Page 13 of Mitchell's Untamed Mate

“Yeah, well, thanks for the dinner.”

“Where are you going?”Mitchell asked, frowning when Jace stood and gathered his gear.

Jace gave him and Tracy a sardonic smile.“I’ll take my chances somewhere else.When should we be expecting you back?”

Mitchell glanced at Tracy.“I’ll return in a few days.Let the others know to keep watch.”

“Will do.”

A sense of relief washed through him that he wouldn’t have to deal with Jace for a while.His friend had changed a lot over the last couple of years.Hell, who was he kidding?Their friendship had never been the same after the night Jace gut punched him.

“Will he be alright?”

Mitchell nodded.“Yeah.He’s too mean and tough.Nothing in these woods would want to eat him.They’d probably choke to death if they tried.”

She chuckled at his joke before she sobered.“I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

She waved a hand in the direction Jace had disappeared.“For scaring your friend off.”

He shook his head.“You didn’t scare him off.He just saw exactly what he didn't want to see.”

“And what was that?”

With the fire casting a warm glow, he took a moment to study every contour and expression of her face.“My reaction to you.”

The United Countries of Eastern Europe Shifters

“Would you like anything else, ma’am?”the house servant inquired.

“No, that will be all for now.Thank you, Frances,” Isabella Wyland replied, settling back against the plush cushioned chair to enjoy the peace and quiet.

It was a beautiful, cloudless day.She could see for miles across the vineyard from the balcony of her chateau nestled in the Eastern European Alps that bordered with the Siberian Shifters of the Northern Hemisphere.The region was remote, providing her the chance to distance herself from the political fall-out from her half-brother’s kidnapping of the first living human found in modern times.While it had been Theodore’s plan, Isabella had provided the financial and man-power required to make the attempt happen.

Surrounded by majestic peaks, her chateau stood as a solitary figure amidst the grandeur of the Earth’s highest mountains.The valley was a vibrant emerald green, nourished by the annual spring melts cascading down from the towering mountain ranges.With its vast vineyards spanning nearly five hundred acres, this property was just a single piece of her extensive collection of hidden assets.

The shuffle of feet intruded into her morning meditation, causing her to purse her lips in annoyance.As Hyder advanced onto the marble terrace, her irritation magnified, worsened by the sight of him shamelessly helping himself to the food that Frances had meticulously crafted for the buffet.Boundaries were a foreign concept to the man.If his unique skill set hadn’t aligned with her plans, she would have let him go a while ago.

Perhaps the time has come,she thought when he set his plate down across from her.

“I don’t remember inviting you to breakfast,” she sniped.

“No sense in letting it go to waste,” he replied.

His insolence ignited a seething irritation within her.She focused on enjoying her morning herbal tea.A light breeze gently lifted the edge of the newspaper that Frances had included with her morning refreshments.Choosing to ignore Hyder, she unfolded the paper and immediately fixated on the bold headline.

Human Discovered Alive!

“I was goin’ to tell ya that the Newsies found out,” he said.

“I’m not surprised that Michaela released the news,” she responded.

Few dared to tangle with Michaela Bearclaw-Kodiak, President of the United Species of North America, a woman renowned for her razor-sharp cunning and calculated decision-making.It was one reason that Isabella and her half-brother, Theodore, were forced to disappear for a while.The human that was discovered was the mate of Michaela’s nephew, Ty Bearclaw.

It had taken weeks for the bruises the human inflicted on her to heal.She had underestimated the human female.She would not do that again.

There were no pictures in the paper of the human, only of Michaela as she addressed the nation.The article did not mention where the human had been found or if there were others.There was also no mention of what happened at Theodore’s home or the woman’s subsequent kidnapping.

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