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new alliances.
    “Yeah, that’s what our pack did too,” I said. Of course, this was modern times, we’d evolved past that
    since then.
    “On an Alpha’s wedding day, we re-enact a version of that. The Alpha has to prove that he’s wolf
    enough to claim a bride. So we shift, I chase you through the woods, towards a finish line. If you make it there first, you are free from obligation. If I catch you, I claim you right there in the woods, and you are my bride.”
    “How often does a bride actually get away?”
    He grinned fiercely. “From a Battle? Never. And trust me, I’m faster than you.”
    “We’ll see,” I smiled sweetly. He was in for a little surprise. Yes, I’m a big girl. I also have very, very powerful leg muscles.
    He had the advantage of knowing the terrain. I had the advantage that I was a track star in high school.
    Big doesn’t always mean slow. I wasn’t going to tell him that, though.
    “How would I find the finish line?”
    Leo was standing near us. He handed me a big piece of cloth which smelled very strongly of Max’s
    scent.
    “The finish line is due north. One mile from here,” he said. “My brother is there holding the other half of the cloth, so follow your nose. Oh, and you get a fifteen second head start.”
    I nodded. Wolves have a great sense of direction and an excellent sense of smell. I’d be able to find the finish line without a problem.
    We stripped off our clothing.
    “Quit staring at me, you perv!” I said to Maxwell.
    “You’re my wife. I’ll stare at you all I want.”
    “We’ll see about that,” I said smugly. “I’ll wait for you at the finish line. Try not to get lost.”
    “Oh, I already have so much to punish you for,” Maxwell said with a smirk. “Thank you for giving me
    one more reason to spank that delicious bottom of yours.”
    I heard Vincent’s voice booming out. “Attention everybody! It is now time for the Running, and, if my son is half the Alpha I think he is, there might be some Claiming in the near future!” The crowd laughed uproariously.
    “Nice one, dad! Very funny!” Maxwell yelled out, and then he muttered under his breath “Might? My
    furry ass.”
    “Ready…shift!” Lance yelled.
    I dropped down to all fours. My fur sprouted, my jaw lengthened, my ears popped up and reformed
    themselves, turning pointy. My senses blazed to life. I could smell everything with astounding clarity. I could hear a squirrel leaping from one branch to another, and a raccoon scrabbling through the underbrush behind a nearby tree. On the other hand, my color vision vanished and it was now a million shades of
    black, white and gray.
    “Let the Claiming begin!” Lance’s voice boomed through the air.
    Not if I could help it. I took off like an arrow shot from a bow. I was a gray streak racing through the trees, leaping over bushes, over fallen logs.
    I gloried in the run. A stiff breeze rustled my fur. The air was full of a million delicious smells.
    Raccoons, birds, rabbits, squirrels, berries, fungus, sun-warmed leaves, pine sap, the loamy earth kicked up by my paws, the many different kinds of moss…
    However, Maxwell was a better runner than I gave him credit for; soon he would be hot on my
    haunches.
    I was determined to win this. It was my “get out of fake marriage free” ticket. It was the graceful
    excuse.
    I felt a little guilty as I ran at top speed. Was I making an Alpha look weak in front of his pack? Maybe, but wasn’t that better than carrying on this charade? I couldn’t believe Max had even let it get this far.
    The scent of the cloth was ahead of me. I was getting closer to it. I concentrated on running faster, all four legs churning, my ears flat against my head. He was still behind me, at least. That was good.
    Up ahead, I heard a noise. It sounded like a cub in distress.
    Not now, damn it! I thought, but I headed towards the sound, down a small hill, where I found a small
    cub. His paw was wedged under a fallen log.
    I