Page 69 of Untamed

Now that Mactiir isn't blocking my view of her with his too-wide muscles and too-tall body, I can see the marks on her. Dark hair that drifts over her shoulders can't hide the scar on her forehead or chin. Her eyes look like the trees in the autumn, honey yellow and golden brown, and dark bark. I feel a bitjealous; envious, covetous, grabby. Her eyes have the best colors.

"Sweetie, how do you feel?" the Moon asks me.

I tuck myself closer to Mactiir. I don't dislike the Moon, but I can't say that I trust her, either.

She takes a lock of her hair and tucks it behind her ear. My she-wolf and I go still. All over her neck, there are scars. Our eyes are caught by those wounds. My hand comes up to touch the scab on my neck that Mactiir left behind.

"It's Inuit's Mark," the Moon tells me. "You're young, but then he is too," she grumbles the last part a little.

I frown, not understanding. My wound can't be as bad as hers. The Moon has teeth marks, wounds to her neck, injuries that can kill. BlueStar rubs his thumb over the most frightening one, right on her jugular, a proud look on his face.

He is proud of himself for hurting the Moon. I move in perfect unison with my she-wolf towards Blue Star. He is too tall for us to go for his throat easily, so we go for the next-best spot.

"Motherfucker!" he chokes out, clutching himself between the legs as he sinks to his knees, the color washing out of his face. I glare down at him and try to maneuver between the Moon and BlueStar, but Mactiir is there, pulling me into his arms and swaying unsteadily. I flinch, just the slightest bit. Hebitme.

"Don't touch her," Mactiir manages to say. Why is he touching me, then? Stupid Ogre. The male with yellow hair like me falls over, making odd, choking noises and clutching his stomach. My she-wolf preens. We put two grown males on the ground with only one blow.

"She just..." the Moon says slowly. "Oh, Rhet, are you alright? Ez, stop it!" she scolds the smaller male.

The Laughing male doesn't listen. He keeps up his guffaws until tears are pouring from his eyes. Even the Dark Male is snickering.

"She's dangerous," I hear the whisper from the dead tree female.

"Quiet," Mactiir rumbles, the vibration from his chest leaking into my body. I snuggle closer to the feeling.

"Why are you here, Elna?" the Moon asks. "What happened?"

BlueStar climbs back to his feet gingerly, eyeing me warily. "Elna made the mistake of pissing off our little luna, Angel."

"How?" the Moon asks him.

"She tried to touch me. I belong toQitsuk. Correct, Elna?" Mactiir says. My entire body infuses with warmth. He belongs to me. He said it himself.MyMactiir.

"Touch him how?" the Moon questions.

"Just his arm," the female whispers. "She was standing there, and she looked so...wild. I didn't think..."

"No, you didn't think," BlueStar says. He looks at me, blue eyes burning bright. "Inuit, you Marked your mate before she even understood what that means."

"I'll explain it all to her," Mactiir says. "Alone."

The Moon smirks. Her smile is as cold and remote as the darkest winter's night. "The Elders will want to know why you didn't wait for a Mating Ceremony. You can explain it all to them while you're trying to explain this to your mate. You took her choice away, In. You still are." Those eyes find the chain at my waist in an instant and narrow.

"I'm not removing it," Mactiir says resolutely.

"She's too young to have this pressure put on her."

The Moon is stubborn.

"You were how old when you started to fight for your position?" Mactiir shoots back. "My mate is a survivor just like you."

Something passes over the eyes of the Moon. Sorrow, a memory, a hurting.

"I know what it's like, In. I know what it's like to be tossed into the maelstrom. You need to be careful. Can't you smell the innocence and power in her? Rhet's right about what she is. No chain and bells are going to tame her." Autumn eyes stare into mine. "I don't know if anything can tame her. Not that chain, not your Mark."

"Let her be wild," Mactiir says. "Let her be completely untamed. She's stillmine.”

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