Page 156 of Unforgivable

Thjis

I approach the young male with caution. The night at The Watering Hole, Luna Gloria regaled us with stories of her birthpack, the GriMaw. If she can be believed, they're pretty fucking bad-ass. One of the reasons why losing their alphason years ago was so hard on them isn't because they can't fill the hole, but because they're just so large and dominant that a lot of smaller packs which were absorbed into the pack in the past century have broken off... or tried to. The GriMaw frown on traitors.

I don't want to startle one of the GriMaws. Especially an alpha-blood.

"Devel, how are you feeling?" I ask him. He is sitting on the edge of the cot, head bowed in exhaustion. I imagine that just sitting up was too much for him.

"I'm well, considering. I'm alive, and that's something. I just hope it worked."

"Almost killing yourself? Yeah, that worked. You almost died. Job well done," I can't help but spit out the words. I never tried to off myself. Lyri never did, either. It pisses me off that this young wolf wanted to kill himself.

He raises his head. "No, breaking my mating bond. Almost dying breaks the bond," he says raspily.

I raise my eyebrows in disbelief. "Come again?"

"My pack," he sighs, letting his head drop again. "It is an ancient rite. To bleed the soul clean of the bond."

"That's-"

"Devel, you're awake!" Lyri interrupts me with a poke to my backside. Probably a good thing because I really think what Devel did was ridiculously stupid.

Devel looks up with a weak smile. "I must thank you, Luna. Your scent drew me here."

"You said you followed your mate's scent," I point out. I edge in front of Lyri. It's relatively easy in the small space to make sure that my bulk keeps her safely outside the closet.

"But she isn't here, is she?" Devel points out. "I follow the will of the goddess, and she brought me here."

I can feel my wolf puffing up, posturing to this weakened, injured male. I knock the paws back down. Devel isn't strong enough to even stand up on his own two feet.

"Relax, wolf. I only feel admiration for your Luna. Nothing else," he mutters. He glances at Lyri. "He is like a momma bear."

She bursts into laughter. My wolf snarls, on his feet, fur puffed up so that he resembles... well, to be honest, a bear.

"I'm not a female," I grumble. That only makes Lyri laugh harder.

Then she starts kissing my shoulder, going on tiptoes, and pulling my head down to kiss my cheek.

"My Bear," she croons. "I know you're not a female."

"So do I," Devel says with a small smile. "You all scent of... each other," he finishes lamely.

Lyri squeaks and disappears. I raise my arm and give my pit a sniff. "It's not that bad, is it?"

"When was the last time you showered? You scent of your Luna, but from hours ago?"

I smirk at him. "Youngling, when you have a female like that, sex lasts for hours."

Devel turns bright red. Now it's my turn to laugh at him.

"I'll shower with you, pup. Not for nothing, but you reek worse than I do."

He smirks weakly, "most likely."

I heave him to his feet, letting him sway and lean against me dizzyingly. He moans a little; I think at my smell. It's a lot to take in. I think we all smell fantastic when we mix together, but it's my family.

"It's just a little farther."

I help him limp from the closet to see Lyri is back, hair soaking wet, dripping onto her shirt. She sees us heading to the bathroom and quickly darts ahead of us to open the shower curtain and turn on the water.

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