Page 5 of The Wolf's Pregnant Rejected Mate

“There’s a safehouse nearby that’s warded against the demons,” Ryder said in his rough voice. “We’re going there to take care of your injuries and assess the situation before you get yourself even more beat up.”

From anyone else, that might sound like concern. Tess knew better than to think Ryder was worried about her, though. His tone said it all. He was annoyed with her and didn’t want to be left defending her if the possessed wolves came back.

She squirmed on his shoulder, trying to maneuver herself off. His arm was tight around her waist, holding her in place. The feeling of her skin sliding against his, the friction between them, only made her even more embarrassed. If she could feel the hard planes of his muscles, that meant he could feel the squish of her rolls.

“Put me down,” she insisted, holding her feet in the air. She thought about bracing them against his hip to push off, but what if she got a little too far down and to the side?

The last thing she needed right now was to give Ryder an accidental foot job.

To her relief, Ryder heaved her off his shoulder. He put her on her feet. But before she could steady herself, one of his hands was on her hip, the other on her shoulder. He pressed her back, pushing her against a tree—the rough bark bit into her skin. Tess yelped, covering herself automatically. She lifted a knee, keeping it between them.

Ryder didn’t try to close the distance, though. His eyes flashed as he glared into her face. “Just do as I say.”

His voice was layered with authority and dominance. Tess’s heartbeat pounded, and her wolf howled in delight. This was exactly what she wanted. To be pushed up against a tree, his strong, hot body so close to hers. She wanted someone to desire her so much that they couldn’t hold themselves back. Her knees went weak. The leg she’d lifted to keep his from her lowered to the ground. Now she wanted him closer. Wanted him to touch her in ways she had never been touched.

And Tess hated how much she wanted it. This was the man who rejected her. She should be over him already! She shouldn’t want him so badly. And yet, if he kissed her right now, she’d let him do whatever he wanted with her body.

Focus, she told herself. Her hormones were getting in the way, but she was a grown woman, dammit! She wasn’t going to let him get under her skin. She let out a shaky breath and forced herself to think about the situation. She wasn’t sure how far they were from town; the possessed wolves had chased her for some time before they cornered her. And who knew when they planned to come back.

Realistically, she didn’t have a choice. She had to go with him.

“All right,” she said reluctantly.

She lifted her chin, calling on her inner reserves of strength. Just because it was an impossible situation didn’t mean she had to be cowed by it. “I want my clothes, though. I’m not running around the forest with you naked like this.”

Annoyance flashed in Ryder’s eyes, but he stepped back. “There are clothes at the cabin. We can continue in our human form for the time being. We’ll have to climb over some large stones that are difficult to traverse in wolf form.”

Tess nodded silently. She didn’t like the idea and would prefer to be in wolf form where her fur and tail could cover her, but there wasn’t much point in arguing.

They got to the rocks soon enough. Tess’s eyes widened when she saw the construction. A smallish cabin sat atop a hill, which had been covered in closely packed and uneven boulders. It looked treacherous, even more so by the sheer incline. Ryder was right, no wolf would be able to scale that.

“I can’t climb up that,” she protested. She was already out of breath from the chase to getting here.

Ryder grunted. “I’ll boost you.”

“Give me a minute.” She sat on a rock, grimacing at the cold feel beneath her. She crossed her legs and arranged her arms to cover herself as best as she could. “Why did those demons come after me?”

Ryder stood with his back to her, watching the forest. “They were probably trying to possess you. It’d be a blow to Mica to lose you, and anything that hurts the Luna hurts the pack.”

He was so flippant about it. Tess’s stomach tightened. That’s what she thought. They had been herding her, and there had been a few times when they could have done more damage than they did. She stared at the bleeding bite marks on her legs and felt others pull on her back and shoulders. They’d been trying to weaken her, not kill her.

A shudder ran down her spine, and she jumped to her feet. Despite her exhaustion, all she wanted was to get into the cabin and be safe from the demons.

Ryder was quiet as he laced his fingers together, giving her a place to step. He boosted her up, but it was still difficult for Tess to drag herself up each layer of rock. When they reached the top, her heart pounded, and her lungs ached.

The cabin was smaller than it had seemed from below. It had one bedroom, little more than a roof, and four walls. A few bundles were tucked away in the rafters.

Ryder pulled down one of the bundles. “Extra clothes.”

He tossed them at her. Tess gratefully shook out the bundle. But her relief quickly died away. As she sorted through the pants and shirts, one thing became very, very clear. None of these were going to fit her. She bit back on the bitter taste in her mouth and chose the largest pair of jeans.

They came to mid-thigh and wouldn’t go any further. The biggest T-shirt made a ripping noise as she tried to push her arms through. There was nothing stretchy, nothing that she could try to make work.

“Is there anything else?” she tried, fighting to keep her voice even. How was it that the special ops, with their huge muscles and powerfully built bodies, were all smaller than she was?

“No.” Ryder had already dressed and was looking over a handful of what appeared to be electronics. He didn’t so much as glance at her. “Sorry, there isn’t anything more girly for you.”

The gruff, sarcastic remark cut deep. Tess clutched the T-shirt to her chest, the pants laying across her lap in an attempt to give her some modesty. How could he stand there and be so cruel? This wasn’t a shopping trip where she could only find muumuus or giant, gaudy floral patterns to cover her body with.

---