Page 53 of Savage Games

My wolf is powerful but nervous, struggling to obey Blake's command to stay back when everything in me screams to find my mate.Yet, I can feel Wyatt’s energy calming now.Whatever happened in that clearing, the immediate danger has passed.

Most of the crowd has gone back to their lodgings after seeing the battered wolves being helped back to the packhouse for treatment by Dean’s healer.Beaten down is the only way to describe them.

“He was just so big,” one repeated over and over, as they hauled him away.

Lynn assures me that Wyatt is unhurt, but until I see it with my own two eyes, I can’t go.

“I heard his eyes went red, and Blake had to force him to submit,” someone whispers, and I grit my teeth, the urge to tell them to mind their own business almost too strong to control.

“I thought rogues didn’t have to listen to alpha commands?”another asks, and I hesitate.Is that true?I’ve never known a rogue before.

“Everyone has to listen to Blake.His wolf is so strong, even if he’s not your alpha, your wolf will do what he says.”

The awe in their voices when they speak of Blake is telling.The head alpha appears to have everyone's respect.

I’ve heard tales of Blake’s wolf, and the sorry story of how he had to put down his own father when moon madness took him.My insides twist at the idea of Wyatt’s wolf being forced to submit to anyone.It would be physically painful for an animal as dominant as his.

“I wonder if Wyatt’s going to be allowed back into the competition?”

I keep my eyes glued on the shadows beyond, waiting for him to break through.

The night is alive with tension, the air thick with the scent of blood, sweat, and the magic of shifting bodies.

My heart pounds, my muscles twitching with the need to go to him, but Blake’s command rings in my head like a heavy chain wrapped around my limbs.

Nobody follows us.

No matter how strong my will is, Blake's command physically restrains my wolf, like invisible bands wrapped around her limbs.I've never experienced anything like it, a presence so powerful it can override even the pull of the mate bond.No wonder he's in charge.

My wolf snarls, restless and furious.She doesn’t care about orders.She doesn’t care about politics or competition rules, or that the entire Alpha Games are watching.The only thing she cares about is making sure our mate isn’t hurt.

Wyatt.

His name is a pulse in my mind, a tether tying me to the clearing where he remains alone as Blake makes his way slowly through the trees.

He says nothing at first, just tips his head in greeting to my wolf, and continues on.Then, with a weary sigh and a shake of his head, he meets my restless gaze over his shoulder.

“You can go to him.But Naomi, be careful.He won’t hurt you, but he’s… not himself, and I know emotions are high.He could do… anything.”

Blake's mind-link is like nothing I've experienced before.His eyes glaze as he shows me flashes of what he saw: Wyatt standing over an injured wolf, teeth bared, eyes blazing with primitive fury, but unharmed.When he sits back on his haunches and allows the injured men to be dragged away, I breathe a sigh of relief.

Maybe it’s rude not to shift back and address him, but that feels like wasted time.I give a small yip of acknowledgement, to which Blake waves me away, knowing whatever warning he gives me will fall on deaf ears.

Taking off at a sprint, I crash through the forest, not caring about being quiet or stealthy.Coming from the other direction at pace, I hear him.I feel him.He’s picked up my scent, and he’s racing toward me, too.

My wolf is giddy, excited to meet her mate, so I ease back to a trot, giving her full control.

When we round a pile of enormous boulders, he’s suddenly there.He turns, seeing my wolf for the very first time, and his whole body locks up.The moonlight filters through the branches above, casting silver streaks across my fur.I keep my head high and tail still, letting him see me for the first time as I am.

Wyatt’s ears flick back in shock as he takes me in from top to tail.His eyes widen, glowing in the dark, and his nose lifts as he draws in my scent.

I'm accustomed to the shock when others see her for the first time, the disbelief, and sometimes, the fear.My wolf is an anomaly, a female with the size and strength of an alpha male.But instead of fear or surprise, I see only wonder and admiration in Wyatt's golden eyes.

I rarely let anyone see me in wolf form.Stupidly, I let Brad see her once, and now, I’m in this position.He thought he could make me his secret weapon, that I’d give him strong pups.And now, he thinks I can get him another pack.

My wolf pauses and admires him for a moment, taking a second to appreciate the moon goddess’s handiwork.She prances past him, showing off her strength and beauty.Modest, my wolf is not.She knows she’s something special.

Wyatt stands still, his dark fur rippling in the wind, and his breaths heavy and shoulders tense.He’s magnificent.There’s nothing mangy or dishevelled about this rogue wolf.His coat is thick and lustrous, and muscle ripples across every inch of his body.

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