Page 158 of Unforgivable

My friend, the Sun, is baking me today. I feel like an egg on the skillet, I'm so hot. And whiny, I'm definitely whiny. I've never been in Heat before, but it already sucks.

I open the closet in my room. Mom has unpacked a lot of her stuff in the drawers and transferred some of my clothes to Rhet's room. Clothes I didn't know I had; thank you, Ezra.

I didn't see any swimsuits, but I'm hoping to find one in the closet.

I hit paydirt in the second drawer I look into. Um...

"Ezra Goers, you are bad."

I pull out a handful of satin and lace, refusing to examine the fancy... underwear... no, lingerie, too closely. I see the shiny, smooth material that may be a bathing suit and yank.

"It's dental floss, Ezra. Is he insane?" I mutter under my breath. I mean, I would wear it if it was just my three males, but was I supposed to go on a family picnic at the lake with Sarj and Inuit wearing this?

I put it aside. Maybe we'll get a hot tub one day.

I look deeper into the drawer. The second suit is a little better than the first, but it's white. Finally, I find a lovely, dark blue bikini that will cover all my bits satisfactorily.

I pull off the tags and pull it on, then grab a sundress to wear over it so that I'm not boiling on the quarter-mile walk to the pond.

With a smile, I head out to find an 'escort.' Maybe Rhet has returned after dealing with his mysterious phone call this morning.

I head outside and don't see anyone. Oh, well. Maybe on the way to the pond. I'm suffocating here.

I don't hesitate to rip off the sundress and plunge underwater. It feels like paradise. I paddle around. The sun is my friend again.

"Lyri!"

I hear the shout in the distance. "Over here! I'm swimming!" I call back.

Thjis comes charging down the hill towards me. I meet him halfway, scared at the odd look in his eyes.

"First of all, don't you ever wander off like that again," he booms out.

I'm about to protest, he's not actually my mother, when his second statement stops me.

"Secondly, Devel's big brother is here. His fucking big brother."

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Everyone is gathered in the living room. Devel is sitting on the couch, looking slightly healthier, and by that, I mean not dying. My parents and Elder Bea are here with the pups gathered around them. All but Inuit, who is sitting opposite of Devel while they stare at each other in suspicion. All of my males are here, which makes me feel so much better. Franco is here. I have no idea why, but what's another wolf?

Luna Gloria is here. Hmm...

And then there's the monster. He has his brother's light green eyes. That's the only similarity. This monster wolf is dead-seriously one of the most frightening males I've ever seen. No, scratch that, he's the most terrifying. He even dwarfs Rhet. Maybe, maybe Carmichael could take him on... but in a few years, not yet.

This is a male in his prime, muscles rippling in perfect, deadly synchronicity. The look in his eyes when he sees Devel sitting on the couch makes my knees tremble. This predator is a male who takes what he wants and leaves nothing and no one behind.

I want to hide behind my males and cower away. I have a feeling that if every male in this room attacked him, all at once, they'd still lose. My she-wolf is eyeing him with absolute wariness. How do you trust this monster in your midst?

"Carmichael," he greets Carm with a punch to the jaw. Right, so they know each other... somehow.

I gasp as Carmichael stumbles backward, hand flying up to cup his face, but this male didn't punch Carm with all his strength. That could probably kill a full-grown wolf, even an alphason as strong as Carm.

"Everyone, this is Teague, the Beta from ClearHowl.” Rhet introduces the monster with a scowl.

The monster comes closer to us, and I feel shock run through my body. This male has two Marks. Two.

Blinking, I just stare at the bites that he displays with pride. I wonder how I didn't see them before. They are perfectly placed on either side of his neck. Maybe he has twin mates? I've heard that you can mate to both twins, but some packs don't believe that. ClearHowl, they're out to the southeast. Closer to Carmichael’s LoboGris pack than us. I've heard they're wealthy and educated with humans. Um... somehow, this monster doesn't fit that image...

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