Page 76 of Untamed

Weak to Mactiir's anger.

I shift and rush into his arms. They envelop me. Not as thick or broad as Mactiir's, but still so nice. My she-wolf thrums with one thought;safe.

"Why don't you take her up to your loft, Sarj?" the Dark Male says quietly. Something soft and fuzzy is draped over my shoulders. "See if she'll take a nap. She's still exhausted from the Mark and... well... everything. Keep her warm. I'll get something for her to drink."

A thick arm hits me...

No. No, I have to forget that. I can feel my body get cold every time I think of Mactiir stopping me, of his harshness toward me, and his protection of the other female.

As the Pup leads me up the stairs to his den, all I can think about is what Mama always said; pack males will destroy me if they think they can get a better female. Mactiir chose her over me. He wants that other female.

The Pup tries to tuck me into the bed in the very corner of the den. I refuse to budge, not wanting the cold, barren corner. It feels wrong, empty. He tries to pull me to his spot instead, and the warmth there makes me burrow deeper into the bedding. He brings two more blankets, tucking the first around my curled-up body, nice and tight. But when he tries to place the second on me, I smell Mactiir on the blanket.

With a low snarl, I snatch the blanket away and throw it to the floor.

"Shit, OK. Your m-mate's smell... it's supposed to help. But... shit, don't cry, Cat. You'll be OK." The Pup grabs another blanket, one that smells more of him than Mactiir, and drapes it over me.

I send a little growl his way. I am not crying. I don't cry. Father taught me never to cry.

Tears are for weak, pathetic females. You be a little bitch, and don't you ever cry.

"OK," the Pup laughs a little, just a little huff of air, really, but his body relaxes a little. "You do you, kitty-cat. Want to listen to some music? Maybe it'll make you feel better."

He messes around with some of his boxes and shiny things, and a beautiful sound fills the air.

"Nice, isn't it? Most wolves my-our age don't like this classical stuff, but it's good. Soothing."

I offer the Pup a smile. It issoothing; calming, reassuring, consoling.

The Dark Male is coming up the steps. I look at the door, and the Pup gets up to greet him.

"Is she better?"

"I guess so?" the Pup responds, sounding uncertain.

"Try to get her to drink this. The sugar and warmth will help with any residual shock. Rhet called and told me they'll be a while."

The Pup is quiet.

"Let me know right away if she's shaking or too cold, understand?"

"I know, Thjis," the Pup says, sullen. He's different when he talks to me, moreanimated; energetic, spirited, vivid.

I look at him, fascinated, as he walks back with a grey mug of some sweetly-scented, steaming liquid. He holds it out to me with a smile. "Compliments of the medic," he says cheerfully.

I stare at the mug. I can't take something from his hand. I already made that mistake once with Mactiir. Never again.

"Ah, kitty? What's up?" he shifts on his feet, the mug held steadily between both his palms.

I curl up a little more deeply into the blankets, pulling one up to my nose, covering my mouth.

"You don't like it?" the Pup looks at the mug doubtfully. "It's just some chamomile tea with a shit-ton of sugar." He holds it out for another second or two, but when I don't budge out from my cocoon, he shrugs and sets it down on the shelf next to the bed.

He pulls over a chair and sits in it, playing with the thin black box he likes so much. I watch him and wonder. Something about the Pup seems ill-fitting, as if he doesn't quite belong in his body. A strange sort of energy pulses just under his warm, russet skin. I reach out, careful not to touch him, butalmost. My fingertips hover over the pulse in his inner elbow. The Pup looks up from the box and searches my eyes, and I see it deep in those soft depths.

The lonely crazy of my Father.

Fear is first, but it's swiftly followed by sorrow and pity. This sweet male will grow bitter and mean when his wolf comes, and his wolf will be here soon.

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