Page 45 of Untamed

I look at them steadily. I can't trust them, but they aren't leaders of the FeraxMaw. They're too weak to be anything but common wolves. I also can't let them go. They could easily be spies for Orion. A sense of uneasiness rolls over me. Is my mate part of this group? She didn’t seem to be, so I’ve assumed that their presence in my forest when I found my mate was just a coincidence.

"Clean them up. Give that one something for his pain. They stay in the cells."

I leave the slaughtering shed and the scent of fear, despair, and death behind. Thjis nods to me. My brother is leaning against the shed; arms crossed over his chest. A look of relief in his dark eyes. He hates not being able to give some pain-relief to injured wolves. Despite his size and general pissy demeanor, he's a healer at heart.

I rush back to the ranch house. My heart starts to pound, my wolf pacing in his eagerness to get back to his mate. Having her out of our sight, even for an hour, hurts.

I almost trip over Porscia. I barely hold back my growl. I don't like this family. Stuck-up bunch of snobs. Her dead son, Drew, was the Beta ten years ago. His mate, Mari, had been best friends with Lyri as children. But, just like the rest of her mate's family, when the chips were down, she didn't hesitate to stab Lyri in the back.

MyQitsukis in the living room, hair hanging in two braids down her back. Her white dress, covered in dandelions, makes her look like the sweetest little female. An innocent pup, I realize. Not part of the FeraxMaw group. No way.

Does Elder Bea think I'm a fucking moron? I know her game.

My mate comes into my arms easily, her face tilted up to mine. I lift her against my body. I taste her, her lips, her gorgeous, sexy mouth. My fingers tangle in her braids, mussing her hair, playing with the hem of her dress. She climbs into my arms as if I'm a tree. I cup her sweet round bottom. She isn't wearing panties.

I groan, ignoring the low hum of disapproval from the peanut gallery full of old females. Let them see thatQitsukis mine to take care of. My luna to pleasure and love. My wolf yips in delight and approval.

Let the world know this female is ours.

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14 - Soft Breathes

Alpha Jax

"Fire's moving this direction," Doc announces, his shoulders curled inward when I turn to look at him.

"You have a radio?" Devel asks him.

If this male is afraid of me, then he's shit-in-his-pants terrified of Devel.

"Y-y-yea," Doc stutters. "Your female set it up. Hasn't worked right in years," he mumbles. "Too late now. Most wolves out here are ready to leave, A-alpha, s-sir. We are leaving soon as we can."

"We left most of our equipment in the trucks with our recon unit," Devel explains in a low voice. I nod in acknowledgment. Devel is usually surveillance in their operation, while Leilani goes in and blends to gather intel. I'm not sure if Devel manages to survey their targets or if he just uses his fancy shit to watch his female, but they get the job done, regardless.

"Well, that's biting us in our asses," Elias grumps, sipping his coffee, his watery blue eyes not leaving Snow's peaceful face.

My silverback alpha wolf is watching the northwest. Eyes assess the haze of smoke that obscures the stars. The forest fire is growing, the dry, late summer forest feeding fuel to the flames. It's grown to be too large to die out before the autumn storms come in a month. All the firefighters can do is contain the blaze as much as possible.

Even as we watch, the wind shifts, blowing the flames east when just moments before it was to the west. It's as if those devouring flames are determined to destroy as much of the unclaimed north as possible.

"We'll move out with everyone," I tell Devel. Morosely, I look to the northwest again. Just the last moments have seen an orange glow reach into the night sky.

"I want everything Snow needs to be moved south," I tell Doc. He nods, his head shaking uncontrollably hard in his enthusiasm to agree with me. He should get that shit under control.

"Let's get ready. We'll walk south until we reach the road. How far is it?"

"Nearly thirty miles. We'll have to take turns carrying her," Devel says calmly.

My wolf flashes his fangs. "I'll carry her." I don't want anyone else to touch my Snow.

We rig up a harness for Snow again. A better one than the one I had before; more secure, safer. She's pale as... well, fucking snow, as Devel helps to strap her on me.

Her head is nestled against my neck. I can feel her shallow breaths steadily washing over the pulse leaping in my throat. It's a good feeling, oddly enough. It lets me know she's doing alright.

"Time to go," Devel says grimly. His green eyes are fixed, not on the fire raging to the north, but the female with sad brown eyes helping the doc pack up supplies to carry away.

He shifts and stands next to me. My wolf is taller, but he is just as intimidating. Slashes of lighter grey fur mix with his darker colors. The fur shows the scars that litter his skin underneath. Leilani straps more equipment to him, a few bags and satchels. She and Elias will walk next to us.

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