Page 51 of Fated to the Feral Wolf

I nearly broke a tooth, I ground my jaw so hard. But I held on, letting the touch of a pack mate steady me. It was foreign after so long being on my own, but we were wolves, and somethings ran deeper than others. The need for comforting touch was the deepest of them all.

I watched in tortured silence as Jada approached Shay, whose coloring was thankfully starting to return to normal. She nervously tucked a wild, curly strand of hair behind her ear as the bear leader stopped in front of her. Jada sized her up silently for a moment, before extending her hand.

Brielle stepped forward, shaking her head. “Shay, you don’t have to do this. You’ve been through a lot today, and this can wait for another time. Or never.” Her words were firm, and that still-water scent I’d come to associate with her was charged, as if a lightning bolt had struck the pond and ozone hung heavy in the cave.

“It’s okay,” my brave mate whispered. Shay slowly raised her hand to Jada’s, even as she leaned back, away from the contact.

When their palms met, nothing happened that I could tell. But Jada’s eyes widened, and she held on tightly with both hands for a moment before pulling away.

“Those imbeciles mistook a fae’s warning as mating energy. Goddess have mercy on me.” She shook her head and rounded on the young males, but my brain was stuck like a truck in a mud pit.

Fae warning? What the fuck was she on about?

Jada dressed down the males for a solid two minutes before sending them out of the cave with an escort and a promise of punishment after our delegation had left their island. Once they were gone, the tension around us eased. The rest of the bears in the cave all went back to their happy chatter since the show was apparently over.

One of Jada’s mates spoke next. “If you will please follow us, we’ve prepared a small reception for you in our private quarters.” He nodded politely and held up a hand the size of a dinner plate to indicate the direction.

I wanted to take Shay’s hand or wrap my arm around heragain, but I hesitated, the surety that my touch was unwelcome stopping me. As long as I lived, I’d never forget the way she looked when she jerked back from me as if I was going to hit her.

So I stayed at Gael’s side and followed the bears, leaving Shay in her friends’ care.

THIRTY-FOUR

Shay

Jada’s private quarters were surprisingly luxurious. Though that probably shouldn’t have been completely unexpected. Not everyone lived close to the land, like Inuksuk and his people, and many shifters were very wealthy. Compound interest did wonders when you lived for centuries on end. Plus, Reed wasn’t even that old, and he was already rich as fuck.

The receiving room was full of ornate furniture with scrollwork details on the back, plush rugs underfoot, and heavy gold sconces on the walls. It reeked of Old World wealth, sitting right on the verge of overpowering the natural beauty of the rock the room seemed to be carved from.

But as I settled into an extremely comfortable settee, I found myself grateful for it. I did at least resist the urge to pull up my feet and curl into a protective ball, but only just barely.

I felt like one giant, exposed nerve, walking around frayed and vulnerable. The last thing I wanted to do was be polite and social when I really needed quiet and solitude after getting manhandled.

So many memories were fighting to drown me, tugging atmy clothes and pulling me under the surface until my wolf came out and saved me.

Because that was what she did. She guarded me as closely as my friends and wasn’t afraid to take control if I froze up.

She’d done it before.

A server pressed a cup of steaming coffee into my hand, and I accepted it. The first sip had me closing my eyes, willing the world to fade back just a little bit so I could grit my way through this. It’s funny how something as small as a cup of coffee can ground you with its familiarity in times of stress. But after a few sips, I felt marginally better.

Jada settled on the couch across from us that was oversized and large enough to hold her entire sleuth comfortably, though only one of them sat.

To my chagrin, I realized Dirge was hovering a few feet away as well. I was a woman divided; part of me wanted to drag him close, bury my face in his neck, and let him shield me from everything. The other part—the scared little girl who’d been hurt by bad men—she wanted to be alone. Safe. Untouched.

I didn’t know which part was bigger, even though I was certain Dirge would never harm me. At least not on purpose. When the server had finished his rounds and bowed to Jada, he backed out of the room and one of her mates shut the door behind him.

Once we were alone, she didn’t waste any time.

“So, is your fae wolf the one who’s brought you here, High Alpha? I may have misunderstood, but when Inuksuk contacted me I thought he said it was your own mate who had power troubles.” She let her gaze linger on Brielle, then flicked it back over to me in question.

There was curiosity there, but all I felt was confusion. She’d said that before, when I shook her hand, and I had no fucking clue what she was talking about.

“I’m not fae,” I blurted. I immediately regretted it, as everyeye turned in my direction. I was getting really friggin’ sick of feeling like a bug under a microscope today.

Belatedly, I realized it might be construed as rude to argue with this leader we’d come to beg a favor from. But… she had to be mistaken. I was a garden-variety wolf shifter, with nothing but a terrible childhood and excellent friends to distinguish me from any other.

She arched one eyebrow, as imperious as any queen while she sipped her coffee and stared at me. Staredintome, more like.

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