Page 63 of Untamed

Jessie is nowhere in sight. My muscles twitch with the urge to run after her. I'm tired of her games, of her deceit, and the pain she has caused. She isn't my luna anymore, but she is my wolf's mate, the poor bastard.

"Alpha, let's get moving before reinforcements arrive," Devel runs to the driver's side of the truck and leaps in, bare-assed and scarred from head to toe.

We can't chase them. We have to care for the refugees. For...Snow.

I shift at a dead sprint, leaping into the backseat of the truck. Immense relief rolls over me when I see my fairy princess, still soundly sleeping in the truck.

I gather an unconscious Snow into my arms, fighting nausea from the last ten minutes, fighting my wolf's deep-seated fear and rage. Burying my face in her hair, I inhale the scent of sweetness that Snow possesses. Bitterness wells up, but I fight it back, force it down into the depths of my memories.

Jessie isn't mine anymore. I don't know what went wrong or if she was always greedy and slightly insane, but she's not mine anymore. Not ours, I tell my alpha wolf.

He's settled down, and at first, I don't understand why. Then I feel it, the stiffness in the female's body in my arms. I lift my head and feel like I've been punched right in the gut.

Blue eyes, as clear as a mountain stream, look into mine. I'm falling, tumbling over the edge into the abyss, only to be yanked back, centered, grounded, by these blue eyes staring at me in confusion.

"Hello, my sweet Snow."

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19 – The Moon’s Return

Willa

The herb garden isatrocious; awful, heinous, scandalous.

I send a slight frown toward my - toward Mactiir. It's all his fault. I know it is. He's no gardener. The plants are weeping for care, the weeds choking them, strangling all the good things. Who needs this much goutweed? No one, that's who. Although... there are several old wolves here in this pack. I'll save some of it. Still, letting the goutweed grow this large was a mistake. Underneath is the tiniest little patch of surviving peppermint. Usually, peppermint is hardy but not against goutweed. I huff in Mactiir's direction. He should know this.

He just lazily grins at me, making my heart leap in my chest and my she-wolf's tail thump. His teeth are white and straight, and his lips are soft, and I very much like feeling them on mine.

His lips move, and I force myself to stop staring.

"She's gardening," he says into the thin, black box he's holding. I can hear a voice coming through the box. It reminds me of the pup's game. Sort of interesting, but unimportant. I certainly don't have time for those sorts of things. Not when fall is approaching, and I need to see what I can salvage in a harvest from this garden.

"She's good at it. She'd even put old Willis to shame."

Mactiir pauses while I try to tamp down my swelling pride.

"Nah, you've gotta see what she can do with this shit. Not today!" Mactiir hurries to say. "Maybe in a couple of weeks." Something hard flashes in his face.

My she-wolf's tail stops moving, her head going back down on her paws. She'swilting; drooping, waning, becoming limp.

Just like the peppermint.

"She's fine. Why would you even ask that question, Asher?" Mactiir sounds angry. "You think I can't care for my mate?"

The tinny voice coming from the box goes higher in pitch. I can hear the slight babble. Apologies, over and over.

Mactiir stands abruptly, startling me. His face softens when he looks at me. Warm walnut-eyes are gazing at me with a kind expression. "Hey,Qitsuk. You want to go on a walk with me?"

I come to my feet eagerly. The garden can wait.

Entwining my hand with his, Mactiir tugs me forward. Flush against his chest, he dips his head and brushes my mouth with his.

A small part of me is disappointed when he pulls away. His eyes are warm as a summer's eve when he looks at me. "You are so beautiful, my luna," he says softly. "I don't think you understand just what a miracle you are. I never thought I'd find my mate, and you just drop from the sky, a gift from the goddess."

Well, the river brought me here, actually, but at least he's thanking the goddess. He's not a complete heathen.

And, a mate... These words this male uses...mate,luna. Everyone keeps saying these things, but I never heard of them before. Mama never told me. She just warned me about males, about the Pack. I know she meant it, too. She was scared.

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