Page 157 of Untamed

46 – Weary

Alpha Jax

"He's Willa's Father," Inuit murmurs to me in a low voice, canines on full display, eyes flashing dangerously. "Raped her when she was unconscious, according to him."

I turn back to see my Snow White, my beautiful fairy-tale princess, staring at Blout with a look of faint horror. Tears well in her eyes before spilling over her cheeks. My alpha-wolf snarls, his fury unbound, unrestrained by all but the thinnest of threads.

Snow may not know exactly what Blout did to her, but some part of her knows. Maybe it's his scent, perhaps she senses that Willa is his daughter and not Thomson's. Maybe Thomson told her the truth at some point. All I and my wolf know is that our sweet female is hurting.

My chest rumbles, a low threat tossed towards the broken male lying in the dirt at our feet.

I am guilty of delivering horror to innocent wolves, too. It is part of being an Alpha. Part of my past and my mistakes as a leader. Inuit has blood on his hands, dried and stiff. He is an alpha. But, we do not kill and rape innocence, not deliberately, not a child, not my Snow.

"I know him," Snow says in a cracked whisper. "He's a bad male."

The rumble in my chest grows more threatening. I take a step forward toward Blout with deadly intent. Blout isn't aware of his demise approaching. He groans and twitches around like a fish out of water, trying to get a body that will never heal to work again. I'll make sure he sees me, make certain that he looks into my eyes as I kill him.

"No!" Snow says firmly. It's the only thing that can stop me, my Dove's voice. My wolf and I stop, claws ready and fangs dripping with saliva. I look at my precious female. Tears are swimming in sky-blue eyes, but she looks strong, determined. I suck in a breath. It's painful to stop, not to rip out Blout's throat.

"I want to do it," Snow tells me firmly. My alpha-wolf grumbles, nearly pouting despite his pride in his little mate. One eye swivels, keeping the prey in his periphery, even as he stares at our female in pained disbelief.

Orion hands Anya a silver blade. How the fuck he got it is beyond me, but the male is strange. Most likely a good Beta for In, but odd as all fuck.

Snow approaches Blout. The male has half his face planted in the dirt, eyes watering from pain, but he's recovered enough to see her coming. Bleary confusion is wiped away as recognition, and pure malice etch across his face.

"Anya Rivers. All you are is a rejected whore," he chokes out from his prone, feeble position on the ground. Snow falters a bit. "Even your mate didn't want you," he spits out his rancor. I snarl loudly, making the male jerk, then moan in renewed agony.

Snow's feet falter. I bite back the growl, my wolf clawing at my insides for Blout's blood. "It's not true, Dove," I force the words out calmly. "He would have come for you. You disappeared, Dove. Thomson wanted you. Kingson wanted you. Who wouldn't?" Who wouldn't? It took me seconds to fall for this female. She's a fucking fairy-tale princess, damnit.

Blout sees me only then, and the crazed light in his eyes becomes starker. "Jax Cristorsen. Your mate was a whore, too. My whore," he cackles madly.

No shit.

I hear Inuit's little luna grumble her threat as Snow flinches again. I'm proud of the restraint Little Luna is showing until I notice that In has her locked tight to his chest with his arm around her waist securely. Willa looks just like I imagine I do, claws out, canines ready, eyes gleaming with lethal intent.

My Snow is trembling. The knife held tight in her hand. My alpha-wolf urges me to end the threat to her, but she needs this. She needs to find her strength by destroying one of her nightmares herself.

I approach Blout and kneel next to the hapless male, nodding in approval when I see that his Achilles' tendons are ripped straight out. Inuit always was a calculating male.

"You raped my female when she was only a child," I make a statement in a low, dangerous voice.

"Didn't rape Jessie," Blout chuckles. "She always wanted it."

I snarl, batting away the mention of my so-called mate easily. "My female," I say with an edge in my voice. Goddess, how I want to end this male. His throat is right there, inches away, so easy. Shit. My Snow hovers behind me, nervous and fidgeting. It's her kill. It's her right. I'll help her as much as she needs, but if she wants his blood, then so be it.

Blout's eyes light up with cruel understanding. "How does it feel that I've had both your females, first?" he laughs at me, spittle falling from his lips, blood mixed into it.

I smile cruelly. Snow is mine, now. I have a shitty past, my fault, but I won't letherpast affect us. Won't let this male make Snow think that there is anything wrong with her.

"I'll be her last while you rot in a shallow grave."

I force myself to stand and walk over to Snow. "Dove," I croon, cupping her cheeks in both my palms, smoothing her hair from her face. She is so soft, her sweet scent drifting through the air filled with blood and Blout's own foul excrement. I kiss her chastely on the mouth, then run my hands down her arms to bring her hands up to my lips. Carefully avoiding the dagger clenched tight in her fist, I kiss her knuckles one by one.

"You want to make him bleed, Dove? You want the kill? Or do you want me to do it?"

Snow visibly straightens, her eyes on mine. So brave. "I want to do it," she whispers, "for Willa." Her shoulders straighten tightly.

"I'll be right here with you," I promise.

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