Page 12 of Untamed

Swearing out loud, I grab a shirt hanging off a wooden peg on the wall. I give it a sniff. It smells clean, just the faintest scent of Snow White and lye soap. I dip it into the bucket of lukewarm water and hurry back to the female.

Stripping the rags, she's wearing off. I clean her as I work. Pale skin with silvery scars makes my wolf snarl low. She's not well-cared for with roughened hands from working so hard and thin limbs that feel bony under my palms. Faint stretch marks around her tummy make my worry spike. She looks too young to have a child who has shifted. Did she lose her baby?

I clean her off as best I can before deciding that she's well enough to move. Very gently, I scoop her into my arms. She doesn't make a sound. I lay her on the bed behind the fabric curtain that serves as the only wall in this shithole. On the bed, the male's scent is very faint. Frowning, I inhale a little deeper.

I can smell a young,pre-shiftedfemale and this delicate female. "Motherfucker," I hiss. The female in my arms needs care immediately if I'm going to save her life, but where the fuck is the pup? Goddess, what a clusterfuck. I spare a look behind me. Did a child shift and attack the male? I look back at the female on the bed and examine the claw marks more closely. I gently hover my hand, claws distended, over her wounds. My claws are larger, but it's clear that a male, not a pup, wounded this female. Her mouth is clear of blood, so someone else ripped the male's throat out.

The female stirs and whimpers, the softest sound, "Will."

I scowl. My wolf snarls out loud, making the female flinch away reflexively, even in her unconscious state. I choke off the growl. Maybe she loved the dead male on the floor. Maybe the pup is Will.

Yeah, that's probably more likely, except that the pup smells like a female.

I shake myself out of my thoughts when the female whimpers again. I need to clean her wounds, dress her again, and keep her warm. She'll need something to keep her energy up, some meat rich in iron. Maybe I should check out the lean-to.

Can she even eat in her state? Fuck, I'm no doctor. I estimate that the RustClaw clinic is two to three days to the south on foot if I carry her. My cell phone hasn't picked up a signal in over an hour. There's a trading post just two hours to the east. It's a rough sort of hellhole, but they have a doctor or at least someone who pretends to be one. And they have cell service. I need to call in some help up here.

I look at the female. Her skin is becoming greyer. She's dying. I can't let an abused female die, not after all I've done in my past. I can't let Snow die. Her face will haunt me.

I gather my supplies, then grab a change of clothing for the female. Stripping the soft blanket under the fur-laden bed, I cut it into strips and fasten a harness out of it. I can move faster with her if my hands are free.

Just before I secure her, I walk over to the male. There's blood on his right claw. Snow's blood. With a heart as cold as fucking ice, I step on the gaping wound on his neck and press down. My wolf growls in approval when, with one last gurgle, the male dies, never waking up to see who it was who finally ended him.

I take off my shirt as I walk back to her and arrange her limbs. Then I pick her up, pressing her to my body, skin to skin to keep her warm. "All right, Snow," I murmur, wrapping us both in the harness. "Let's get you some help."

When I have the female secured tight to my body, I head out, due east, letting my eyes and claws shift. Despite the day's heat this time of year, the night is still significantly cooler. I look into the forest as I walk away from the cabin. Where is that little female pup? Goddess, I don't want to leave her, but Snow needs help now. The little female isn't wounded. It's a fucking awful decision, but I can't be in two places at once.

I'll come back for her, but not until I've done my best to save this female.

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Inuit

The two lovebirds are easy to find. Hard to stomach, but easy to track. They always pick a new spot, but they can't hide their scents from me.

"Mylife," the soft, deep murmur is punctuated with the sounds of skin touching skin and breathes mingling. It makes me want to smirk and retch at the same time.

"I'm coming in, just a warning," I say. This copse of trees in the gully is cozy. As I leap down from the path above, I take a moment to admire the cleverness of this place.

I hear the rustle of cloth and the scramble of feet as Penny curses at me under her breath, “Damnit, In! I have so many brothers that I wasn't born with. Thanks, Lyri. It's completely ridiculous."

Ilian appears in front of me just a heartbeat after I come down. "Lurking, pup?"

I don't let the slur bother me. I do flash my canines when I grin at him. Ilian is a strong alphason, older than me by a few years, but I'm half an inch taller. I rag on him as much as I can about it.

"Can I help it if you two arefuckingoblivious? Your Daddy's coming, Shortie," I mock him. I hand Ilian two cold beers from the sack slung over my shoulder.

Ilian cracks open Penny's can for her, then opens his and takes a swig. "Fuck you, Inuit," he says, eyes narrowing on me, but I see the hidden appreciation for the warning.

"You want to fuck me too?" I ask him, faking astonishment. "I get that from all the easy females, but I never thought you'd stoop so low," I shake my head sadly at him.

Penny starts to laugh until even Ilian cracks a smile. "You're a pain in the ass. Why does your pack think you're the strong, silent type? I'd pay you to shut the fuck up."

I laugh with them, but the truth is I don't know why I loosen up with Ilian. Maybe because he's Penny's mate? He's a decent male and an alphason himself. Maybe it's just that my wolf is more relaxed around him.

"So, what're you up to?" I waggle my brows suggestively.

"Having a great time before you showed up." Ilian starts to build a small fire now that they don't have to hide.

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