I wasnโt ready for this.I didnโt think this through.Alecโs wolf rumbles to calm me, vibrating my back, as Alec carefully extracts his fangs from my flesh and licks the wound with his rough tongue. Heโs sunk down on his butt now, and Iโm sprawled on his lap, trapped in place by his knot, boneless and paralyzed and trembling.I clutch his forearms because thereโs no other way to steady myself.Weโre mates for real now.I didnโt want this, not like this, but I didnโt have a choice either, and resentment and regret feel like abstractions floating just out of reach as my brain wakes up and takes in this new physical reality.Iโm stuck on Alecโs cock. I wiggle to test the knot, and itโs lodged in there, and all moving does is make me feel like I have to pee. And my neck hurts. The sharp pain is ebbing, but itโs being replaced with a dull throb. I want to see what it looks like. I want to touch it, but I donโt know how bad my skin is torn, and I donโt want to poke an open wound.Iโve never
โFlora.โ He sighs. โWhat do you think we were doing all those times we messed around?โHe was taking what he could get. What came easy.โFlora.โ He jostles his knee, jiggling me.โYou tell me what we were doing,โ I say, sour.He kisses my temple, not at all tender and sweet. He pecks it like his face accidentally bumped my forehead. Itโs the first time heโs kissed me.โI donโt know about you,โ he says. โBut I was trying not to fuck the shit out of you.โMy heart bottoms out. โBecause you didnโt want to dishonor your future mate, messing around with someone like me.โโBecause I knew if I let myself, I wouldnโt stop.โHeโs lying, right? This is him trying to smooth things over since Iโm his mate now. Heโs marked me. The bond is strong and solid. Heโs trapped, so he wants to rewrite the past.But itโs justโAlec doesnโt bother to lie.โI want my shirt.โ I donโt want to be naked anymore, and besides, now that the sunโs going down, the parts not in direct contact with Alecโs skin are gettin
I wriggle onto my back and stare at the dark sky. I want to sleep more than anything, but my brain wonโt stop. It dashes from thought to thought like when my wolf was first let loose in the woods.A baby.Salt Mountain.Alec.Maybe a baby girl.She could take after her pa, a lot of girls do, but maybe sheโd take after her dam. Maybe sheโll be born with chipmunk cheeks and chubby thighs with rolls, and everyone will love to tickle her to make those fat legs kick, but theyโll be watching with eagle eyes.How much is she being fed? How often? Whatโs on her plate? Why is she like that? Shifters arenโt fat. Our kind lives in harmony with nature, and fat is unnatural, unhealthy, and wrong, and if a fat shifter exists, they shouldnโt.They have to be fixed. Helped. Pinched when they reach for a cookie at the baked goods table. Lectured to do better, eat less, run more, no matter what theyโre actually doing, it doesnโt matter, theyโre probably lying.They must be told over and over that theyโ
Itโs time to go.I orient myself, put the mountain at my back, and with a soft tread, I continue downhill. The sun rises, yellowish orange and round as an egg yolk, and the further I get from the feralโs territory, the more chirping and rustling I hear. I find the river again, and between the daytime critters stirring and the water rushing, I can almost ignore the bond, stretching like a piece of bubble gum.Alec can do whatever he wants. Itโs nothing to me. Iโm going to the Old Den Pack. If Aberthaโs map is even somewhat accurate, I should reach it later today.My blisters still hurt, and my body achesโand stinksโbut I feel better as the sun and activity limbers me up.Iโm not making a terrible mistake. This is just what being brave feels like.I didnโt leave anything behind, except Harriet and Miss Nola, but once I get settled in, Iโll find a way to get them.Iโm strong enough to do this. If Iโm not, what were all those years of bullshit for?I pump myself up and trudge along, my pa
