The large wolf moved through the forest at a slow, heavy pace, its paws brushing softly against the fallen leaves. The night air was cool, but even that freshness could not ease the confusion inside his mind.
After a while, he stopped and slowly lowered himself onto the ground, lifting his gaze toward the large window where the lights were still glowing.
For a long moment, he just stared at it, as if that would be enough. But it wasn't.
At this moment, Lance wished his wolf could put him into a deep, dreamless sleep and take over completely like it tended to do. But tonight Lancelot seemed to be stubbornly refusing to take over his body.
The silence pressed in around him, and as his body slumped against the grass, his eyes closed, though his mind refused to rest.
Ramona's parting words kept echoing inside him, soft yet cutting straight into him. "It's almost as if she is your true mate and I am just a stand-in. A substitute!"
