Page 118 of Untamed

"Ow," Sarj protests good-naturedly.

The truck hits a rock and jostles us all. Snow, sitting in between her daughter and me in the backseat, rocks back and forth. It doesn't feel great, but at least the pups in the back shut up for a beat.

"I want to get out and run," Sarj announces abruptly.

I roll my eyes. "We're not back on our land yet." Our truck leads the line of vehicles back to RustClaw through the unclaimed territory between BlueSnout and us. Mauja is behind us, literally and figuratively, as the convoy of displaced wolves reluctantly follows their new alpha.

I feel like I'm fleeing the northern fires all over again. Shit.

"Wait a couple of miles," I advise. "It's safer."

I can hear Sarj shift a little, uncomfortable on the hard metal. A soft whimper falls, and he cuts it off abruptly.

"Old Alpha, Mactiir, Pup needs to have his exercise, now," Little Luna orders her mate and me around with a casualness that makes every male in the truck grin at her.

"Soon," Rhet promises.

Soon comes a few minutes later, as we finally cross towards our territory. Rhet slows down his truck, and Sarj wastes no time in hitting dirt before we've completely stopped. He walks into the woods, shaking his arms and stretching. He'll shift soon, maybe a week or two, maybe less.

"I am going, too," Little Luna announces, crawling over her mother's lap. She gives me a sharp look. "You watch over my mama, Old Alpha."

"I promised I would, Little Luna."

She sticks her tongue out at me. "Willa!" Snow scolds. Abashed, the little golden female jumps out of the truck without making eye contact with her mama.

Mac-Inuit unfolds his towering frame from the truck's bed and quickly leaps over the side to his feet.

"In," I call out to him, getting out of the truck. "They're your wolves, now. You can't leave them until we have them settled in RustClaw."

A muscle twitches in his jaw. His dark eyes are fixed on the treeline, peering into the shadows of the trees. When the pretty golden wolf comes dancing over, I hear sighs of appreciation from the long line of wolves behind us. She tosses her head, golden fur ruffling as she nips at Inuit's hands playfully.

"I can't go," he tells her. I hear the pout in his voice. Little Luna whines a little, her tail slowing down from its furious wagging. She's pouting, too.

"Alright," I tell him. "Listen, send... Asher, Lincoln, ah... anyone else who wants to run."

I nod and watch as all the pups shift with howls of delight. A few of the Mauja wolves, young males and females, shift and join them.

The golden wolf quivers in sheer delight, spinning in a circle and barking at her packmates, young and old. On feet, Little Luna seems standoffish and wary with her pack. It seems her she-wolf didn't get the memo.

The chase begins, and I clamp my hand down on Inuit's shoulder. "Let her run a little, yea? They'll stick close."

"I don't like letting her run without me," he says.

I snort, "I noticed. Look around, In. These wolves can't have their alpha disappear on them right now."

Mac-Inuit looks over his shoulder at the rest of his pack. His new pack. Uncertainty, even fear, coats the air liberally, wafting towards us like a stink cloud.

Inuit sighs, letting his shoulders drop. "Drive slowly so they can keep pace," he orders as he leaps back into the truck.

We amble back down the road, Inuit now on his feet in the back of the truck, scanning the forest for flashes of gold through the trees.

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Willa

I bark madly at Mactiir. He's very tall because he's standing in the vehicle. He smiles, a tiny smile at me before I veer back into the trees.

I'm the fastest wolf. No one can catch me. Some of the wolves try, but I evade them.Evade; elude, avoid, dodge. Then, I can dart in and get them, and it's so much fun.

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