Page 28 of Auctioned Wolf Bride

I groaned, shaking my head to clear the image. One, it wasn’t true, and two, that was just the mating bond talking. It was making me weirdly protective of him. The thought of anything happening to him sent my wolf snarling, ready to attack whatever imaginary thing was threatening him. But he was fine.

Glancing outside, I could practically smell the fresh air, hear the birds, feel the wind brushing against my skin. I’d been trapped in a basement for a day, and since then, I was stuck in a safe house. It wasn’t exactly an upgrade. I needed to get out. To feel the fall air and enjoy the woods, even if only for a few minutes.

Hesitating, I bit my lip, wondering if I was about to make a huge mistake. Going outside was risky, and I knew Tannen wouldn’t be happy about it. But the longer I stayed in here, the more annoyed my wolf got, and the more agitated I felt.

I couldn’t stay here. I had to get out. Besides, I’d be out and back in no time. Tannen wouldn’t need to know.

Fresh air wafted into my nose the instant I cracked the door open. I breathed in deep, the smell practically intoxicating. I pricked my ears, listening for anything amiss. When the only thing I heard was birdsong, I pushed the door open more fully and stepped outside.

The crisp fall air was like a drug. I breathed in deep, sighing. Moving deeper into the woods, I continued to wander, keeping my ear out and staying close to the safe house. Just getting out for a little bit helped ease some of the anxiety and clear my head. It felt like everything had blurred together.

As I continued wandering, I let my mind wander as my wolf enjoyed the fresh air. After everything that had happened, it felt so peaceful just to—

A branch cracked behind me.

I froze, barely breathing, heart hammering. I sniffed the air, expecting the same scents that had assaulted my nose when Viktor had found me. Except there wasn’t any scent. Whoever it was had covered it. There was definitely someone there, though. Slowly, I pulled out my knife, ready to attack.

I turned and nearly screamed.

Tannen stood right behind me, arms folded. Anger and frustration radiated off him in waves, mixing with his scent. He glared at me.

“What the hell are you doing?” he demanded, coming to stand directly in front of me.

“I was just going out for a walk,” I said.

“While there are a bunch of assholes coming for you?” Tannen demanded. “For us? Don’t you think this is a little reckless?”

“I know how to handle myself,” I retorted.

“Oh, you mean like how you handled yourself when they came for you the first time?” he fired back.

I glowered at him, mouth opening and closing in rage, partially because as much as I hated to admit it, he had a point. I had messed up, and those guys had caught me off-guard.

“That isn’t going to happen again,” I said through clenched teeth.

“I know it isn’t,” Tannen said, coming even closer. His enticing scent wafted over me, tempting me as he leaned in.“Because I’m not letting it happen again. You and I are tied together now. I have to protect you, because if I don’t, there’s a chance I’m throwing my own life away. I don’t know how strong these claiming bonds can get, but I’ve heard enough stories to know that I can’t let anything happen to you.”

“How selfless,” I said dryly. “Glad to know you only care about me because your own skin is at risk.”

He ignored the jab. “Are you coming or not?’

Folding my arms, I considered just plopping down where I was and refusing to move. I didn’t like being bossed around. But one look at his face told me that he wasn’t in the mood, and as annoyed as I was, I wasn’t going to push his buttons right now. Grumbling in irritation, I gave a short jerk of my head and followed along after him.

“Why did you go outside in the first place?” he demanded once we got back into the safe house.

“I wanted to get out,” I said.

He frowned, giving a “go on” gesture that indicated he knew I wasn’t telling the whole truth.

I groaned, heat flooding my face. I didn’t want to admit this next part. “I needed to get away from your scent. It’s been driving my wolf crazy. I was hoping that getting away from it for a bit would calm her down.”

That was a tame way of putting it. His scent everywhere meant he was constantly on my mind, images of what I wanted to do with him playing over and over in my head.

“Did it work?” he asked.

I scowled. “Do you really want the answer to that?”

“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t.”

---