Page 17 of Wolf Forsaken

"With Cole? Have you been with him?"

I nearly choked on my saliva. "What? No."

"Have you ever wanted to?" What the heck was going on?

A whole-body tremor shook me, and I wished we were as hot-blooded as the movies always made us seem. Our wolves could handle the cold, but we could still freeze our nuts off in our human forms.

Xander laid down and opened his blanket. "Come here."

I looked at him wide-eyed. "What?"

"Is that your favorite word? Come here. We can make a burrito to stay warm." He didn't even seem to be that cold.

"I don't know." Another tremor shook my body, and I laid down in front of him. I needed the warmth, and he was offering.

He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer, pulling the edge of his blanket around me.

"Don't be so tense." He breathed against my ear, and I shivered, but not from the cold. "I don't bite."

But maybe a small part of me wanted him to.

Chapter Six

Cole

My entire body ached as I ran through the foot-deep snow, leading my former pack mates, and now enemies, away from Eli and Xander. I knew what was going to happen the second we broke through the basement door. Dante wouldn’t leave either escape route uncovered.

If sacrificing myself to save Eli was the last thing I did in my life, then the pain was worth it.But what about Ivy?

I had to believe she was okay and had gotten away. She had nearly escaped from me, so getting free of Dante's clutches would be a walk in the park. Unfortunately, he not only had guns, but tranquilizer guns. It was hard to outrun a speeding bullet.

She couldn't be dead. I could still sense she was alive in my soul.

I passed a tree that I was sure I had passed before and turned, knowing they were gaining on me. The visibility was dropping by the minute, and I could barely see. It was going to save me or lead to my untimely death.

Something hit my flank, sending me flying off course and right into a tree. I scrambled to get up, but my legs gave out, my sensitive belly hitting the cold snow with a flash of pain. Darkness flooded my vision, and I felt like I was being pulled down into the ground.

My father circled me, baring his teeth as I pulled myself to my feet, considering my next move. I was just shy of my eighteenth birthday and he wanted to ensure that when I took my place as his lead beta, that I could hold my own. Not only that, but that when I eventually took his place, that I could maintain it.

"Don't hesitate. That gives them time to think." He lunged for me and I was unprepared, taking a nip to my back leg as I tried to get out of the way.

Doing as he instructed, I didn't think about the sting of the cut. Instead, I spun around and jumped on his back.

"That's it!" He threw me off. "But not good enough."

"Can we take a break? We've been doing this for an hour." I needed water and maybe a rabbit.

"Those that wish to take your position in the pack won’t care that you're tired and hungry." He circled me again. "They will come at you when you're at your weakest. You can't ever stop pushing back."

"No one in the pack even comes close to the strength we have." It was true, too. Even my father's current head beta and his son were nothing compared to us.

"Sometimes the weakest believe themselves to be strong and will stop at nothing to get what they want. If the weakest challenges you, do not hesitate to kill them."

I chuffed. "It will be a cold day in hell if someone challenges one of us."

"Cole?"Ivy's voice was in my head and I jerked awake.

"Ivy?"I was met with silence.

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