Page 21 of Mitchell's Untamed Mate

“Bishop,” he greeted.“Who’re your friends?”

Bishop pursed his lips.“This is Lucien.The disgusting one is Carter Stout.”

“Howdy,” Carter greeted, unperturbed by Bishop’s insult.

Hyder nodded to the warthog shifter and turned his attention to Lucien.The man oozed menace.Lucien was studying him with an intensity that made the hair on the back of his neck rise.

“You should have warned me you were bringing company,” he said, finally turning his attention back to Bishop.

“You said you needed support.I brought brains, brawn, and re-enforcement in case things turn nastier than you,” Bishop replied, pointing to himself, then Carter, and finally Lucien.

Hyder snorted out a laugh and grinned.“I knew you were the right shifter for the job.”

Bishop shoved his hands in the pockets of his jacket and nodded.“So, what’s the job?”

“We are going hunting.I have the gear we’ll need, but there is a lot of territory to cover,” Hyder explained.

“Interesting.What are we hunting?”Lucien asked, scanning the dark forest.

Hesitating, Hyder took a moment to observe the three men, analyzing their body language and expressions.Lucien and Bishop’s eyes were filled with curiosity.Carter nonchalantly picked something out of his teeth.Out of the three, he was worried about Carter running his mouth—and Lucien...there was an inexplicable sense of danger surrounding the shifter, making Hyder instinctively wary of him, but Hyder needed to make sure that Bishop fully grasped the magnitude of what was at stake.Isabella Wyland was a force to be reckoned with.

“Humans,” he finally answered in a clipped tone.

Chapter5

The sound of chirping birds gently roused Mitchell from his slumber.As the night had progressed, he and Tracy had rearranged their positions.His arm was wrapped around her waist and she was snuggled against him.He grimaced when he realized his early morning arousal would be clearly evident if he wasn’t careful.

It would be impossible to move without disturbing her.Wanting to savor the moment, he kept his arm around her and listened.The rain had stopped during the night, and a light but steady breeze had taken its place.Over the course of the next half hour, light began to filter through the trees.

“Can you turn off the damn birds,” she mumbled grouchily.

His warm breath brushed over her tangled hair as he chuckled.“I would if I could, but I’m afraid they won’t listen to me.”

She burrowed closer to him and cupped his hand between her breasts.He grimaced when she pressed against his obvious arousal.She paused, then wiggled again.

“I think you are doing that on purpose,” he muttered.

Silent laughter shook her body.“What makes you think that?”she teased, wiggling against him again.

He would have pulled his arm away, but she tightened her grip and shook her head.

“Not yet.Five more minutes.”

He was about to argue before he relaxed.What would five more minutes matter?When was the last time he had taken time just to enjoy something?With a sigh, he realized it had been far too long.

“It’s cooler than I expected,” she said.

He rested his chin against the top of her hair.“The rain and the wind have combined with the higher altitude.”

“That makes sense.How much longer will it take for us to reach your people?”she asked.

He hesitated before he answered.“It is important to double back frequently to make sure we aren’t being followed.This will add several days to our journey.”

“My bear doesn’t sense any danger,” she said.

He shook his head.“Your bear may miss or misperceive something.This is too important.I can’t take the chance.I hope you understand.”

She partially rolled so he could see her face.“Yes, I understand.”

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