Page 129 of Unforgivable

A figure lurches out of the forest, staggering to one knee, before stumbling back onto feet.

I am screaming out of the door before I realize my mistake. I don't know this male. He's not one of mine. He's a stranger. A bleeding, wounded stranger.

I stop running so suddenly that I stumble myself. Bright green eyes, lighter than Ezra's, meet mine. They widen in shock, and I can see pain. Fathomless, bottomless agony, deep in their depths. It sucks the air straight from my lungs. It's just too much pain for one body to contain.

He's covered, head to toe, in blood. Some of the wounds that I can see have stopped bleeding, but what skin I can see is ashen; the lifeless grey of Death has already sunk his teeth deep into this male. He takes another step towards me, and I slowly edge backward.

"Luna?" he rasps, looking confused.

I inhale. He has an unrecognizable scent, and I feel relief flutter through me. He's not one of them.

"Lyri, get inside!" Ezra cries out. My males are racing towards me. Thjis is on paws, a shaggy, brown beast. I don't see the alpha-males anywhere. Not yet.

"Who are you?" I snap out. I ignore my males. I refuse to let this trespasser on our land without knowing why he's here and who he is.

He doesn't answer, swaying in place and mumbling "luna" again.

"I am not the luna," I tell him. The term 'luna' itches me when it falls from his lips. I don't like it. It's a reminder of what weighs so heavily on my soul.

"Moon-scent," he whispers. His green eyes flutter closed, and he collapses to the ground.

"Oh, shit. What do we do?" I whisper into the wind.

"What were you thinking?" Ezra snaps at me, snagging my body close to his.

This unknown wolf is literally dying on the lawn, and Ezra's first concern is to scold me. Great. All I need is another 'incident.' Rhet will never let me leave my bedroom. I don't want to be chained to the bed... not that way, at least.

"Look at him, Ezra!" I look closer at the collapsed male, "are you OK? Hello?" Thjis inches closer to the male, a low growl building in his throat.

"Bear!" I hiss. "We can't just leave him there, Ezra, Thjis! Look at him!"

The male twitches, coughing a bit, but does nothing else.

"Right, well, it's not like he can hurt you now, huh?" Ezra says doubtfully. He lets me go and walks toward the male. Thjis shifts back, muttering curses under his breath.

"Fuck, he's messed up. Don't touch him, Ez. Let me see the damage."

I want to approach him, even if the idea of a strange male's touch makes my skin crawl. I decide I should at least arm myself and let my claws descend on the ends of my fingertips.

The male's eyelids flutter open as I approach. When I kneel behind Ezra, the male manages to focus on me.

"Luna," he whispers.

I narrow my eyes on him. "Stop calling me that. Who are you?"

"A reject," he whispers. "A forsaken mate."

My heart flips, but I force my eyes to harden on him. How do I know if he's telling the truth or not?

"How did you come to be here?"

"I ran, Luna. Chasing the scent of my fate's blood," he tells me. Green eyes stare up at me, guileless. I don't have the slightest clue what he means by chasing his fate's blood. Unless he means his mate?

"Who is your mate?"

Disgust and sorrow filter across his bloody face. "A female named Cloe Pierson."

I suck in a pain-filled breath. No. For the love of all that's holy, no!

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