Page 61 of Unforgivable

Lyri

I hold Rhet's hand as he tugs me from the house. I scent of Ezra, his essence embedded deep in my skin. Leaking out of my pores. On top of his scent is Rhet's and Thjis', a gentle layer. When... if we all become lovers, then their scents will entwine together on me, in me.

I've never had this feeling before. I've never had the chance to revel in the scent of a male deep in my very pores to mark me in the most intimate way between wolves. My she-wolf is in heaven, assured that these males are hers.

Right now, I push thoughts of sex away. I want to shift, to run with my new friends. Winter is ending. I want to let her out to enjoy the warmer, dry weather that will soon turn to spring rain.

Rhet stops short as soon as we leave the house. I look up, startled at the abrupt halt. His fingers tighten on mine. His sharp blue eyes are scanning the edge of the forest. The scent hits me then. Wolves. Not Genom wolves. I stare in the direction he is looking in for the intruders. Two male figures emerge slowly from the trees. I don't know them. They're strangers. I inhale. They aren't recognizable.

They are young, dressed in soft, brown leather pants and flannel shirts. No coats or jackets. No shoes. A clear sign that they came here on paws with just the basic clothes to change into. They are young, my age, not as old as the males. Both have the same pack tattoo etched across their upper right cheekbone, a small raven in flight. I know that symbol. These are mountain wolves.

Brown eyes flit toward Ezra. Rhet growls, a warning to these strangers on his land. I glance up at him as he swears loudly, "What the fuck are you two doing here?"

Thjis steps forward, too. "You're a long way from your auntie's house, pups."

Their auntie? Do the males know these strangers?

No one speaks. The young males are silent, their noses twitching at me. Their eyes are flitting from wolf to wolf. The younger wolf's gaze lingers on Ezra the most.

Ezra's lip curls, his wolf giving off his warning. He may not be the largest of the males, but he will take on wolves bigger than him. He's no coward, my lover.

"Why are you here?" I ask when the males seem more interested in posturing to each other than explaining what is happening. My she-wolf itches under my skin for a run, and she doesn't like strange males around us.

Rhet draws me closer to his body. Thjis steps to my other side, with Ezra just on his left. I'm sheltered between them all, the only female interwoven into this pack of males.

"Our alpha sends his apologies and a gift," the younger one says solemnly. He's staring at me in a way that makes me uncomfortable. His body sways towards me, just the slightest bit. My snarl snaps him out of his trance. I don't like strange males!

"You MateLess punk," Thjis spits. "She won't take any gifts from you."

I toss Thjis a look. So, he does know these wolves.

"Why does your alpha need to apologize to us?" I ask, skipping over the 'gift.' As much as I want to kick Thjis for speaking for me, it's true that I don't want any gifts from these two mountain wolves.

Rhet suddenly yanks me behind him. "Who the fuck is that?!" he growls. Fur erupts on the backs of his hands, claws peeking out of the hand wrapped around mine.

Something moves in the trees. There's someone there. I keep my gaze trained on the forest line, my eyes straining to keep moving so that I don't miss anything. My heart is thudding against my chest. Terror slowly seeps in. Is this some sort of trap? Did he send these wolves here to kill me, to get rid of his problem once and for all?

The older mountain wolf motions to the treeline, and our hidden intruder comes out. I feel my knees waver as the new scent hits me.

I can feel the anguish in my heart. The bite of silver chains on my ankles, my wrists. No amount of pulling or tugging frees me from that icy burn. Hands are on me, tugging and pulling, clawing at my skin, my body.

The moon hovers, cold, and watchful of my misery.

I crumple. Ezra catches me in his arms, and I spin, shoving my nose into his chest and inhaling the sunshine. No more moon. Just the light of this male.

Slowly I come back to earth, to the present. Rhet is wrestling Thjis as the dark brown wolf explodes toward this new male.

Growls and snarls fill the air. Rhet's arms are bleeding as Thjis' claws scrape right through his thick leather coat, shredding it to pieces. Ezra pulls me away as Rhet tosses Thjis is what is an impressive show of strength. Thjis bounds to his feet again. Rhet throws him down, then again. "Stand down, brother," Rhet growls in the wolf's ear. "They aren't taking her from us."

Thjis finally shifts back to feet to stand shoulder to shoulder in a wall of flesh and bone against the intruders. He stands, naked, raging. "He's one of them!"

I hear my own soft sob. All the males look at me. I try to straighten my spine as it curves under the pressure of my wolf. She is caught between cowering and attacking. Her senses are going haywire, that night haunting her ability to think clearly.

"Why is he here?" Thjis rages toward the oldest male.

"To apologize and offer our Alpha's gift," the mountain wolf repeats warily.

I have to hand it to these mountain wolves; they haven't flinched, haven't moved to shield themselves from the massive wolf who wants nothing more than their throats under his teeth.

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