โShit.โ He squeezes his eyes shut, tilts his head back, and then, exhaling, looks at me again. โWe can work this out. Weโll go back, get showers, eat something, and figure it out.โโNo.โโDamn it, Flora,โ he starts shouting again, dropping the attempt at being calm and reasonable like a hot potato. โWe canโt just waltz into another packโs territory. Thatโs not how it works. Weโre gonna have no rank. No shelter. Our scripโs worthless. I can fight, Flora, you know I can, but not a whole pack, not every day. You donโt know what weโre walking into.โHe doesnโt get it. The burn in my eyes turns hot and wet. โB-but I know what itโs like back there.โ I point up the mountain. โAnd I will never, not in a million years, make a pup live like that. I can fight, too. I can take whatever the whole pack dishes out, every fucking day, but Iโll die before I let them do that to my pup.โ I drop my arm to curve around my belly, smashing my lips together to stop my chin from wobbling.I can read what heโs
I donโt want to say it was like fucking a cloud, thatโs not it, sheโs way too solid, but Iโve never touched anything as sweet and soft.Iโve imagined fucking her thousands of times. Hell, back when I was younger, I used to come in a wad of tissues at night just thinking about her touching my dick with her hand. Reality is better.The further we get from the mountain, the louder my instincts scream at me to throw her over my shoulder and haul her back home. Toss her onto my bed. Flip her onto her back and fuck her until she makes those desperate little mewling sounds again.Her wolf would be down for it, if only to get the hell out of here. As we hike toward the worst idea ever, she gives my wolf a nervous whine every now and then. At least her wolf has the sense to be anxious about trespassing on another packโs territory.My wolf rumbles back a reassurance, but heโs on alert, ears straight up and nose twitching. Floraโs the only one marching into trouble with the confidence of the dru
My wolf rattles my chest as I stare down the male. He doesnโt back down, but in his eyes, I see his wolf struggle not to bend the neck. I donโt pull alpha often, but my wolf will bring the big guns to a knife fight every time. The surprise is wearing off, and Iโm beginning to recognize the couple, too. They were at Moon Lake Academy with us, but they were a grade or two behind.โFlora from General Numeracy?โ The one with the metal, Nia, shoves her way out from behind the male.โHi,โ Flora says shyly. Nia elbows past me and drags Flora forward. Her male growls, his already wolfish features sharpening. Dudeโs face is almost all shaggy beard, and thereโs fur tufting from his shirt sleeves like his pit hairโs gone Rip Van Winkle.My claws are out, but other than that, Iโm in full control of myself. Unlike some.โWhat are you doing here?โ Nia links arms with Flora and strolls off with her. Itโs like sheโs trying to put distance between herself and the furball she was just wandering in the
I grunt. He gets that expression. That โjust take a look, let me know what you thinkโ expression that ends up costing me two weeksโ unpaid labor and a few hundred bucks in parts.Shit.He claps me on the back. He packs a wallop. โIโll have to talk to my alpha, but I think we can make room for yโall for a spell.โโYour alphaโs that kid Cadoc Collins?โโMore or less.โโWhatโs that mean?โ Iโm not letting Flora anywhere near a pack during the middle of an alpha challenge. No way in hell.โI mean, he is, but us scavengers bend the neck more to Rosieโs wolf than to him, but theyโre mates, so, you know, potato, po-tah-to.โโWhatโs up with Rosieโs wolf?โโSheโs a beast, man. Massive.โI nod. Itโs good for a female to have a big wolf. If you donโt have the killer instinct, size is a good advantage to have.For whatever reason, my gaze shifts to Floraโs ass. Sheโs hustling now, like sheโs excited to get where sheโs going, so itโs swishing back and forth, bouncing with each step. I want to bite
