Page 12 of The Wolf's Pregnant Rejected Mate

Her mouth opened with a small popping noise. It sounded way too loud in the silence of the cabin.

Ryder ran a hand through his dark hair. “It’s been this way for as long as I can remember. Something about a woman who can hold her own in a battle sets me on fire. And you were amazing. You went for it without abandon. With proper training, I bet you’d be a real force to be reckoned with.”

Nobody had ever said she was good at fighting. Should she be insulted? Ryder said it as though he admired her, but she’d always taught that a she-wolf must be meek. Submissive. She must be small and allow her man to dominate the relationship and their lives together. No man wanted a bossy woman—just look at Echo. Her fierceness was what kept her from finding a mate.

That’s what she wastaught. But here Ryder was, telling her that it was her fighting, not her submission, that turned him on.

“To be clear, I’m not into hurting each other,” Ryder said, lifting his dark blue eyes back to hers. “Playful fighting. Love nips. A few bruises at most.”

“I… okay,” Tess said. Her cheeks went hot as she looked away again. What was she supposed to say to that?

The silence followed was like a swarm of bugs crawling on her skin. Her muscles ached with the need to be used. She paced from one end of the cabin to the other, but the energy kept building. She felt as though she was going to explode if she couldn’t find a way to dispel some of it.

“Are they still out there?” she asked finally.

Ryder, who had been by the window all this time, peeked through the shutters. “Yes.”

How long until someone came to rescue them? Tess’s stomach rumbled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since midday yesterday. Great. Another thing to think about.

To distract herself, she asked, “How did your team find out that the demons were being active here in Bluebell Valley? Don’t you have to go wherever the military sends you?”

Ryder shook his head. “We are a military division, yes. But as trained demon fighters, we are allowed to go wherever we feel we need to be. Since Bluebell Valley is a hotbed of demon activity, we’ll stay here. With Hayden as Alpha, I’m sure we’ll keep it as a home base even after we’ve finally cleared out the area.”

Tess leaned on the wall, resting her head against the rough planks.

“The special ops were developed a hundred years ago, after the mass suicide at the Hunter compound. Demons were responsible for it,” he added, glancing at her. “We’re hand-picked out of the regular military ranks for our skills and given special training. As for how we knew Bluebell Valley was a hotbed…” His brow furrowed. “The higher-ups have ways of finding that out. They keep a secret; the less the teams know, the less the demons can find out from them.”

Tess nodded her understanding. “And why are these ones targeting me?”

Ryder’s eyebrows furrowed. He looked so fierce that it made her heart beat faster. But it wasn’t anger, though at first glance Tess thought it was. No, he was simply deep in thought.

“I wish I knew that,” he said slowly. “It would help me protect you better.”

Her heart fluttered this time. “You… really do want to protect me, don’t you?”

Ryder lifted one eyebrow. “Of course. I’m not letting anything happen to my little sister’s best friend.”

Right. Tess folded her arms tighter across her chest.

“It’s just surprising. They’d do more damage if they possessed me,” Ryder said, his tone flippant.

A cold ball of dread slipped down Tess’s throat to weigh heavily in her stomach. “What do you mean?”

“I’m the Beta. I have more knowledge of the special ops team.”

“But… you can be possessed?” Tess pressed.

Ryder frowned at her. “Yes. I have the talisman implanted to protect me, but if they were to cut it out, I’d be as vulnerable as anyone else. It’s also a fairly new discovery, so we aren’t sure of the extent of its protection.”

Goosebumps rose along Tess’s arms. Echo had been possessed for some time last year. She still refused to talk about what it had been like for her, trapped in her own body. Tess had thought that was a terrifying enough thought, but some part of her was reassured that at least Ryder would be able to get back to town. He couldn’t be possessed.

Apparently, she’d been wrong.

“So, you weren’t chosen because you’re immune to possession or something?” she exclaimed.

Ryder shook his head. “No. A demon can possess anyone except other demons. How did you think Zealuv possessed Hayden last year if we were immune?”

Tess’s head swam. She felt faint, as though her life had just been turned upside down. “I thought it was a special case. That Zealuv could only do that because he was an archdemon. That you were all protected against the aura-demons.”

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