“It’s all right, baby,” I tell her, forcing myself not to throw her to the ground and mount her like every cell in my body is screaming to do. She’s going to have a goddamn nest with nice, clean blankets and pillows, and it isn’t going to be in the woods outside the wall, either. I’m a male, not an animal, thank Fate, because my wolf has no idea why I’m not balls deep in our mate’s pussy by now.“Clay, it’s coming.” Her breath is ragged, and her eyes are round and sparkling. I want to memorize her. My cock wants to burst through my zipper.“Let it come, then.”She screams, a sweet little shout of victory, and then she trembles head to toe and collapses against me, limp and sweaty and smiling like a sleepy kitten.I am brilliant.I do not know what I did—if I even had that much to do with it at all—but Wrenlee smells like cum and satisfaction, and she’s plastered against me like she never intends to move. Fine by me.I wrap her in my arms, lowering us to the ground so I can hold her be
I have no reason to have such absolute faith in him. My wolf suddenly has a lot more of a say in our thoughts, though, and while she has zero faith in the man, she has absolute confidence in the wolf.Good mate. Red fur. Red-furred pups.She is the most excited about pups. I’m a little less enthusiastic. I’m going to need to get a job in the kitchens. I can’t wear a pup on the ledges, not when scaffolding is falling into the river. That means I won’t see Clay all day, even at a distance. I never wanted to do kitchen work—it’s hot and hectic and tempers flare. I can do it if I must, though. My mother, aunts, and sisters do.I don’t want to raise a pup around the Claws. They do what they want, and pretty much the worst thing an unmated Ditch female can do is catch the eye of one. If her father doesn’t act quickly enough, or if he doesn’t bother protecting her, there are rumors and tears and, in the worst cases, a visit from the gray witch.It’s good that her finicky flowers are coming a
Father is propped in his rocking chair, his arms and legs in dingy white casts. There is no gun. He couldn’t even hold one if he tried.Mother is on the floor beside him, weeping. Her left eye is swollen shut.My other sisters are clustered by the pantry, clinging to each other, their wolves whimpering, their necks bared.The table has been turned over. Dirty dishes are broken and scattered across the wood floor. In the middle of the braided rug, Eldrick stoops with his arm slung around the shoulder of my youngest sister, Laney, hooked so that her slender neck is pressed into the bend of his elbow. One of my brothers is collapsed against the cabinets. His head is tilted at an unnatural angle, but his chest is moving.A half dozen Claws stand in a half circle behind Eldrick, leering at my huddled sisters.“Well done,” Eldrick says to Annabel. “You can fetch as well as any other bitch, I see.”“Let her go.” Annabel reaches out for Laney, but even with all her bravado, she’s too scared t
Time ticks by, and slowly, the room gets brighter. I give the nest a wide berth. My wolf and I are in accord—it’s tainted.Eventually, my shoulders and fists can’t take it anymore. My legs collapse under me, and I end up cross-legged in the middle of the floor. Where is Clay? What are they doing to him? Maybe they didn’t catch him. Maybe he caught wind of what they were doing and he ran. The thought comforts at the same time as it cuts.I try to still my mind and focus on the bond. It’s hard to sort it out from my screaming panic, but if I picture the bond flowing from me to him and think really hard, I can trace it.I feel his rage and terror, but as I turn my attention inward, those feelings become muted, and a new note emerges. It’s almost impossible to describe. It’s not a sensation, more of an impression, and if I had to name it, like a pup finding animals in the clouds, I’d call it a wolf ripping through another wolf’s throat. The feeling doesn’t frighten me, though. It calms my
The male voices quickly fade, disappearing down the hall. I don’t even get a last look. My heart gallops, and a bead of sweat drips down my clammy back.I don’t know what to do, so I sit down again. Hours pass. Eventually, exhaustion and all my aches and pains become too much, so I lie down on my side, resting the uninjured side of my head on my forearm. I tuck my knees to my chest and listen to the bond. It’s a jangling roar, furious and bloodthirsty, but as long as it’s strong and steady, I’m okay. Clay’s alive.He hasn’t given me up. He wants me fed.The sun goes down, and the room cools. The concrete floor grows icy against my burning body. My shift is soaked with sweat. I can’t drift off to sleep now. Instead, I float in a fever dream. My bones and muscles hurt, and my breasts ache, and my shift chafes everywhere it touches my skin. I shiver, my teeth rattling, and I can’t tell if it’s from the heat or the cold.The witch’s words repeat in my head. Right now, it needs a bitter so
“Time’s up, Ditch,” an unfamiliar male voice says. “Don’t worry, female. Your mate doesn’t have to do much—only knock out Killian Kelly in the first round come Saturday night. Shouldn’t be hard. Nobody’s done it, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. And he’s got an incentive, doesn’t he?” The male laughs again. “Your heat will hold out till Saturday, right?”His laughter still plays in my head long after Clay is forced to leave, and I finish my meal and curl up on the floor again, shivering.And sweating.7WRENLEETime creeps along. My cell grows brighter and darker, but it’s never fully lit, because of the dirty window, and never completely dark, because they’ve left the slot open and the fluorescent light from the hallway filters in.For a long time, I don’t have to pee since I’m sweating so much, but eventually, I can’t hold it in anymore. I pull myself together enough to call for help, but no one comes. In the end, I wee in the far corner and cover it with a rag from the desecr
I smell blood in the air. My mate is coming for me.I rest my cheek on my folded arms and crouch lower. I’m so exhausted. He’ll understand. He took so long.I drift off to the sounds of a terrible scuffle and then, after how long I could not say, Clay’s voice calls me back to myself.“Open it,” he demands. A shiver zips down my spine. They’ll do what he says. Who could help but obey that voice?Eldrick replies, but I can’t make out his words. He’s arguing, threatening, but his fear is crystal clear. Why won’t he do as Clay says if he’s so afraid? Is there a male he fears more? He shouldn’t. Our mate is the most dangerous male here. The others know it, too. Their stink has grown faint. They’ve retreated, saving themselves.“Tell Alpha that when he asks why I won’t fight,” Clay says in response to whatever Eldrick said.This time, I can hear Eldrick’s answer. It comes after a long pause. “You can have her this night. We’ll be back for you at dawn.”“Not here,” Clay replies immediately.
