Page 7 of Howling With Wolves

“We’ll kill him,” Donovan interrupted. “I’ll shred him.”

Cyan didn’t say anything to that. He knew Donovan and I were ready to claim Emma as our mate. We’d made that abundantly clear when I’d called my best friend to help me transport her to our house.

“I want to see her when she wakes up. Talk to her,” Cyan commanded.

“As soon as she’s ready,” I agreed.

“We want to know as soon as you or Nico know what’s going on,” Donovan added.

“Last time I saw her, I was barely eighteen. She was ten. Tiny little thing. Quiet. She didn’t run around hooting and hollering like a kid should. Had her nose in a book. Barely looked up from it. Until our mom walked to her. Her mom,” Cyan corrected himself. “Emma’s face lit up then. She became so animated.”

“What happened then?” I asked. “Did they see you?”

Cyan shook his head. “I’d planned to confront Claire Richards. I was as big as my dad had been by then. Wanted to show her it hadn’t hurt when she’d tossed me away. That I was fine. But she’d already replaced me. She was laughing andhappy. It was as if I’d never existed. I walked away and never looked back.”

That had to hurt. I couldn’t imagine. My mother had loved me until the day she’d died. She’d been older when I was born, a single wolf who’d taken on the role of pack auntie when she’d never been blessed with children. Then I’d arrived. Mom had never talked about my father other than to say he’d been passing through and they’d spent a wonderful night together. He hadn’t been her mate. Hadn’t been the great love of her life. He’d been a passionate moment on a cold night that had given her the greatest love of her life. Me.

I’d left the pack when she died. Maybe, stepped into the shoes of my drifter father while I rode my motorcycle from town to town. Then I’d met Donovan. A few months later, we’d run into Simon Hollister, our alpha’s personal guard. We’d helped him round up a few rogue wolves who’d tried to stir up trouble for the newly formed James Pack. A few days later, Donovan and I had joined the pack along with Michael. Now, we were part of the most respected and feared wolf packs to exist.

“He killed my father,” Cyan shared. “My uncle did. He wanted my mom but not me. She chose him. Chose him and a new life and never gave me another thought.” He blew out a rough breath.

“It’s not Emma’s fault,” Donovan stated, a growl in his throat.

“No, it’s not,” Cyan agreed. “If she agrees to the bond, I’ll accept that. I won’t stand in the way. If she doesn’t, I need you to know she’ll still be welcome in this pack. She came to me. I won’t make her regret that.”

“Understood,” I agreed, but Donovan growled.

“Donovan?” Cyan growled back.

“Understood,” he muttered then turned and made his way back to the bedroom where Emma still slept.

Chapter Four

~Donovan~

Rage boiled inside me, and I needed an outlet. Fucking or fighting. Those were what I’d normally searched out, but I could do neither while my mate was deep in slumber. Instead, I slipped an arm around her waist and tugged her closer to my chest, spooning her. Even with the covers between our bodies, I knew she’d be able to feel my erection when she woke. I wanted her, and I wasn’t hiding it. It was hard enough to curb the need to strip us both to the skin and join her under the covers. My wolf wanted to mount her, bite her, mate her. I was desperate for it as if she might slip through our fingers otherwise.

I leaned down and ran my nose up the column of her throat. Her scent made my mouth water. I closed my eyes, inhaling, breathing her in.

“You calling it a night?” Anthony asked as he entered the bedroom, tugging his shirt over his head and tossing it into the hamper.

“Yeah.”

He grunted as he stripped off his jeans then slipped onto the bed on her other side. Neither of us were sleeping away from her. Not when we’d been hoping and waiting to find her, a woman who would be a mate to both of us. We’d bought a big house with plenty of rooms, but this was the one we’d furnished with the purpose of sharing it with her. The bed was large enough for three with enough room so we wouldn’t be right on top of each other, unless that was what we wanted.

“The bruises are healing,” Anthony said as he moved in until her forehead was in his neck. “When she wakes, we should take her for a run. Let her wounds finish healing while she’s in wolf form.”

I barely held back the growl in my chest. I’d never forget how she’d looked when she’d been tossed out and left at Cyan’s doorstep. Technically, she’d stepped out of the car, but it didn’t matter. She’d ended up in a crumpled heap in a driveway, and if I ever crossed paths with the man who’d left her, I’d gut him. Emma had deep bruises, healing bones, and shadows in her gaze. I wanted to make the one who’d hurt her suffer. And I would once she was awake long enough to give us the information we needed.

“I want—”

Her moan had my lips snapping closed as she moved between us. We both stilled. She nuzzled into Anthony’s neck while her ass rubbed along the length of my cock. I dropped one hand to her hip, gripping her as she wiggled against me.

“Touch me,” she demanded.

“Open your eyes,” Anthony commanded, but I was already on board, grinding my length against her lush ass while I licked at the base of her neck.

“That’s it, love. Show me those gorgeous green eyes,” Anthony murmured while I continued planting sucking kisses along the side of her throat. “There you are.”

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