Page 30 of Welcome to Bone Town

Bear asks the question that’s on everyone’s mind. “Where the fuck are we?”

“I…I think we’re in Lunara’s temple.” Cora looks around and grimaces. “I guess we found it. Yay?”

We all stare at her in shock, and she must feel the need to fill the silence because she keeps going. “And hey! We didn’t die! Yay for not dying!”

Roman snorts out a laugh, hanging his head and shaking it back and forth. “Thanks, girl scout. Hooray for not dying. Now what the fuck do we do?”

“Well, we really only have one choice.” The stranger speaks for the first time since he told us to run, and we all turn to look at him. He’s got his back to us, shining the flashlight away from the cave in, pointing toward what looks to be a long hallway. Torches line the walls at periodic intervals, interspersed with carvings I would love tostudy, but right now, I’m too busy taking in the new man before us.

The four of us from the dig site share looks between ourselves. None of us have ever seen this man before, and he smells… my sense of smell isn’t as strong as an alphas, but is that… black licorice?

Suddenly, Roman lunges, grabbing the new guy by the neck, and slamming him against the stone wall with a growl. “Who the fuck are you?!”

27

The stalker’s pulse throbs beneath my palm, but I don’t dare let up my hold on him. It was weird enough that he appeared from out of nowhere, diving into the cave-in like he was fucking Indiana Jones or some shit. But then I got a whiff of him and saw red.

Thisis who was in Cora’s tent, the owner of the bandana that was left in her damn bed. His black licorice smell is so unique and potent, it's unmistakable. A growl leaves my throat when he doesn’t answer.

“Answer me!” Even though I barked the command, the alpha just raises one eyebrow and flashes his eyes down to where my hand grips his neck.

Cora’s small, delicate fingers land on my forearm.“Roman. I don’t think he can talk while you’re cutting off his air supply.”

Bear steps forward, gently pulling her behind him as I reluctantly loosen my grip. Not completely, but enough that he can speak if he wants to. And he better want to.

He clears his throat and hits Cora with an adoring smile. “Goddess, you’re so beautiful.”

She sucks in a breath and pushes in tighter to Bear. I slam the stranger back into the wall again. “Don’t speak to her! Don’t even look at her, asshole. Answer. Me.”

The interloper sighs as if I’ve laid the heaviest burden on him. “Fine. My name is Jax Whitlock, treasure hunter extraordinaire, at your service.” He says that last part to Cora despite my orders.

“Whitlock? Are you related to Cora?” Archer asks.

“Not yet. But I always planned on takin’ my mate’s name, so I figured why not start now?”

Mate?This psycho thinks he’s Cora’s mate? If that were true, Cora would have said something when she scented that bandana. Instead, she seemed fearful of it.

When I turn to see how she’s responding to all of this, she’s staring at this Jax guy with wide eyes.

“Cora, what does he mean,‘mate’?” I ask, barely avoiding a growl.

Her guilty eyes lock with mine, and it’s suddenly clear Jax is telling the truth. A heavy weight settles in my stomach, a chill working up my spine. My hand flexes on his throat.

“I…I think he’s my mate.” Cora stammers. “That’s why I was so freaked out over the bandana. Well, that and the whole stalking and trespassing thing.”

“What’s a little light stalking between mates? It’s only because I’m obsessed with you.” The way Jax says that so nonchalantly has my mouth gaping. Is he for real? Did he just fess up to stalking her like it was agoodthing?

“What do you want us to do with him, Cora?” Bear asks her gently.

“I think it’s safe to let him go? I mean, we’re all trapped here together, and he was in my tent already and didn’t hurt me, so…” She trails off with a shrug.

Reluctantly, I comply, removing my hand from the newcomer and stepping back to join Bear. Jax rubs his throat and smiles, swaying almost giddily even after I nearly choked him to death.

Cora studies him like he’s a puzzle she can’t figure out, then her eyes widen. “Wait, were you the one who killed the jackal?”

Jax takes off his cowboy hat in a swooping motion and gives her a bow. What. A. Jackass.

To my utter surprise, Cora steps forward and kisses his cheek. “Thank you.”

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