Page 63 of Unforgivable

But I don't want him to hear my confession. I don't believe that Rhet will believe my truth. No one will believe me. No one has.

I will tell this stranger. This male who claims I scented of the moon. This betrayer of his mate. I'll tell him the truth and let him figure out his own damn path to redemption.

"Baby," Ezra whispers.

I shake my head at him. No, this is for this male's ears only. I pick across the ground on trembling legs, slowly making my way to the kneeling male, to a male who hurt me. Just another cruel wolf who helped to break me that night. But maybe I can help her, that unknown mate of his.

Tentatively, I reach out as if I am going to touch him. My fingertips stop just a hairsbreadth from his head. I can't touch him. I never want to feel any part of this male's skin on mine again. As slowly as an aching, old female, I bend, ignoring the snarls and growls that punctuate the air from my males.

"I am the truemate of the alphason. I was rejected and Shamed because of his lies. Tell your mate; I was meant to be a luna."

There is no reaction for a moment. The male takes a breath, then another. The third breath is harsh; air sucked into lungs that won't work properly. His light brown eyes widen before they harden into slits of burning rage.

I back away quickly, only two steps before Rhet snatches me back into his arms. Safe.

I feel the readiness in my males, protective, prepared to rip his throat out if he so much as twitches in violence towards me.

On shaky limbs, the male stands. He bows, low, bent over at his waist until the back of his head can be seen. "Moon-scented female, thank you. Thank you. I will seek retribution in your honor for this."

I feel shocked at his words. Does it mean that much? I just want his mate to understand, to maybe understand why his wolf was so drawn to mine that night.

I don't want his thanks or his retribution. That belongs to his mate. "Give your mate your promises, wolf," I spit out.

He nods, a look of extreme respect on his face when he stands back up. "Your honor is my own," he bows deeply again, his fist over his heart, before he walks backward, eyes on his feet, into the forest.

"Our pack," the older nephew says, "we honor our traditions. It was a crime to betray his mate by participating in a Shaming." He nods at the heads dangling from Thjis' hands. "They were rejected, and now they are dead. What is your alpha doing to the males from his pack who participated?"

I suck in a deep breath. My stomach churns. Shut up, wolf. Just shut up.

"It is not an insult to you, female," he continues, "but maybe you should consider if your alpha is the one you want."

Rhet doesn't try to stop Thjis this time. The bear-sized male plows into the mountain wolf with a flurry of punches meant to knock him around good. I wince as the stranger gets a few good licks in himself. My poor Bear. He thinks I will leave him. He doesn't trust my promise never to tear them apart.

"I am not leaving with you, wolf," I say forcefully. It has its intended effect, and they stop trying to pound each other's heads into the ground.

"Go home. Tell your Alpha I accept his gift, please." I'll take these heads and be satisfied that two of those males are dead and buried.

The male stands as if he wasn't just in a fistfight. The two disappear to retrace their path back to the mountains.

"I'll dispose of these," Thjis volunteers. "Do you still want to run, baby?"

I look at his dark eyes. His casual acceptance of the violence shown by the mountain pack alpha is both reassuring and alarming.

"Yes, I want to run," I say. Faintly, I think that I just want to exhaust myself until my brain shuts down.

"Let's go," Rhet is quiet.

We strip and shift. My she-wolf looks towards the mountains, scenting the air. She won't start running until the smell of the strangers disappears. We need our safe, isolated hideaway back.

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