Page 55 of Untamed

She makes a soft sound in the back of her throat. "Shirt, Qitsuk," I tell her. She huffs but pulls the shirt on. She's tall enough that it just covers her to the tops of her thighs.

It doesn't help. I need a distraction. "You want to go outside?" I ask her. I grab the chain and snap it on my wrist.

She smiles prettily and spins on her heels, rushing to the bedroom door before the chain stops her. She tugs, impatiently, at the chain, glaring at me silently.

"No tricks,Qitsuk," I order her sternly. If she moves to run from me, I'm terrified of what my alpha-wolf will do. She's too young to be Marked. Her wolf is still a juvenile. I need to control myself.

We walk into the garden with her hand encased in mine. She looks around, smiling softly in delight at all Luna Gloria's plant crap, while I look at her.

When she suddenly kneels on the path, I follow her, sitting and resting my arms on my knees. I watch her, fascinated with the look of concentration on her face, as she reaches out to one of the plants and starts to weed. Delicate, nimble fingers untwist and unwind until she has a pile of orange leaves on a vine by her knees. The bright green leaves left behind look healthier already. She uses her claw to dig in the soil, uprooting whatever that orange viney plant is. Every once in a while, she clucks her tongue disapprovingly.

I feel a grin start. She reminds me of Luna Gloria in a way. Tough old bird, she had a way of putting big males in their place with just a look, a sound, a huff of breath. If Luna Gloria felt like it, her words were sharper than any teeth and claw.

"When will you speak to me,Qitsuk?" I murmur, moving a strand of hair from her cheek.

She tosses me a glance, her golden eyes flickering to the damn chain before she turns back to her garden.

Her garden. My smile grows.

"The chain stays," I murmur, closing my eyes and just letting the presence of my mate soak into my bones.

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Alpha Jax

I gently lay Snow in the backseat of the truck. The other refugees find places in the beds and backseats of the three massive four-wheel-drive pick-ups that Devel's team of six have. I keep my eye on Elias, ensuring he's inside one of the trucks. He slides in next to Sam, one of Devel's most trusted, and I'm assured the old geezer will be as safe as possible.

It's still a tight squeeze in the three pick-ups with all the bodies and the shit they brought, but I don't let anyone in the backseat with Snow. She needs as much space as possible to rest. It worries me that she didn't wake up during the walk down to the road. Even now, her stillness concerns me.

"Where's the doc?" I ask Devel.

"In the backseat of Sam's truck."

"Get him in here. He can sit bitch between us."

Devel's lips twitch, but he disappears for a moment, coming back with a harried, exhausted-looking doc behind him.

"Check her over, then sit," I bark at him.

Nervously, the doc shoves his glasses back up on his nose and quickly looks over Snow with me breathing down his neck the whole time. "She's the same. The journey didn't tear her stitches or nothing," he says, a little sullenly.

I nod toward the backseat, and he reluctantly slides into the truck.

"Let's move," Devel gets into the passenger seat, knowing that I need to drive. Opening the glovebox, ignoring the sweaty, stinking doc, he starts to fiddle with a transmitter radio. "Nothing but static. Fire may be spreading south," he warns me.

I turn the ignition and start to drive, checking my rearview to make sure the other trucks have pulled out behind me. I see a small pile of belongings left by the side of the road. Shit, that can't fit. Maybe the wolves who own it will be able to come back and claim it; maybe it will be stolen or consumed by fire. But, more importantly, everyone is alive.

Unfortunately, the road south splits in two directions just five miles later. One way is to the west, the other to the east. The west will lead us directly to KilClaw in the mountains along the river through BlueSnout. We could be home in a day, tops. The east route is in no man's land, wrapping around the twin lakes and making a circuitous route through the region. It will take twice as long to drive through but is more distant from the raging inferno chasing us. Still, with the FeraxMaw threatening RustClaw, I'd rather not take that road.

"Alpha?" Devel looks at me. The static on the radio is now punctuated with words. It's still hard to understand, but enough is clear.

... east... mount.... west of Bear la-... 65 west... latitude...

"Fuck," Devel and I say in unison.

"Is that... is that Bear Lake? Is the fire there?" Doc whispers, sounding terrified.

"We can't take the western road, Alpha," Devel announces grimly.

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