Page 48 of Mating Season

Not here.I chuckled.

Don’t worry. I’ll find her.His confusion ran deep as he circled wider, trying to cast a bigger net and locate the trail she’d left for him to follow.

I didn’t have the heart to tell him what I already figured out.

He studied each crevice and hiding spot in the area. None of it made sense. There was nowhere to go, nothing to climb and jump unless she’d shifted and scaled a tree.

His rump hit the dirt as he looked up to the night sky.What happened?

She wasn’t going to make this easy.I relaxed into the consciousness that separated man from beast.Try going back to the creek.

Smart girl.My wolf jumped to his paws, tail wagging as he headed back to the water.She probably went to find us a better place to mate.

Sure she did.My palm was already itching and I smiled to myself as my beast rushed to find the new trail of the brat we were hunting tonight.

21

Aspen

I was well aware we were playing with fire, but in my defense, it was too good an opportunity to pass up. I’d lost count of how many times we’d entered and exited the creek tonight. This was an easy trick, made easier by the water, that I’d used a season or two before. Throwing off my trail had kept most of the males from being able to pick up my scent. My wolf was practically an expert at this by now.

She slowed to a stop and cast a nervous glance over her shoulder.I hope she made it to her nest.

Me too.We were both still a bit worried about Sarah. I’d have run with her, but it was better to have no scent at all on her trail so she could hopefully disappear. Though I had to trust Ranger wouldn’t have allowed any male on the run that was too far gone to respect the word “no.”

The snapping of a twig had my wolf spinning around and baring her teeth at the darkened forest. Something snuck up on us while we weren’t paying attention. The eerie quiet that followed the snap had my wolf’s hackles raised and fur standing on end as she slowed her breathing.

She pushed out her senses, scanning the area as a cloud passed over the moon above and made the shadows of the woods deeper. Nothing moved. Butwe both felt it. A predator’s dark intent lurked just out of reach.

Adrenaline flooded her body as she took a cautious step back, teeth still bared and ready to fight.

Leaf matter crunched under something heavy.

A step too carefully placed to not be a wolf.

Growling a warning, my wolf took another slow step back to the creek.

It’d been all fun and games when we thought we were teasing Ranger, knowing he must have caught our scent multiple times, but now we were worried about how long it would take him to get here.

My wolf’s eyes stayed trained on the shadows where she’d heard the noise.

The sound of male laughter behind us had my soul leaving my body as my beast turned, snapping her jaws at the air.

“What’s wrong, Aspen?”

My wolf spun again.

His voice was coming from the trees above.

“I thought you wanted to play.”

You did this!My wolf cried. Panic made her heart race and she couldn’t get in enough air.

Me?I screamed.You were all ‘Make my mate prove himself.’ What do you say now?

“Did you really think you could outrun me?” There was a dangerous edge to Ranger’s voice which was coming from the night itself.

I say we’re fucked.My wolf swiped her paw in the air like she could warn him to stay back.

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