would move faster, quieter, and stronger. Three days could be shortened drastically if we ran through the night.

But to fully turn into my wolf....I would have to undress, in front of him.

And he would do the sa.

Heat crept up my neck imdiately.

I wasn’t sure I was ready for anyone to see like that. Not even him. Not even my wolf had been fully embraced by anyone else before.

Vernia stirred inside at his suggestion, restless and excited. She loved the wild. Loved the freedom of running beneath the moon.

But I suppressed her.

"Vincent..." I began, unsure how to voice my hesitation without sounding foolish.

He looked at for a second, then sothing understanding softened his features.

"I get it," he said quickly. "I won’t look until you’re transford. I promise."

My breath hitched.

It was almost as if he had reached inside my thoughts and pulled the worry straight out.

I bit my lower lip hard—so hard I was certain I might taste blood.

This was ridiculous.

We were rogues.

We were wolves.

Nature was not sothing to be ashad of.

Still...

"Alright," I said finally, the word coming out firr than I felt.

We had to move faster.

We had to avoid unnecessary danger.

Vincent nodded once and imdiately turned his back to , facing the opposite direction without hesitation.

That small act of respect eased sothing tight in my chest.

With trembling fingers, I began to remove my dress, piece by piece. The forest air brushed cool against my exposed skin, sending goosebumps across my arms. I folded the fabric quickly, setting it aside with the rest of my belongings.

For a mont, I stood there, bare beneath the rising moon.

Then I lifted my gaze upward.

The moon hung bright and full, silver light cascading through the treetops. I let the shift take .

The first crack of bone echoed softly through the clearing. Pain flared briefly, sharp but familiar, as my spine arched and reshaped. My limbs elongated, muscles shifting beneath my skin. Breath caught in my throat before dissolving into a low growl.

Vernia surged forward.

Powerful.

Free.

Golden fur burst across my body as I completed the transformation, paws sinking into the forest floor. I threw my head back and howled, the sound rolling through the trees in wild exhilaration.

Vincent slowly turned.

He gasped.

"What a mighty wolf you have," he breathed in awe. "Can I touch your golden fur?"

Vernia bristled instantly.

Through the faint thread of the mind link, she projected a firm response.

"No."

Vincent blinked—then laughed.

"Alright, alright," he chuckled.

Then, without hesitation, he began removing his clothes.

In front of .

I froze.

Human thoughts collided with wolf instincts.

He was....He was...broad-shouldered, strong.

The loose clothing rogues were given had hidden far more than I realized. Beneath it, his body was sculpted from training and survival, defined abs, firm lines, strength visible in every movent.

Heat flared beneath my fur.

Vernia huffed softly, unsettled.

I wanted....No.

I absolutely would not shift back.

The urge to reach out, to brush against him, to confirm that what I was seeing was real...was dangerously tempting.

But I stayed rooted in place.

He finished undressing and t my gaze briefly before the shift took him as well. His bones cracked sharply, the sound echoing faintly through the quiet stretch of forest. I watched, unmoving, as his body folded inward and then expanded, reshaping in a matter of seconds. Limbs lengthened, spine arched, fur burst through skin like light breaking through darkness....and in an instant, he transford into a massive white wolf.

I stared.

He was bigger than I expected. Broad. Solid. His fur wasn’t just white, it shimred faintly beneath the moonlight, almost silver at the tips. Powerful shoulders. Steady stance. There was sothing commanding about him in that form.

For a mont, I simply admired it.

There was no sha in that.

Wolves were beautiful.

Strong.

Free.

And seeing him like that, I couldn’t help but to think, which pack he ca from. He was definitely of a high rank. Aside from that, sothing curious stirred inside .

I couldn’t help it...I suddenly wondered what Noah’s wolf looked like.

Would he be dark? Golden? Larger than this?

And then, shalessly, my thoughts drifted further.

What about the quadruplets?

Four Alphas.

Four wolves.

Would they look alike in their wolf forms? Or would each carry sothing distinct? Sothing that matched the differences in their personalities?

I shook my head slightly.

"Oh co on, Maria!" I scolded inwardly.

This was not the ti for that.

Vernia huffed in amusent at my wandering thoughts, her tail flicking once in subtle mockery.

I threw my head back and howled in excitent instead, letting the sound roll through the trees, cutting off my spiraling imagination.

"Ready!" Vincent’s voice echoed through the mind link, strong and clear.

I lowered my head slightly, turning toward him.

"Your wolf....it looks good," I replied through the sa ntal thread, unable to stop myself from asking, "What’s its na?"

The question slipped out absentmindedly, curiosity overpowering my attempt at composure.

He seed pleased by that.

"Marrok!" Vincent replied proudly. "That’s his na."

Marrok.

The na suited him.

Strong.

Solid.

Dependable.

Vernia gave a low approving rumble, acknowledging the introduction.

I bent down and used my teeth to pick up my folded clothes carefully, gripping the fabric firmly without tearing it. Vincent—Marrok—did the sa, securing his bundle with practiced ease.

And in the next split second....we ran.

The forest rushed toward us again as we surged forward. Bushes parted beneath our strength, leaves scattering behind us. Our paws barely seed to touch the ground.

The speed exhilarated .

The power of my limbs, the way my body responded effortlessly, it felt intoxicating.

I had assud I would be the slower one.

I always thought of myself as smaller, lighter, perhaps not built for long sprints.

But surprisingly....Vincent was.

Marrok’s stride was steady, but I found myself naturally pulling ahead at tis. Vernia relished the challenge, stretching her legs further, testing her limits.

I slowed occasionally, waiting for him to catch up before pushing forward again.

We ran throughout the night.

Through thickets and shallow dips in the terrain.

Across small clearings where moonlight bathed the grass in silver.

Our breathing grew heavier, but neither of us complained. The rhythm of our movent beca hypnotic, paws striking earth, lungs drawing cool air, the steady beat of heart against ribs.

The world shrank to instinct and direction.

Ti blurred.

The darkness slowly softened as the first faint hints of dawn crept into the sky. The blackness shifted to deep blue, then to muted gray.

When the first rays of sunlight filtered through the trees, we finally slowed.

Exhaustion began to creep into my muscles now, not sharp, but insistent.

We reached a small clearing where the ground was relatively even and free of thick brush.

Vernia exhaled deeply, then allowed the shift to take over.

Bones cracked once more, fur retracting, limbs shortening, skin reforming as I returned to my human form. The cool morning air kissed my bare skin instantly, raising goosebumps along my arms.

Vincent shifted beside , the transformation just as quick.

For a mont, we simply stood there, breathing heavily, catching our breath.

The sky above us glowed faintly with early light.

"We should rest," he murmured softly.

I nodded.

We dressed quickly and sat down against a thick tree trunk, exhaustion settling in like a heavy blanket. My muscles throbbed faintly, but it was manageable.

I closed my eyes, ready to take a short nap.

And then....a faint sound.

So soft it almost blended with the morning breeze.

But I heard it.

My heart skipped.

My eyes snapped open.

Sothing was there.