Page 98 of Never Submit

“Thereissomething,” she insists. “I know what I feel. And you have a lot of questions to answer.”

“You don’t even know what you are.”

I take a grim pleasure in watching her flinch back. That was a little harsher than necessary. So cold I almost freeze myself.

“I’m getting married,” I remind her. “What happened between us is never going to happen again. No matter how pretty you look when you beg.”

Ren’s hands fist at her sides. “I know what you’re trying to do.”

“Oh? Care to enlighten me?” I ask haughtily, giving her the option to either fall in line or disappear. The second is the more preferable.

“You’re being a shithead to push me away.”

Her hormones are out of control. I smell her now, so much better than when she was human. They drive her. They consume me.

Like a magnet I’m drawn to her. Against my will. “I’m attempting to get you to focus on the bigger picture rather than on your emotions. They have no place here. Look around you.” I pull up short and grab her by the shoulders.

The second I make contact with her, feeling the heat rush off her skin, I’m burned. I’m scalded to my core and electricity zaps through myfingertips.

“There is so much to do. The scope is massive. You want to insert yourself where you don’t belong? I’ve made sure your friend is safe, haven’t I? Find someone else to fuck around with. And leave me alone.”

I force her back and hate myself at the flash of pain in her eyes.

“I’m just supposed to take your word on it?” she challenges.

Then I turn away and block her out the way I block out everything else. It’s better this way, I tell myself. Better for Ren to understand now that there’s no chance for us. No matter how badly I crave her.

Chapter 22

Mathis

Getting the packs to cooperate is nothing but pure chaos. As I thought it would be.

What choice is left?

Not a fucking one, because the camp has got to be home for the foreseeable future. Whatever it takes to turn the wreck of a landscape into something warm, familiar, and, most importantly, protected, I’ll do it.

Not that I’ll ever fucking admit it to Torin, but he chose right. The camp is perfect.

It’s sheltered by the forest on one side and the algae-covered lake on the other. Far enough from Grey Mountain to offer a semblance of security.

I draw in a frosty breath and hold it in my lungs, stalking through the cabins. They need some work. But they’re livable in their current condition, as he stated. And like hell we need the added stress of workmen coming in and out with their trucks and supplies.

It’s bad enough we risked exposure by moving so many wolves out here at one time. We didn’t have any time to be discreet. Not when Andras is poised to attack again.

Owen joins me, his head hung low to his chest and twin scratches marking the side of his cheek. Scars to remind him of his failure to protect his wife. “Mathis, we need a plan to get Flora back.”

I shouldn't have to remind him, but this is the third time in as many days where he’s cornered me. “We’re ill-equipped to take on Andras in our current situation. We lost too many to the last attack.”

I understand where he’s coming from. I want Flora back as much as he does. I lost a friend, but he lost a mate, and no doubt he’s being driven out of his mind.

“I know what the guy looks like, though,” Owen insists. “If we know, then we can find him. He’s missing an eye. He’s not exactly inconspicuous, Mathis. Flora scratched it out herself. She did a brave thing by taking out his eye.”

I clap him on the shoulder. “And you should be mighty proud of that, Owen. Right now, I need you to watch after your girls. Make sure they know they’re safe. Let me handle getting our women back.”

He stares at me, hopeless, dark-eyed. I doubt he’s been getting any sleep with his mate gone. “They miss their mom.”

Go ahead and gut me, why don’t you?

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