Page 30 of The Silent Mate

My father always kept me hidden away on the night of a full moon, but I’d heard stories. Even in our small, civilized pack, chaos would reign. Males would fight one another over the smallest disagreements, injuring one another or worse. Males and females would copulate beneath the luminescent glow for all the world to see. Most of the time, unmated individuals were most at risk of succumbing to their base desires.

I swallowed. “Right. Of course. I’d be happy to help prepare.”

At that moment, the clinic’s door swung open again, and a scream pierced the air.

13

ARIA

Two soldiers carried another injured through the door. The young man’s leg twisted in an unnatural direction, and a shudder coursed through my body at the agony in his cries.

“Goddess,” Estelle hissed under her breath before rushing away from me, barking orders at the soldiers to place the new patient on a hospital bed. “What in the hells happened?”

One of the soldiers shrugged a heavy shoulder. “Buckled beneath him while defending against a larger opponent. Don’t know why he’s cryin’ so much, though.”

As if on cue, the injured man emitted a pitiful sob as the two soldiers placed him horizontally on the nearest open bed.

“Aw, you’ll be alright Gio.” The other soldier clapped the injured man on the shoulder. All three individuals were as naked as the day they were born, clearly having just shifted from their wolf forms.“Welcome to the big leagues, kid.”

The soldiers chuckled at the younger male’s expense, and Irolled my eyes. Clearly the experienced warriors were enjoying their inferiors’ struggles.Brutes.

“You two,” Estelle growled at the two men that delivered their injured comrade. “Get out before I force you to volunteer the rest of your day in the clinic.”

The pair continued laughing as they heeded Estelle’s warning, striding toward the exit like they owned the damn building.This,I thought to myself. Thisis why I didn’t want to be a warrior.

Several nurses flocked to Estelle’s side to help treat the broken leg. If I joined, I’d only get in the way. Instead, I released a long sigh and wandered toward where Emerson stood by the window, eager to distract myself from the man, Gio’s, agony.

Her pin-straight auburn hair gleamed with golden highlights in the sun, and her eyes widened in awe at whatever she watched beyond the glass pane. She noticed me approaching and cast me a small smile.

“They’re practicing defending while outnumbered,” she explained, nodding toward the window. I arrived at her side, and my eyes widened at the scene unfolding at the bottom of the hill. “It’s exciting, isn’t it?”

Indeed, dozens of warriors in human and wolf form alike gathered on the training field below. They were broken into three groups, and each group possessed a team of attackers that hopelessly outnumbered the defensive team. Jaws snapped. Claws raked down one another’s flanks. I could hear the snarling from here.

Those actively engaged in the fighting took their wolf forms, while the males and females resting remained in their human forms. Among them, I recognized a pair of exceptionally broad shoulders overseeing the entire exercise. My heart somersaulted.

“Malik is here,” I stated, betraying my surprise.

Emerson giggled beside me. “Well, heisthe general.”

“Right,” I breathed, though all of my focus centered on the male at the center of the clearing below.

A pair of sweatpants hung low on Malik’s hips, though he wore no cover over his impressive torso. His arms folded tight over his chest, and I could see his bulging biceps and shoulders from here. Long, unkempt hair fell past his shoulders, in desperate need of a haircut. Only the scarred portion of his features faced the clinic’s window, but the gruesome flesh didn’t startle me any more.

Below, a wolf with an inky coat trotted over to Malik from another group. Halfway across the clearing, the wolf shifted into a tall, lithe-limbed female.

Golden skin stretched over long, muscled legs. A sheet of black, silky hair fell to the middle of her back. Her breasts, full and round, practically bounced with every graceful step she took toward my mate, and, even from here, I could tell that her pubic hair was immaculately trimmed into a thin line leading to her sex.

The female came to a stop beside Malik, and an ugly tangle of possessiveness and anger flared in my gut.

She lifted her hand and pointed toward one of the groups of warriors, and Malik’s gaze followed suit. They must’ve been speaking via their mind link, and a pang of jealousy speared through my chest at the easiness of their communication.

Emerson glanced sideways at me, undoubtedly sensing the newfound tension racking my body, then back at Malik and this female. A small, knowing smile played on her lips. “That is Freya. She’s a squadron leader.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and feigned nonchalance with a shrug.

Below, the beautiful female—Freya—looked up at Malik with an amused smile, and I swore I saw the corner of his mouth quirk upward.

My gut twisted as the pair seemed to share an inside joke.

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