The humans know about shifters, of course, but thereโs no need to draw more attention to us than we already do, as strangers in such a small town. Folks already gawk as Annie leads us to the village commons even though the streets are busy. Itโs market day.As soon as we reach the grassy expanse filled with tables and tents, Alroy and Diantha peel off, heading in opposite directions. Griff seems torn, but when he sees that Diantha is making a beeline for a booth with racks of female clothing, he hurries to follow Alroy.Annie leads us down the makeshift walkways, smiling when sheโs greeted by name. My mate is still shy, but thereโs no trace of fear in her scent. I breathe her happiness and excitement in, letting it flush my lungs clean of the oily town air.She sees her friends before I do and lets go of my hand to run toward them.My mate. My Annie. Running with a smile lighting her face.This is a good, good day.Two females rush around their table, the third making her way more slo
JUSTUSMy perfect, beautiful mate does not like surprises, so she knows exactly where weโre going as we trot through the woods that run along the human highway. At first, I was sad that I couldnโt spring this visit on her, but I love watching her wolf get more and more excited the closer we get to Chapel Bell. Her short little legs are moving so fast, I almost donโt have to slow my pace.Alroy, Griff, and Diantha donโt have my patience, so theyโre several yards ahead of us. Poor Griff has to be the buffer between them, and he keeps getting caught in the crossfire when their wolves decide to break the monotony by sniping at each other.I was worried that Annie would be too nervous to venture this far from camp, but she gets more confident every day. Iโm pretty sure thatโs because when we were out for a walk two months ago, she saw me take out two ferals that were encroaching on our territory to the north, so even though Killian and I pretty much fought to a draw, she knows I can handle
He bares his fangs, yanks the needle from his neck, and blinks at it, bemused.โDid you stab me with a fucking knitting needle?โ He holds it up. Blood oozes from the wound, dripping down his bare chest. I didnโt even hit an artery.Justus snarls, squaring his shoulders and bending his knees, readying himself to attack. Every inch of his body is covered in mud and blood, gashes and purpling bruises. White bone shows through a jagged slash on his forearm.A male coughs, clearing his throat. โCan we just take a beat?โ Killian raises his hands, raw flesh where his nails should be.I wouldnโt have thought it possible, but heโs as battered as Justus, and he seems to be favoring his left leg, like his right canโt hold weight. Our males spar constantly. Iโve seen all of them beat up at some point, but Iโve never seen any of them mangled this bad. I canโt believe either he or Justus are still upright.โThat bitch stabbed me.โ Leith points at me with the knitting needle.Justus howls and steps
My wolf skids to a halt several feet away and then slinks forward, keeping the fire between her and the Salt Mountain wolf, letting the smoke block her scent. When sheโs too close to dare creep closer, she huddles close to the ground, staring up and up at his tremendous mud-caked haunches. Sheโs a miniature in comparison. All the females are, and we all stare, powerless, as the wolfโs bones crack and a strapping man rises from the hulk of his beast.His blond hair shines through the dirt. Iโve seen him. Leith Munroe. The new Salt Mountain alpha.He rests his hands on his hips as if there isnโt chaos all around him as his wolves play a game of distraction, breaking after our slower, smaller, or older males and mauling them until our strong males are forced to turn back, away from us, to rescue them.Leith takes no notice of our wolves, even when they get close, or me, skulking behind the fire. Why would he? Iโm no threatโskinny and small and stinking of fear.Instead, heโs intent on so
ANNIERun! Run! Run!I squat as low as I can in the wildflowers and tear off my clothes.A few yards away, Killian and Justus are murdering each other. Tye, Ivo, and the rest are just watching, and no matter how much I scream, no matter what I say, their wolves donโt listen.And the Salt Mountain wolves are up to something. Theyโre edging away from the fight toward the trail to camp. Quarry Pack is so intent on the fight, they either donโt notice or donโt care.I have to get to Khalil, and my wolf is faster.Run into the woods! The woods!I huddle in the tall grass and summon my wolf. For the first time in my life, sheโs ahead of me, bursting through our skin before Iโm ready, assuming form like sheโs surfacing from water rather than tearing herself free from bone and muscle.She runs away from the woods, toward the trail. The Salt Mountain wolves have gotten ahead of her, so she hangs back, keeping low and downwind.Turn around! Now!What are they doing? They canโt think to attack La
