Page 116 of Untamed

"Yeah," Mactiir grunts. Reaching out, he snags me to his chest. Fingers with sharp claws gently tilt my chin up to him. "Your father wasn't telling the truth. He couldn't have been. My Father wouldn't have let his mate be kidnapped. You and your ma are FeraxMaw. My luna, if you're the heir to the FeraxMaw, then you've always been my pack's enemy. But not my enemy, yea? You're mine,Qitsuk."

His mouth comes down on mine. I taste him under the blood and sweat. The rain didn't do a very good job of cleaning him up. I don't pull away, even though part of me wants to protest. My father wasn't a liar.

I'm going to have to talk to Old Alpha some more. He scents of secrets. Secrets he's going to share with me.

Mactiir lifts his head away from me. "How is the removal going?"

"Most of the Mauja are cooperating. Scared of the BlueSnout and the Orion Ferax," Blue Star answers. "Rest are being difficult."

"Move them faster," Mactiir orders. "I want to get my mate home."

Home.

The word twists sharply. I dig my toes into the dirt. Mactiir and I have barely had the chance to be in the little blue cottage. I hope that he thinks that's home. I like it there. But where will Mama stay?

The words leave my mouth before I can stop them. "Mactiir, can we build Mama a nest, too?"

"Ahh," he pulls back a bit. "At our house, Cat?"

"Your Mama will be living with me, Little Luna."

I knew it.

I pull away from Mactiir to confront him. "Listen to my words, Old Alpha. You are not to take my Mama from me." I send him death through my eyes.

His twinkle back at me. We both ignore the soft sound of protest from Mama. This is important. This male can't be trusted with my precious family. Who knows who he is? What he is? My she-wolf readies herself to leap at him.

"Jax-" Mactiir sounds out his warning.

"No, Inuit. This is between Little Luna and me."

I leap for his throat. He's fast, despite being so old. I snarl in his face as his hands grapple on my skin, one gripping my snapping jaw, the other pinning my wrist away from his body. I take my free hand and plunge my claws into his side, scraping ribs. He grunts, but doesn't let go, doesn't let me get to anything vital.

His weight is the deciding factor. I'm flat on my back, pinned in place with a sturdy leg thrown over mine and a solid arm against my windpipe just moments later.

"Shh, Little Luna," he says quietly. "Hush now. I won't be taking your Mama far from you. Just minutes away."

"You're not to be trusted with Mama," I choke out.

"I'll never hurt her."

"You scent of secrets," I spit out, barely able to get out the words before his arm presses harder on my throat.

His mouth comes next to my ear. "I have a Mate who needs to be killed first," he tells me. It's said quietly, a hushed undertone. Just for my ears. A secret.

I go still. A mate. This male trying to convince me that mates are important has a female already. A female he is willing to kill. Are matesnotimportant, then?

I can't ask him who she is. I don't know very many wolves, so it would be meaningless. I turn and inhale the faded Mark on his throat instead, ignoring Mactiir's raging snarls from above us.

It's familiar, the bitter tinge that wafts, just slightly, from the scar. Familiar, but not known.

"Enough, Alpha Jax. In is about to rip you into small pieces," Blue-Star has a hand on Mactiir's chest. Not holding him back; no one can do that, just a warning to stay away.

I turn my eyes back to Old Alpha. "You'll take care of my Mama, Old Alpha."

His lips quirk. "I promise, Little Luna," he emphasizes his name for me.

I scowl at him as his arm eases a bit. "I don't like you very much."

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