Page 39 of Claimed By the Feral Wolves

I shake my head. “It was a mistake.”

The crushed look on his face makes my heart ache.

“It’s not you, it’s me. Okay? You did nothing wrong.”

As he stands, I usher him to the door, closing my eyes as he passes me. I don’t want to keep seeing that broken look on his face. I don’t know what I’ll do if I see it again.

I feel weak, but he just nods, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he steps through the threshold.

When the door closes, I take a deep breath, feeling terrible for reasons I don’t understand. I don’t know Xander. He’s a stranger to me. I should just be thankful that, after being so reckless, this situation didn’t end badly. Not that I thought, deep down, that Xander could hurt me.

When my gaze settles on the basket of berries, something warm settles in my chest. Xander may not be my mate, not really, but he sure is sweet.

16

Maverick

It’sa beautiful day on the water. The sun is shining, the water is lapping gently at the sides of our boat, and I’m in the best mood of my life. Somehow, I’ve managed to get lucky enough to be the one to take Faye out on the boat. It was only big enough for two people, so the other men and I had to draw straws. And luckily, my straw was the longest.

Kurt, a clear asshole if I’ve ever seen one, got the tiniest straw and threw a tantrum the likes of which a toddler would have been impressed by. Cayson laughed so hard I sincerely thought the alpha was going to shit his pants, which of course sent me rolling around in laughter.

It’s a good day.

Faye looks ethereally beautiful right now, the sun slanting off her honey-colored hair, her face turned away so I can see the curve of her jaw. She’s wearing a little white skirt and a striped collared shirt, her hair braided over her shoulder. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined an omega as beautiful asher. Never have I thought such a tiny person could have such a powerful effect on my heart.

“Are you comfortable being on the water?” I ask, watching my oar as it dips into the water again.

I’m trying to look at her less, in the hopes that it might help her relax, but it’s hard to do when my gaze is drawn to her like a magnet. I’ve never felt anything like this before, and I’ve had my share of women, human women, but still women. I know it’s the mating bond, I just need her to accept that too.

“Yes,” she says, nodding a bit and clearing her throat, her gaze drifting back to the shore.

I wait for her to continue, to follow that train of thought, but that single word is all I get. I think of that moment riding up on the group, seeing how she was laughing and talking with the others. And now it’s like pulling teeth to get her to say a single word to me. It… hurts. I thought that with my mate everything would go smoothly, that she’d fall as fast for me as I’ve fallen for her, but those dreams have been dashed.

Not that I’m giving up.

“That’s good,” I say, “me, too. One of my dads used to take me fishing all the time when I was a kid, and he loved going out on the boat. Said fishing from the shore was for chumps.”

That seems to draw her attention. Those big hazel eyes of hers land on me with interest, and a little smile curls her lips. Her full, incredible lips. Lips I long to kiss.

“I’ve never really fished from a boat. My brother and I usually fished from the shore,” she says, and I watch, my throat going dry, as she traces her fingertip along the top of her thigh absently. Her finger blazes a trail just under the hem of her skirt, and it’s like I can’t physically rip my eyes from the sight of it.

“You have a brother?” I ask, excited.

I have brothers. Too many of them. Okay, well, three of them, but it’s more than enough.

“Ihada brother,” she says softly.

I flinch, hating the pain in her voice. “I’m sorry.”

She shakes her head. “It’s fine.” But she doesn’t sound fine.

My thoughts spin, trying to think of a way to keep her talking. “I have brothers. Three of them. All littler than me, and all complete animals. They have a game called nard hunter. They take their gel ball blasters and spring out at me any time I’m not expecting them and shoot me in the dick. It’s a hoot… for them.”

She smiles. A real smile. “That doesn’t sound fun.”

“The little bastards drive me crazy, but I love them.”

Her fingers continue playing with the hem of her skirt, and I feel my blood rush south. “So, you have a big family then?”

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