Page 55 of Savage Games

We don’t speak.

We don’t want or need to.

This is our first run together, our first true meeting as wolves, without words or duty or expectation getting in the way.

And it’s perfect.

There’s no drama.No alphas causing trouble.No games looming large.

Wyatt’s wolf moves like a shadow beside me, all strength and quiet dominance.His presence is intoxicating, his warmth brushing against my side as we weave through the underbrush, climbing over fallen logs and leaping over streams.

Eventually, we find shelter beneath an outcrop of rock, a small clearing where the earth is soft, and the trees form a natural canopy.The leaves cast dappled shadows across the silvery ground.The wind barely reaches us here, and the silence feels safe.

I circle once before lying down, my paws stretched forward, and my tail curled lightly around my body.

Wyatt hesitates before settling beside me, his larger frame pressing close.

My wolf hums with satisfaction.

This is what she’s wanted.

Him.Beside her.

I tuck my head beneath his chin, nuzzling into his thick fur.He’s warm and his breathing is deep and steady.I don’t shift back.I can’t.Not yet.

Our wolves know what our human sides struggle to articulate: that we belong together, that the complications between us are temporary, that this connection is far stronger than the obstacles we face.Everything else seems distant and unimportant.All that matters at this moment is us.

She stays, pressing against him, reminding him with every breath, every shared warmth, that he’s not alone.That no matter what happens, no matter who comes for us tonight, to trust that I’m his.

His muzzle rests against my neck, his exhales slow and heavy as he finally drifts into sleep.

The night stretches on, but we don’t move.For the first time in days, even knowing it won’t last, I feel whole.

20

Wyatt

The morning mist curls through the trees, thick ribbons of pale silver wrapping around ancient oak trunks that have stood in Dean's territory for generations.The ground beneath my paws is damp from last night's rain, the rich scent of wet earth and pine mingling with lingering traces of our scents, mine and Naomi's, where we'd slept, curled together.

For once, the cold bothers me despite my thick pelt, but only because it means she’s gone.

I watch as she moves through the haze, her massive white and tawny wolf slipping between the trees, silent and swift.She doesn’t look back, doesn’t hesitate.Just disappears, swallowed by the shifting fog.

My wolf stirs uneasily.

We don’t enjoy watching her leave, but she had to.I might not understand why, for now, but I trust she has her reasons.We may not be mated yet, but I can feel the inevitability of it.She doesn’t fear me.She still wants me and she’s showing me she’s mine, and that’s what’s important.

After a night spent beside Naomi, something inside me feels both repaired and raw.Our bond has strengthened.I can feel it thrumming beneath my skin like a guitar string pulled taut, but her leaving without a word has left a hollow ache in my chest.My wolf doesn't understand why his mate would share such intimacy, only to slip away with the dawn.But the man in me recognizes fear when he sees it.

Whatever Brad has over her and Maddie must be worse than I thought.This isn't just about an overbearing alpha.This is life and death to her.

No matter how much blood stained my fur last night, no matter how I fought, no matter how close I came to losing control, Naomi stayed.So she’s not a timid wolf.Which makes me even more certain it’s not her own safety that she’s afraid of.

She didn’t question me about what happened or doubt my temperament.She didn’t flinch from my wounds, didn’t hesitate to run with me through the trees, and didn’t resist when I curled around her like a shield against the night.

Everyone else hesitates, still maintaining a sliver of doubt about their safety with me, even if they can get past the rogue label.

Not my mate.

---