Page 81 of Moonlit Nights & Northern Lights
“Everyone else is over on the other side of the stream. Miles away.”
Pack location. Invitation? Trap? Hard to know. Trust not easy. Wolf mind wants simple answers. Human thoughts try to surface.
Male-wolf-rival approaches. Too close. Circles me. Assessing. Judging.
“You know, I forgot how wee you are, even as your wolf.” Laughing. “As if you could ever have been an alpha anyway. It’s funny, really, thinking about it now.”
Words sting worse than teeth. Size-shame. Pack-position-shame.
Instinct surges. Lunge? Bite?
No. Bad choice. Outnumbered. His territory. His pack now.
“Why did you come back here, Rory? Nobody wants you here. Not even Edina. Not really.”
Pack-bonds memory stings in chest. Broken things.
Circling closer now. Showing dominance. Testing boundaries. Testing patience.
“And your ‘detective inspector boyfriend’is fooling nobody. How much did you pay that idiot to come up here with you? Or does he accept payment in the form of blow jobs?”
Rage-fire explodes through blood. Not-pack insultsmine. Unforgivable.
“I’m glad that big gob of yours has some use—”
Muscles bunch. Spring forward. Teeth aim for throat.
Male-rival drops. Body already twisting. Bone-crack sounds fill air. Fur erupts from skin. Challenge accepted.
Bodies collide. Teeth snap at air. Black-fur-rival larger. Heavier. Teeth find shoulder. Pain flares. Blood-scent sharp.
Roll away. Speed advantage. Circle-strike-retreat.
Bodies tumble down slope. Black-wolf slams weight down. Pins chest. Air pushed from lungs.
Twist hard. Teeth find leg. Bite down. Bone crunches. Pain-howl fills forest. Grip loosens.
Break free. Blood drips from muzzle. Mine and his.
Rival-wolf limps forward. Eyes promise pain.
Rage burns. Want to fight. Want to prove stronger-faster-worthier.
But no help coming. No Kit-brother to stand beside. Alone.
New thought cuts through fog. Raindrops-lemongrass-safety waits. Detective-mine waits.
Want him. Need safe-den.
Twist body. Launch away from rival-wolf. Paws find earth. Sprint between trees.
Behind, rival-wolf howls. Chase begins. Heavy paws thunder after. Bigger but slower. Injured leg slows pursuit.
Forest thins. Cottage lights appear through trees. Safe-den ahead.
Circle around. Find back of den. Blood loss makes head swim. Legs wobble.
Collapse beneath window. Curl tight. Lick shoulder wound. Taste copper-blood.
