Page 36 of Claimed By the Feral Wolves

Except, you know, it’s also a wild animal.

“Bear,” Xander whispers, his voice breathy, his eyes going wide.

He and Maverick exchange a look, but I can’t lie—the cub is really adorable. I just want to hold her like a teddy bear. But I also remember my brother saying that if you ever see a cub wandering around in the forest, it’s a good idea to get out ofthere. You don’t want to risk a mother bear perceiving you as a threat.

“She looks so soft,” Cayson says, inching toward her. She looks up at him, eyes wide, the picture of innocence.

“Cayson, don—” Ezra starts, but cuts off when Cayson’s hand connects with the top of the cub’s head.

We all stand there for a moment, holding our breath.Will the cub react? Cry out for its mother?Instead, it nuzzles into Cayson’s hand, and it’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.

“Sheissoft,” Cayson says, grinning up at us. “See? Nothing’s going to?—”

He stops when a roar rings out through the forest. My heart jumps into my throat when I whirl around, only to see the open jaws of a furious mama bear running in my direction.

I scream when Ezra’s hand wraps around my bicep, hauling me back behind him. Maverick and Xander move in front of me protectively, jostling me. I trip over my feet and land on the basket of berries as the four guys shift, their wolves a blur around me.

We’re going to die. They’re going to find us, ripped to shreds in the forest.I’d thought my biggest concern was making it out of The Selection without a mate, but maybe I should have been focusing more on themaking it outpart.

Except while I’m freaking out, completely useless, the guys have launched into action, coordinating like they’ve been working together their whole lives. A unit designed specifically to protect me.

Cayson, as a golden wolf, herds the baby bear toward the mom, while Xander, a large black wolf, takes a flying leap toward the bear’s side, retreating when she swings out at him. Ezra, his muzzle white and the rest of his body a grey so dark he’s almost black, gets under the bear's feet and Maverick, a wolf the same auburn color as his hair, confuses her, running side to side. Thebear topples over backward. When she gets to her feet, angrier than before, Cayson has deposited the baby bear back at her side.

She swings at them a few more times, but looks confused, glancing back at her cub. It seems like, knowing the baby is safe, she’s not that interested in fighting with this pack of wolves. They growl at her, warning her away from me, pushing her out of the clearing and further into the trees.

I watch them go, heart in my throat, and slowly climb to my feet. Brushing sticky berries off of my dress and body, I keep my eyes glued on where they disappeared, hoping to see my wolves coming back at any moment, and not the bear.

There’s movement. I hold my breath.

Cayson comes exploding back toward me in human form, the guys tailing closely behind. All of them look proud. Almost happy. Which is crazy. They just faced an angry bear. But there’s no denying it.

“Faye!” Cayson says, barreling toward me. “Did youseethat?”

“You idiot,” Ezra says, punching Cayson in the shoulder. Maverick comes to me, scanning me over as if looking for any injuries. Xander picks up the crushed basket of berries, awkwardly trying to scoop some of the smashed, purple mess back inside. “You could have gotten her killed.”

“No way!” Cayson says, slinging his arms around Ezra and Xander. I stifle a giggle at the look each of them give him—Ezra, mild annoyance, and Xander, baffled annoyance. “Not with us around! We’re the dream team! We could take that bear with our eyes closed.”

“We didn’t actuallytakethe bear,” Ezra says, but he’s trying not to grin. “We just scared her away.”

“Scared a bear,” Maverick says, glancing at me and giving me a devilish grin, which makes my skin erupt with goosebumps.Absently, I laugh, rubbing my biceps to try and warm them. “That’s a new one.”

“Anything like high school football?”

Maverick’s grin widens, and my heart races in the face of such a beautiful man. “Yeah, except then,Iwas the bear.”

“The way you hit her in the side?” Cayson says, mock boxing Xander’s side. “Likebamand she tried to get you,” he swings out, and Xander pushes him away, also stifling a smile. “You just danced away!”

I shake my head. I have no idea how long we’re supposed to stay out here, but I feel like we’ve had enough of an adventure. We don’t need to have another run-in with the bear.

“Well, it was good thinking to get that cub closer,” Maverick admits, moving closer to me as we walk.

I can feel his warmth, even from here, and it feels nice, like something I want to wrap myself in. Which is a strange notion. I barely know Maverick and Xander. Every instinct inside of me should be screaming to stay as far away from them as possible, so they don’t get the wrong impression. And yet, I can’t ignore the way they make me feel.

“I know, the idea just came to me,” Cayson says with a laugh. “Wait until we tell everyone we fought abear.”

“They’re probably going to ask what the hell we did to get into that situation in the first place,” Ezra mutters, “and we’re going to have to tell them that you’re an idiot.”

“Hey,” Cayson says, putting his hands up and smirking at everyone. “It was worth it.”

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