Page 30 of Untamed

Another soft growl floats down from her perch.

My cat is eyeing Elna with blatant hostility. I heave a sigh and slip the food back into the satchel on my hip. "Back up, Elna. I can't let you get within striking distance. She's fast." I say, thinking of the chase. My wolf and I poured on the speed to capture her.

"Is she hostile?" Elna edges.

I feel my muscles stiffen at the question. My wolf bares his teeth, all of them, not a flash, but a full-force warning of canines that can easily rip through flesh and mark up bone.

Elna should get the message. Should. But, RustClaw is a pack on the edge of war and still reeling from losing their birthright Alphason eight years ago. Lessons need to be learned, and as Lyri tells me all the time, I must practice patience.

"Is she so wild that she doesn't feel the bond?" Elna asks rudely.

"She's newly shifted. Can't you see it, Elna?" Thjis asks her in a low, dangerous voice. Good that my brothers are here because I can't speak in my fury. My vision is fading to grey, the wolf in me pinning a target on Elna's throat.

"If she doesn't reciprocate the bond, then how do we know she is the future luna?" Elna snaps.

The pack holds its breath. I suck in oxygen, precious air as spots dance in front of my eyes. I turn toward the female, claws erupting from my fingertips, canines sliding out to scrape against my bottom lip. My eyes are glowing. Elna finally gets the message, casting her eyes down, shoulders slumping.

"It's a good question," another voice calls out.

I snarl at the approaching female. Porscia. An elderly female whose mate was Jax’s Beta before he died when Lyri staged her coup. If anyone has a bone to pick with this pack, it’s Porscia.

"She's a wild. She won’t care for you or this pack," Porscia contends.

“She is my mate,” I growl.

Elna reaches for me. Lifts her hand and extends it towards me as if touching a raging alpha-wolf who belongs to another female is an intelligent thing to do.

The flash of gold comes only from my periphery. Elna screams as claws rake over her face, one eye bursting under the pressure of elongated, sharp cat's claws. Porscia’s cries of shock mix with Elna’s pained yowls as she stumbles backward.

I wrap my arm around my cat's waist and haul her back against me, kissing her nape in thanks. Her chains clatter and clank, and I pray her wrists aren't feeling pressure from her sudden movement. Hissing and spitting like an actual feline, she arches her back and takes another swipe at a shrieking Elna.

"Get her back!" I snap. Awareness of holding my mate in my arms makes me too eager. Holding my mating venom back is making my stomach swirl and pitch sickeningly.

Thjis calmly hauls Elna backward and starts to examine her wounds.

"I don't think the future Luna likes your eyes on something that is hers," Rhet remarks with a sarcastic chuckle. "Remember that. She's possessive."

"Calm, Qitsuk. You've made your point," I tell her, inordinately pleased with her reaction. Her alpha is strutting with pride for his luna. Pretty, dangerous cat. I stroke her hair, her back. She allows it, this time, her hair fluffed and her body shaking with deadly intent.

"Easy, my Bliss," I murmur. I reach up to remove the chains from the top of the Post. No more waiting for the moon. I'm eager to get my mate home.

She spins and snatches her meal out of the bag with nimble, lightning-quick fingers. With Elna's blood still coating her hands, she starts to rip off small pieces. She's starving for food, and I'm starving for her. She picks at the food delicately, not quite the wild thing like how I thought she would be with her meals. As I watch her eat, I can't help but wonder...

Did she attack Elna for me or the food?

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10 - Snow White

Willa

I snatch the food from his hands as soon as he's close enough. I take a bite, making sure to get both meat and cheese. It's better together; one of my favorites. We didn't get much cheese in the forest. This cheese is sharper, with a saltier taste than I'm used to, but I like it.

"That's it,Qitsuk. My Bliss," he says lowly. A faint smile curls his lips up at the corners. The left side of his mouth curls a little higher. It's a blemish that makes his face even more fascinating for my eyes. His eyes are warm again.

I refuse to like it. Glaring, I keep eating, careful not to overeat. I can't escape if I give myself a tummyache.

"Here,Qitsuk," Mactiir murmurs. He holds up a bottle to my lips.

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