Page 22 of The Fated Hunter Wolf
“You hate me for having shown you the truth about your brothers,” she whispered. “I hadn’t even wanted to reveal it to you.”
I couldn’t take it for another second. Her lips were too full, too luscious, wordlessly demanding I claim her. My head lowered, the space between us vanishing until?—
A blur of black fur slammed into my side, the impact like a freight train knocking me clean off her. I hit the ground hard, the breath ripped from my lungs as my body rolled through dirt and leaves.
Pain radiated through my ribs, but it was nothing compared to the surge of fury that ignited in my wolf. I scrambled to my feet, already growling as I turned to face the attacker.
And even through the rage, I realized I couldn’t tell if the pounding in my ears was my heartbeat or hers.
10
RHYS
Kenza shifted in a flash, the light brown wolf transforming into lean, muscular human limbs and her usual sharp, accusing eyes. She stood with arms crossed as the sun rose behind her. Sable stood up, slowly, as if assessing whether to fight or run. But she didn’t make a move to do either. Instead, she rose to her full height, crossing her arms and showing no sign of fear as the orange light illuminated her naked curves.
Fuck. Stop looking at her.I was drooling.
“I forgot how strong you are,” I muttered, brushing dirt off my chest.
“You forgot how to think, apparently.” She shoved me hard enough to make her point and growled. “What the hell is wrong with you, Rhys? We’re dealing with a pack crisis, and you’re out here playing grab-ass with”—her attention shifted to Sable, sharp as broken glass—“that.”
“It isn’t what it looks like.”
“Really?” Kenza’s sardonic laugh could have stripped paint. “Because it looks like you abandoned an emergency meeting to go rolling around in the dirt with Heraclid royalty.”
Sable made a sound that might have been amusement, which only made a pissed Kenza growl louder.
“She’s not royalty,” I said, trying to ignore how my wolf perked up at that barely-there smile. “And I had reasons.”
“Oh, I’m sure you had reasons.” Kenza moved closer, and I could smell the violence radiating off her. “The same reasons that have you looking at her like you’ve been starving for weeks and she’s dinner.”
Fuck me again.Was I that obvious?
Sable exhaled sharply through her nose at the mention, but made no move to run. In fact, she made no move at all.
“I was not—” I cut myself off, dragging a hand through my hair. “You make it sound ridiculous when I had my reasons that aren’t any of your business.”
“No, Rhys.You’remaking it ridiculous,” she hissed. “You’ve fallen for her trap like a gullible pup.”
“Are youfucking kidding me?” I barked, trying to ignore the heat creeping up my neck. “You’ve forgotten your place in this pack, Kenza. You need to trust your beta.”
Kenza’s jaw tightened, her gaze flicking to Sable again. “She was close to Damian. You know that.”
“And we need her now,” I shot back.
“Need me?” Sable spoke. Goddess, I almost stopped breathing. The effect she had on me… She was a drug. This woman—who I should be tying up, grilling, and demanding answers from—stole away my resolve with one glance at her perfect form.
The sounds of the forest faded, and Sable’s quick inhales told me fear ran through her, even though she stood confident and proud.
“Earth to Rhys!” Kenza shouted and shook her head when I finally managed to tear my eyes off Sable. “She’s done something to you. You look like you’re about to implode.”
I didn’t respond. Kenza was right.
Suddenly the forest was filled with the presence of approaching wolves. I felt them before I saw them—Logan’s dominance pushing ahead of him like a storm front, Eve’s softer but no less commanding presence right behind. Raina and Anwen followed, their energies distinct but layered, a mix of calm and calculation that reminded my wolf of their elder power.
Logan emerged from the trees like judgment day in human form, his alpha presence hitting us with enough force to make every wolf in the clearing submit—except Sable, who watched him approach with the kind of calm that suggested she’d faced down alphas before.
“Explain,” Logan said, and my spine straightened automatically.
