Page 161 of Untamed

"Did you say Adsun Lake, youngling?" Elias limps over, excitement burning hot in his eyes. "Ah, you finally figured it out, eh, ha!" He looks out over the land, toward the east, "Took you long enough, did it?" he mutters. "Good thing your little mate isn't a blind idiot, huh?"

"What is it that you think my luna has figured out, Elias?" I ask forcefully at the not-so-hidden insult. How does this old geezer always know what to say to poke at me? When I was younger, I used to spend more time with Elias, and I swear the male must spend all his free time thinking of ways to take the piss right out of me.

"The balance, pup. Don't you take that tone with me. I'll kick your furry ass black and blue."

Just like that, I say to myself silently. "Elias," I growl outloud. I can't beat him, I tell myself silently. He's old and possibly senile.Qitsukburies her face in my shirt, her shoulders suspiciously quivering.

"I'm an elder wolf, youngling. I know your shit stinks, too. Big, bad alpha, but you're still wet-behind-the-ears.Thingshappen in that Lake. Can't believe the Mauja lived there for so long."

My monster pulls his attention away from his mate.

"Things?" my voice is flat. "Elaborate."

Elias is quiet for a moment, the self-righteous indignation fading from his body, leaving behind a very old wolf.

"Wolves aren't always treated right in the Mauja. Influenced from the BlueSnout, most like. Times were tough, and there were a few wolves who were abused," he says.Qitsukstiffens in my arms. She doesn't like abuse. My good luna.

"They were the rejected, the ones that the high-ups thought were useless. They used to drown the weak ones in that Lake."

"When did this happen?" I ask. My monster crouches, eyeing Elias with cold amusement. He's already counting bodies, licking his chops in anticipation.

"'Bout twenty years ago, at least," Elias muses, looking pensive. His memories are hollowing him out, this old wolf with his thin ribcage and silvery-white hair.

"And no one bothered to notice this?" My voice is rising. I feel a slight shifting in the air. My wolves are staring at me, uncomfortable. Guilty?"Jax!" I bellow.Jax returns to my side, cradling Anya much like I am withQitsuk."You know about the abuse that my uncle and grandfather caused in the fucking Mauja?" I spit out.

Jax frowns. "Rumors. Nothing could be substantiated. It all ended, what, twenty years ago?" He blinks, the look in his eyes far away for a moment. "I had just become Alpha," he says quietly. "There were more of us, more packs, more alphas, then." He straightens and pins me with a severe look. "You're the alpha I couldn't ever be, In. Take control. Be alert. It's all on your shoulders, son. We'll help as much as we can." Worry flits over his face as his gaze roves over my face, then Willa.

"Ha! There's only one Alpha in the lower territory, now, isn't there?" Elias grins excitedly. "Just the GriMaw in the tundra, the KilClaw in the Mountains, and us. Who would've thought RustClaw would have the king and queen? Not me, that's for sure!" Elias says cheerfully.

"I amAlpha," my monster rumbles from deep inside my chest. It's a little embarrassing to tell the truth.

"Mactiir,"Qitsukinterrupts our bickering. "Be nice. He's very old," She adds in a whisper.

"Hey!" Elias protests. He stalks off, mumbling insults under his breath.

"Into the car, pups," Jax says sarcastically.

I hold my mate in my lap as we travel east. I decided I don't give a rat's ass if it's too much PDA. I need to know my Bliss is safe, and she's safest right here under my hands.

When we are closer to Lake Adsun, close enough to see the glint of blue through the scrub-brush and trees, the smoke in the air is also apparent.

"Forest Fire is raging. What we need is a good, hard rain. One that lasts more than an hour or two," Jax says, staring into the distance through the front window of the truck.

"How close is it to our territory?" I ask Jax.

He frowns, shaking his head. "Wind blew it east. So far, so good. At least we evacuated the Mauja. There's no one here to be hurt."

"Still, I don't necessarily want all those wolves crowding RustClaw," I say to him. "It would be better if their original towns remain."

The former Mauja town is completely abandoned. Any stragglers from last week have disappeared from the territory. The air is stale, with no fresh scents of wolves anywhere. The buildings already have an eerie, vacant feeling about them.

Our convoy rolls to a stop, and the engines are shut off. A quiet hush rolls over us. All I can hear is the rapid beating of hearts and the soft hushed breathing of wolves steeped in uneasy fear. I giveQitsukone last kiss on her forehead absently before stepping out of the truck and gently pushing her behind me.

"Alpha," the croaked, broken voice emerges between two buildings, tucked close together to form a small alleyway.

Jax's nephew Diego steps out. Shoulders slumped, posture defeated, clothing torn and dirty, the male looks like he hasn't slept in weeks.

"Diego."

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