“Shit, uh, yeah.” The males hurry to grab their cards, their jackets, their water bottles. Clay sets me gently on my feet and moves so that he’s blocking me from the others.“Leave the water,” Amir barks. He isn’t gathering his things. He’s going from footlocker to footlocker, throwing them open and digging out any blankets or sheets. He’s trying to help. My eyes prickle.“I’ll need you to guard the door,” Clay says to Amir.Amir grunts. “I’ll put these here.” He places the stack of linens he’s gathered on the bunk farthest from the door. “She might not want them. They smell like us.”I don’t want them anywhere near me, but my wolf and I understand the gesture, and we’re grateful.“I owe you,” Clay says as Amir takes his leave.“I’m counting,” Amir says, but his lips curve. It’s the saddest smile I’ve ever seen.Then he’s gone, and we’re alone, and my legs give out. I sink to the floor, and with the last of my energy, I stick my bottom in the air. I can’t push up on my hands. I can on
The humans know about shifters, of course, but there’s 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. It’s 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 she’s greeted by name. My mate is still shy, but there’s 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 we’re going as we trot through the woods that run along the human highway. At first, I was sad that I couldn’t 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 don’t have to slow my pace.Alroy, Griff, and Diantha don’t have my patience, so they’re 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. I’m pretty sure that’s 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.“Did you stab me with a fucking knitting needle?” He holds it up. Blood oozes from the wound, dripping down his bare chest. I didn’t 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. “Can we just take a beat?” Killian raises his hands, raw flesh where his nails should be.I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but he’s as battered as Justus, and he seems to be favoring his left leg, like his right can’t hold weight. Our males spar constantly. I’ve seen all of them beat up at some point, but I’ve never seen any of them mangled this bad. I can’t believe either he or Justus are still upright.“That bitch stabbed me.” 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 she’s too close to dare creep closer, she huddles close to the ground, staring up and up at his tremendous mud-caked haunches. She’s a miniature in comparison. All the females are, and we all stare, powerless, as the wolf’s bones crack and a strapping man rises from the hulk of his beast.His blond hair shines through the dirt. I’ve seen him. Leith Munroe. The new Salt Mountain alpha.He rests his hands on his hips as if there isn’t 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? I’m no threat—skinny and small and stinking of fear.Instead, he’s 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 don’t listen.And the Salt Mountain wolves are up to something. They’re edging away from the fight toward the trail to camp. Quarry Pack is so intent on the fight, they either don’t notice or don’t 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, she’s ahead of me, bursting through our skin before I’m ready, assuming form like she’s 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 can’t think to attack La
“Lavender is light green this time of year. It doesn’t bloom until June or July.”“What are you going to do with it now then?”“Make a sachet. The scent mostly comes from the oils in its leaves.”“Make a sachet for who?”I wade through the tall grass to stand close to her and inhale her sweet rainy scent.“For the den,” she says, glancing bashfully up at me from under her thick brown lashes. She’s wearing my old sweater and another pair of my drawstring pants. Her pulse flutters at the base of her throat. She’s excited, too.Maybe we should cut this trip short and head back to the den.Or take a detour into the woods.She probably wouldn’t do that, but I think she’d 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 doesn’t belong. I’ve 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 can’t do this.I have to.“Justus?” Annie appears in the den entrance. She’s wrapped herself in a light pink sheet, and she’s holding a cup. “You brought water.” 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, I’d 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.She’s going to ask me to take her home now.She takes a step closer to me, and then another, until we’re toe to toe. She gazes up at me, and for a second, all I can see is her beauty—her graceful neck, her delicate pointy chin, her soft, curving lips—and then I notice the expression
“Trust me,” 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.“You’re so beautiful, Annie,” he rumbles in my ear. “So perfect for me. My Annie. Mine.”I sigh and ride his bucking hips, his cock stretching me until I feel like a glove made for him.“Come for me, now,” he growls. “Now, Annie.”Hot 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 I’m 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 doesn’t like that.I drop back so I’m sitting on the pallet, lift my chin, and fold my arms. His wolf rumbles unhappily. He shouldn’t 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. “I’m sorry, Annie. Here it is.”He holds the pillow out.It’s a trap.Of course it’s 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 I’m 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.“Just ask nicely, Annie.” There’s a new note in his voice, a gravelly depth that has nothing to do with his wolf.I prop myself on his folded biceps. They’re hard and velvet and flexing und