Page 165 of Untamed

Secrets. I look behind me at Old Alpha. He looks grey, tired, and old, but his eyes are calm. Mama’s hand is held tightly in his. I’m not sure who is comforting who. Maybe both, maybe none.

There are still questions. I call the pale witch strange, but I know I am the true oddity here. A wolf with witchiness in her blood. I look down at my fingers. In the dim light, they look pale and long, almost skeletal. As pale as the pale witch. I straighten them out, staring at them. My nails are darkened as always, a little stronger and sharper than most she-wolves. Do I have wolf hands or witch hands? I try to remember what the witch’s hands look like, but I can’t.

I curl my fingers back into my palms. My nails are good for cutting plants when I collect my herbs. That’s all that matters.

Mactiir picks up one of my hands in his and lifts it to his mouth while he drives with his other hand. He kisses my knuckles, all while not interrupting his conversation with Blue-Star. They are talking about the witches, the coven on the Lake, andalliances; pacts, coalitions, teams. I sit in between them in the front, with Mama, Old Alpha, and the Moon in the backseat.

“Concentrate on the road, In,” the Moon warns softly.

“I am,” he replies. Lightning flashes in the sky, lighting up the forest on both sides of the road. Water sloshes over the road. It looks like we are driving straight down a river.

I miss my river.

“What do you think,Qitsuk?” Mactiir asks me. “Do you trust the coven?”

I blink, looking at him. His eyes are soft and warm. His Ogre is nowhere in sight. “Yes,” I reply, simply. The pale witch is trustworthy.

“What did she mean when she said she saved your life?” the Moon asks suddenly.

“I fell into the Lake,” I tell her. “One of her monsters dragged me under. When it released me, I was far away from the grey room-”

“The grey room?” Old Alpha asks.

“She means the prison,” Mactiir scowls out into the rain. “It’s down by the lake.”

“There were wolves coming to take me from the grey room,” I tell him. “They couldn’t find me.”

“You think that a monster-” Blue-Star cuts himself off. “There are catfish in the lake. Huge ones,” he amends his statement. “I guess it’s possible.”

“I did not like her method of saving me,” I sniff. “I don’t like the Lake.”

The vehicle is quiet for a moment. Then everyone starts laughing except me.

Mactiir kisses my forehead, still chuckling despite my glare. “I believe it, yeah, Rhet? I’m glad we don’t live near the lake, though. Can you imagine what Willa and Amarynth would do together?” He shudders dramatically.

I just humph again, taking my hand from his and folding my arms across my chest. Blue-Star laughs louder, winking at me. I ignore him. I also don’t mention that the pale witch gave me her… herphone number. Now I can call her and Pup.

At the thought of Pup, my heart squeezes a little. It doesn’t burn, though. His bite mark is gone from my neck.

Mactiir reaches out and captures my hand again, laying it on his thigh. I give in and lean my head on his shoulder.

“Eyes on theroad, In!”

I smirk up at him. Serves him right for laughing at me. He just grins back, happy. I hide my smile by burying my face in his arm. I’m glad that he’s happy. It finally feels as though a weight has been lifted, or maybe just balanced, on our shoulders.

The rain is slowing. Mactiir turns a knob, and the sticks on the glass slow down. The road is covered in mud. Branches and leaves are everywhere. When we step out of the vehicle, the world smells new.

It is nice to behome. With our wolves. My wolves. All of them, even Gnome, who is cackling madly and missing his pants. He has big, dark green, oddly shiny boots on, though.

“Gramps, seriously!” the Smiling Male rolls his eyes toward the sky as he approaches the vehicles.

“Lost my waders. Shut up, youngling!” Gnome snaps as he hobbles over. “Ain’t no need to get my pants wet! Why I’m wearing galoshes!” There are hairs on his bare, knobbly knees. Long, white, curling hairs. I’m fascinated.

“Your shirt is getting wet, Gramps. What was the point of the rainboots?”

“Ain’t got no raincoat, either! Put it somewhere,” he mumbles. Then, his eyes find Purple. “Least my slicker isn’t bright pink, eh?”

Purple, her shiny shirt, in fact, bright pink, snaps out, “You hush, Elias Goers! You’re embarrassing, that’s all. Tabby and I are greeting our Alpha and Luna as Elders, you old crackpot!”

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