Page 3 of Untamed

"Was it amazing?" Skylar asks. "I heard that Argus' son is super-hot!"

I wrinkle my nose as a sharp scent drifts towards my nose. I know what it means... Pa says females smell like that when they want to be intimate with their mates, but Skylar's only thirteen!

Females are so gross.

"It's alright," Eoff offers. Skylar tosses him a blank stare. I smirk at his look of frustration. My gramps laughs at both of them, talking about how they're probably moon-destined.

"We're going to explore the caves," I blurt out. The caves are dangerous, and we're not allowed to go there, not without a grown wolf with us. I'm hoping that the females turn chicken and don't come with us. Then Eoff and I can run without them slowing us down.

"Wow," to my surprise, it's Greta who looks interested. "Are you allowed?"

"No, we're going anyway," Eoff challenges her with a smug look.

Inwardly I groan. He's just got their fur ruffled. Now they're gonna come with us-

"We're coming," Greta instantly says, glaring at Eoff.

Both Eoff and I start walking, shoulders slumped. The females are prancing; heads held high, proud to have pulled one over on us.

But... as we get closer to the caves, I get excited. There are predators in the caves, bears, mountain cats, sometimes snakes. They'll be making their winter dens right about now.

If I explore the caves, then Pa will see how brave I am.

At the first cave, I stop, leading the little pack of younglings behind me. I inhale deeply. I don't have the senses that I will after my first shift, but I can still smell the dampness of mildew, the scent of pine, the dripping water... no bear or cat. It's safe.

"Let's go inside, Tark," Eoff says excitedly, having smelled the same nothing that I did.

"Right," I agree.

"You're going inside?" Greta says in disbelief.

I look at her blankly, "Yes? What did you think we were gonna do?"

"Just to look. You can get trapped in there!" Skylar says with panic in her voice.

"I'm going in," I tell them, more determined in the face of their fear. I'm the Adlartok Alphason. I'm no coward.

Eoff follows me, but the females stay, hovering in the mouth of the cave.

"That's far enough, males," Greta tries to boss us. "Let's go back, now."

Ahead I can see a twist, a turn, as the cave drops deeper. I can see light ahead, and it makes me want to see what is lighting up the deep cave. "I want to go see," I whisper. This is so exciting...

"Ah, you sure, Tark?" Eoff sounds nervous.

I pause. A good alpha doesn't just leave his pack behind... but I've never been this deep in the caves on my own. I can hear Skylar sniffling, but I can't even see the females anymore. I decide that I can't leave them behind, but I want tosee.

"Go back and guard the females," I tell Eoff. "I'm going to go, just to the next bend, alright?"

"Tark..." Eoff says reluctantly.

"C'mon, Eoff. Just a minute. Then I'll come back. I don't scent anything in here, just water and rock. I'll be fine," I tell him.

He nods and slowly makes his way out, dark eyes apprehensive. Grinning, I run my hand over the cool, rough surface of the wall. It's dry, so the water source must be ahead. I know that it's dangerous. Water can mean other animals, and that can mean predators, but when will I ever get the chance to do this again? After I shift years from now?

Taking a deep breath, I creep forward on silent feet, just like Pa taught me. I round the bend in the wall, and the light nearly disappears. A small hole in the roof of the cave is all that I can see by, and that's how the water is entering the cave, just a drip from a stream nearby way above my head, making a pool on the floor of the cave.

Carefully, I pick my way over to the pool, watching out for any hibernating snakes. I'm almost disappointed when I make it to the pool and don't encounter anything on the way.

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