Chapter 29: Racing to Win

River

All shifters knew, in order for a wolf to be strong, the human form had to be strong as well. The stronger the human body was, the more easily the wolf could fight, the faster it could run, and the more fierce a predator the wolf became. Toward that end, River ran almost every day in his human form. He didn't always get the chance to let his wolf run because that often took longer. Wolves just wanted to run free with no thought at all for consequences and responsibilities, while humans could be reigned in by the notion that there were other things that needed to be done. As he ran down the path, past hundreds of spectators cheering him on, he couldn't help but reflect on how helpful it was that he'd been disciplining his body in its human form to be able to do this for years.

Trees flew past on either side, barely noticeable out of his peripheral vision. He knew that Blade was behind him somewhere, and not that far behind either, but for now, River was ahead. If Blade could come