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Outside The Pack (Mated To The Night Book 1) 33
I couldn’t see very well, and I found myself almost running into the thick trunk of a tall tree every few steps. All the while, branches snatched at Night’s shirt, my legs, and my face. All this combined with the fact that my body hadn’t recovered from Troy’s harsh treatment, made the experience ten times worse.I was exhausted after only ten minutes of trudging through the forest, but my pride and determination didn’t allow me to turn back to Night. Though it was miserable, though I knew I was doomed to miles and miles of this torture, I kept going. I hoped that the activity would keep me from succumbing to my exhaustion.I tried to think of Mom and of the garden to keep my spirits up. When I get back, I’ll talk to her about leaving with me. After I tell her about what happened with Troy, she’ll understand exactly how unsafe it is with him as Alpha of the Kings. Mom knew everything about the forest, and she knew more about what human cities were like. She’d be able to guide me to saf
Outside The Pack (Mated To The Night Book 1) 34
He smirked at me. The expression was cute despite the fact that he was another wild Warg wolf. “I’m Dom,” he said, “I can’t say we get too many humans in these parts…?”It took me a couple of seconds to realize that he was leaving room for me to tell him my name. I considered whether I ought to reveal that information before ultimately deciding it wouldn’t matter either way. “My name’s Bryn Hunter.”“Bryn? That’s a cute name.” He gave me a brief once-over, not bothering to pretend he wasn’t. “So why would the Kings’ Alpha keep a human toy around?”The word “toy” struck me like a blow, and my lips pulled away from my teeth. “Back off,” I snarled at him, once again surprising myself with my boldness. “I’m no one’s toy.”Fortunately, Dom didn’t seem to take offense to my response—in fact, it made him laugh. “You’re pretty feisty for a human, aren’t you? But that doesn’t really answer my question, does it?”I took a few moments to calm down. The exhaustion was getting to me. “I’ve lived w
Outside The Pack (Mated To The Night Book 1) 35
Yet again, it hit me that I was in the middle of the woods surrounded by a pack of psychotic wolves whose own Alpha could snap at his beta for no apparent reason. I shivered and held my arms tightly around myself. How could I have ever felt secure in Night’s presence when he was capable of acting so unhinged? What could be waiting for me at the Wargs compound? Would I even make it there with Night acting like this?After a few more tense moments, Night slowly stepped away from his beta, but his shoulders were still taut with rage. Dom, keeping an eye on his Alpha, slowly walked toward the spot where the ripped pants had landed. He gathered them up along with the shoes and reached up into the branches of a nearby pine tree. He pulled down a black bag and stuffed the clothes inside it.Now that the clothes were gone, Night’s shoulders finally began to relax. He kept a close eye on his beta, watching him move to one of the nearby trees. Dom pulled down another bag from the branches and r
Outside The Pack (Mated To The Night Book 1) 36
After we’d put out the fire, taken down the pallets, and eliminated any other evidence of our camp, we began to trek down to the Kootenai river. We needed to cross it to return to Warg territory. When we reached the river, my pack removed their clothing and shifted into their wolf forms because it was easier to traverse the water. I opted to stay in my human form. I threw Bryn over my shoulder, ignoring her flailing arms and stammering protests, and trudged through the cold water.She called me any name she could think of, including “kidnapper” and “overgrown asshole,” but none of them fazed me.“If you keep talking to me like that,” I said when she stopped yelling long enough to let me get a word in, “I’ll drop you in. I don’t think I’d mind watching you turn into a sopping wet rabbit.”“Go to hell, Night,” she snapped, panting from all the unnecessary movements she was making.She was weaker than she’d been yesterday. I knew this because there wasn’t as much power behind the blows s
Outside The Pack (Mated To The Night Book 1) 37
The run allowed me to relax. By the time I returned, I felt I had finally gotten rid of the pent-up emotions and impulses after twenty miles (ten toward the camp and ten back) of running. But after I’d shifted into my human form and gotten dressed, I emerged from between the trees to find Bryn talking to Dom. They weren’t standing close to each other, there were still a couple of feet between them, but he’d managed to put a slight smile on her face—the first one I had seen from her since I saved her from Troy.My heart began to pound at the sight of her face—the way her cheeks lifted, the slight spark in those beautiful, gemlike eyes—but my wolf growled at Dom’s proximity to her. In that moment, my wolf almost saw Dom as an enemy, someone who could never be near her like that. Fortunately, the run had tired my wolf enough for me to take control. Instead of going over and pulling Bryn to my side, I made a brief, sharp whistle, calling my team to attention. Dom immediately jogged from B
Outside The Pack (Mated To The Night Book 1) 38
I watched her walk over to the fire and sit down next to it, hugging her knees to her chest. She reached for the rabbit, fully cooked by then, and took a few nibbles. I let out a long breath and turned away from her. I put a hand on my chest, where my heart still beat almost as quickly as it had when I’d gone on my run earlier. I was grateful for the distance from her; I needed to get a handle on my emotions and impulses concerning this woman. But there was a tiny, sweet thrill in my chest accompanying my thunderous heartbeat. I refused to read into it, forcing myself to focus on the path ahead. Deep down, I understood that I was far too pleased to see her calm, eating, and warming herself by the fire—I was happy that she was safe.13NIGHTFinally, after two additional days of walking through the forest, the end of our journey was near. We had set up camp in a little clearing with a canopy of trees that almost covered the sky. As I helped take down the camp, I drew in a deep breath.
Outside The Pack (Mated To The Night Book 1) 39
The word “mate” stood out for me and not just because of the dreams that I’d had about Bryn. Dom seemed to have picked up on it too.“You said ‘mate,’ but your mom is human, isn’t she?” he asked“No. My mother found me as a baby alone in the woods by the Kings’ pack, and she adopted me on the spot. I don’t have any idea what happened to my original family.”So she was literally raised by wolves. No wonder she’s got so much courage. It also explained a bit about why she was so eager to get back home. She probably missed the woman who raised her.“What about your family?” Bryn asked. “Do you have siblings?”I turned my head to look at Dom. This was a touchy subject for most of the wolves in the Wargs pack. Considering the fact that Bryn had been raised with the Kings’ wolves, if Dom told her the truth about what happened to his family, it could introduce some animosity into their almost-friendship.“No. Not anymore. But that’s a long story meant for another kidnapping,” Dom said, effect
Outside The Pack (Mated To The Night Book 1) 40
After a few moments, she pulled back. “Glad to see you safe and sound,” she said, her hand warm on my cheek.“You and me both,” I said.She smiled and glanced around me to look at Bryn. I turned to look too. She stood a few yards away, looking incredibly out of place in her bulky, borrowed clothing. And yet, as I stared at her, the sun emerged from behind the clouds to brighten her hair and cheeks. Her dark hair lifted in the breeze, and her blue-gray eyes were captivating. Bryn looked like an angel confined to mortal clothing.“And who is she?” Mom asked, slightly breathless herself. “A new friend perhaps?”I rolled my eyes. I wanted to chastise her for the ridiculous question, but I caught the rest of my pack staring at Bryn. They weren’t just stares of confusion or curiosity; they were also lingering stares of appreciation from many of the single wolves in the pack. Not even four days of traveling through the wild and being covered in my scent protected Bryn from the attention. Par
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