Page 20 of Wanted By the Wolves

The alpha lets out a soft chuckle. “Quit that.”

Briggs's hand finds her fur, stroking down her side. Back and forth, the alpha sets a slow rhythm. It feels nice, the way his solid warmth next to mine is grounding.

The overall coziness of the room adds to that homey feeling of the nest. Bookshelves loaded with haphazard piles are stuffedin every little nook, making the space feel closed in despite its size. Plants bloom in corners, sometimes growing up the walls or on the shelves. The space is messy and worn, and the wooden furniture is scraped. It’s lived in.

Even if my stay here is temporary, it’s peaceful.

A light, airy sound comes from my wolf.

Well, damn.

She’s purring.

The soft sound causes my brain to reboot. Wolves usually only purr for their mates. Maybe it’s because he’s injured and she knows he saved me? Whatever the reason, it freaks me the fuck out.

Briggs makes an appreciative sound in his throat. “Thank you, little omega.”

His eyes close. It only takes a few minutes for the alpha to fall asleep.

My wolf is content to watch over him in our new den, her purr steady while I try to make sense of the sound.

I decide to go with it. Crotch sniffing aside, my wolf’s instincts haven’t steered me wrong. Not when it counts. If it turns out that this place isn’t what it seems, then I’ll fight if I have to, but I’m tired of running.

If it’s just for a little while, I want to soak in the peace while it lasts. Maybe I can give some back to these alphas who risked so much to keep me safe.

Chapter 12

Nova

My wolf licks Briggs’s face, and he groans, trying to cover himself from another tongue attack.

“All right, I’m up,” he mumbles.

She licks him again for good measure. The alpha slept all day while my wolf kept up a steady purr. I’m pretty sure I dozed at one point, but the scents coming from the kitchen are too much to ignore.

My wolf tried to hold out for him. She doesn’t want him in pain, and she knows he needs rest, but the lure of another meal is too tempting.

Briggs sits up and scratches her head. “That purr of yours is dangerous. I can see how my brother is hooked.” He nuzzles her snout, rubbing himself against her nose to nose. “You're going to wreck me with it, aren't you, pretty girl?”

She loves the affection, but right now, she’s too hungry to be patient. She backs out of his embrace and dances in place, giving an urgent yip.

Briggs lets loose a throaty laugh. “All right. You go on. I’m coming right behind you.”

She takes off, darting across the room and down the hall. The wooden floor makes it slippery, and she practically skids into the kitchen, barreling into a pair of tree-trunk thighs.

Dex.

He smells fresh from the outside. She takes this opportunity to molest the big alpha just as she did his littermate, burying her nose between his legs.

And what does the big alpha do? He cups the back of her head in encouragement, petting her ears and acting as though a nose in someone’s crotch is a totally normal form of greeting.

“Hello, sweetheart. I was just coming to get you two. Did you have a good nap?”

She pulls back to yip. It's both an answer and a command for him to share whatever smells so good with her.

Dex’s lips tug up into an almost smile. “Let me wash up and we can eat.”

My wolf follows him to the sink, then the stove. She dances around him impatiently while he grabs bowls and ladles something from a pot.

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