Page 62 of Untamed

Jonah’s voice presses in on her, but she resists.I can’t stop now. Parents need me.

Stay, he orders.

She whines, curling up into a ball in the middle of the forest floor.

So close, yet so far away.

26

After my mind quiets, I feel Jonah in my chest. I was so preoccupied with running before that I didn’t notice his presence. Now, my heart beats like crazy—a frenzy of mixed emotions swirling inside. My wolf stays where she is, ears flat to her head. When he closes in on us, I hear what he’s thinking.

He doesn’t want me to go to my parents.

Well, fuck that. My wolf gets to her feet, shakes off the forest floor, and starts running again. They need to be warned. They have as much at stake as I do.

Kinsey!

My wolf pushes past his fierce growl that nearly buckles her legs and keeps going. I need to tell them to hide, go somewhere, just like Ms. Ebon did for me.

And I also need to hear their explanation.

I’m not theirs.

I’m. Not. Theirs.

Everything the bitchy girls at school said about me when I was younger is true. I’m not a part of the pack. I should’ve been cast out. Gone Feral. Made to fend for myself.

Jonah won’t want me now. Our bond means nothing if I’m not allowed to be in the pack.

Pack above all else.

A howl splits the air, and my wolf loses her footing again. She shakes her head, her mane billowing out around her while she gets her paws underneath her. Alert, she scents the brisk air, then changes direction, curving inward toward my parents’ house.

A thrashing behind her increases. She peeks over her shoulder to find Jonah’s beautiful wolf sprinting toward her, hate in his eyes. He nips at her tail, and she scurries away.

Wait!

He lunges, and she’s able to change direction to make him miss by an inch. However, she’s not as lucky the second time. Jonah barrels into her side, causing them both to roll, switching dominant positions until he lands on top, baring his teeth at her.

My wolf whimpers, scratching at his chest, but he immediately lies down, dropping his head to her body.Please. Shift.

He does so first, leaving himself vulnerable. Standing above her, human Jonah pleads with his eyes. He knows my wolf could quickly outrun him. She could take off this second and be in my parents’ house before he had the chance to shift again.

“Please,” he begs.

The vulnerability in his eyes calls to me. My wolf gives way to my human side, and I land on all fours, barely standing before Jonah wraps me in a hug. I don’t return it. I’m not going to draw out this goodbye. If he can’t accept me for who I am, I’m not going to continue to fool my heart another second.

He pulls back, tugging at my hair to make me look at him. “Don’t you dare withdraw from me, Little Mate. You taught me fate doesn’t get things wrong. I don’t care who you are, you’re mine. Lineage or not. Don’t you see? If the legends were true, fate wouldn’t have paired you with anyone, so don’t you dare fucking retreat from me. You’re my life. My soul.”

I bite down on my lip as it starts to wobble. Tears prick my eyes, and I finally reach up and hug him. “If I’m not who I am, then who am I?”

“You’re my mate, and I’m going to take care of you. That’s all you need to know.”

“My parents, Jonah,” I rasp. “Lydia came for me. Ms. Ebon told me to run, so Lydia will go after them next. I have to warn them.”

“Kinsey.” He sighs. “She’s searching for you. You can’t even be near there. They’re not going to just cast you out. She’s lobbying for killing you since you’re an abomination,” he growls.

My heart splinters at that word from his lips. Abomination. I shake my head. Unbelievable. “Lunar Pack has it all wrong,” I tell him, my tongue thick in my mouth. If wolves born from non-fated pairings are supposed to come out screwed up or worse, I shouldn’t even be here. “We have to talk to my parents. We need them to tell us the story of what happened. That’s the only way we’ll know for sure. They love each other. My mom wouldn’t have strayed. I can promise you that.” Jonah wavers, his hulking shoulders and bare chest on prominent display. He keeps looking around as if a swarm of Council members are going to come from out of nowhere. “I have to,” I growl.

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