โLavender is light green this time of year. It doesnโt bloom until June or July.โโWhat are you going to do with it now then?โโMake a sachet. The scent mostly comes from the oils in its leaves.โโMake a sachet for who?โI wade through the tall grass to stand close to her and inhale her sweet rainy scent.โFor the den,โ she says, glancing bashfully up at me from under her thick brown lashes. Sheโs wearing my old sweater and another pair of my drawstring pants. Her pulse flutters at the base of her throat. Sheโs excited, too.Maybe we should cut this trip short and head back to the den.Or take a detour into the woods.She probably wouldnโt do that, but I think sheโd agree to return to camp. I draw in another deep breath. Her arousal teases my nose.My wolf snarls.Annie startles.It takes my brain three seconds too long to catch up.Underlying the rain and slick, there is another scent. Earthy, yes, but not the right earth. It doesnโt belong. Iโve smelled it before. A long time ago.I
My grip on the pot handle tightens. Water sloshes over the sides. My jaw clenches, my guts knot, and my dry eyes burn.I canโt do this.I have to.โJustus?โ Annie appears in the den entrance. Sheโs wrapped herself in a light pink sheet, and sheโs holding a cup. โYou brought water.โ She smiles, padding toward me on bare feet.And then she stops. Her smile falls aways.She blinks in the sunshine, the bleariness of sleep disappearing as she takes in my grim face and desperate hold on the pot. If I had dignity, Iโd find a way to smile back. Say good morning. Act like everything is fine.Her chest falls as she lets out a long, silent breath. She looks me straight in the eye. Her fear and doubt are clear as day.Sheโs going to ask me to take her home now.She takes a step closer to me, and then another, until weโre toe to toe. She gazes up at me, and for a second, all I can see is her beautyโher graceful neck, her delicate pointy chin, her soft, curving lipsโand then I notice the expression
โTrust me,โ he shushes, the hot head of his cock already notching at my entrance. He flexes his hips and sinks into me, a groan of pure relief torn from his throat. He fills me so completely that I ache where I take him, but I love it.I pant through the strain, and he gathers me close as he thrusts, cradling me to his chest, kissing my lips, my brow, my cheeks, the tip of my nose. I start to rock my hips in time.โYouโre so beautiful, Annie,โ he rumbles in my ear. โSo perfect for me. My Annie. Mine.โI sigh and ride his bucking hips, his cock stretching me until I feel like a glove made for him.โCome for me, now,โ he growls. โNow, Annie.โHot cum floods my womb, and his knot catches and swells, tearing a raw shout from my throat. His fingers find my clit while his fangs sink into my shoulder.I scream, bucking against him, but Iโm caught, so he moves with me, hushing me.I hover another second on the edge, somehow above myself, watching his strong arms tremble as they wrap around me
I let my hand fall and turn my head away.He snarls. He doesnโt like that.I drop back so Iโm sitting on the pallet, lift my chin, and fold my arms. His wolf rumbles unhappily. He shouldnโt have let his man mess with my nest.He dips his head and looks up at me from his lowered eyes, a wolf playing at a lamb. โIโm sorry, Annie. Here it is.โHe holds the pillow out.Itโs a trap.Of course itโs a trap. I reach for it anyway. As soon as I grab the pillow, he yanks and falls to his back, dragging me with him. I tumble on top of him. He quickly nips the pillow from my grasp, tucks it behind his head, and grins up at me.I push up on his chest, struggling upright until Iโm straddling his waist. He crosses his arms behind his head.I lean forward and try to pull the pillow free, but his head is too heavy.โJust ask nicely, Annie.โ Thereโs a new note in his voice, a gravelly depth that has nothing to do with his wolf.I prop myself on his folded biceps. Theyโre hard and velvet and flexing und