Page 17 of Stealthy as a Wolf

Even my tiger was intrigued.

Burke huffed and shot me an annoyed look. “Nobody wants that, but we’ll do what we must.”

I narrowed my eyes on my brother. As much as I wanted to argue with him, I knew he was right. Our mission was too important. I couldn’t allow myself to lose focus, especially over some piece of ass.

My tiger snarled in outrage at the slur, swiping at me with his big paws, and I winced when it felt like he scrambled my brain. Then the big softy turned his back on me, nearly disappearing from my mind completely, leaving me feeling hollow. It wasn’t until pain pricked my palms that I realized my claws were digging into my flesh…until they disappeared as well.

“Burke—”

“I know, my beast is throwing a hissy fit too.” Burke pushed himself to his feet, then gingerly lowered himself down from the van. “But we can’t do anything about it right now. We need to stay focused. We need to get ourselves patched up and back on the road before they find us again. We’re in no shape to survive another run-in with the Snake Eyes gang.”

I grunted in displeasure but didn’t protest.

Because he was right.

We didn’t have a choice.

When I stepped out of the van, my legs nearly buckled, my muscles refusing to hold me. At first, I thought it was part of the poisons the snakes had pumped into my system, but when the sugary sweet scent of oranges hit me and my cock hardened so fast that I went lightheaded, I knew the truth.

It was her.

The one the alpha called Maggie.

A possessive rumble from my tiger rattled my chest, and one word reverberated throughout my head—mate!

Chapter Six

MAGGIE

Iam so dead!

Stunning blue eyes studied me critically, and it was all I could do not to squirm under his regard. Trying not to sweat through my shirt, I give the alpha a weak smile. “Oops, my bad.”

The big guy closed his eyes, then his chest deflated when he heaved a massive sigh. When he opened his eyes again, they were calmer but no less intense. Instead of leaning down, he lifted me higher until I dangled just an inch away from his face.

My lungs stopped working, and my body stilled, no longer under my control.

“Will you try to run again?”

The deep, growly tone of his voice sent goose bumps chasing across my skin. It wasn’t a question, it was a warning, but I answered him anyway. “No?”

When he continued to stare at me, I cleared my throat and tried again with more confidence. “No.”

Then I nodded for good measure.

Because I suspected that if I ran again, I would become his personal mission and he wouldn’t ever stop chasing me. And I couldn’t have that. I already had one alpha on my ass. There was no way in hell I would be able to escape two of them.

He narrowed his eyes on me, searching for the truth, and I gave him another nod. “I’ll stay.”

For now.

Grady hesitated a moment longer, like he heard my silent rebuttal, his grip tightening almost possessively, before he lowered me slowly to the ground. He aimed his massive glower right at me, then slowly peeled his fingers off my arms and lifted his hands away. They hovered in the air over my shoulders, ready to grab me again, and I cracked under the intensity in his eyes.

“Easy there, big guy.” I cocked a mocking eyebrow and patted his chest. “Save chasing the poor, defenseless women for the bedroom.”

Not waiting for his reaction, I sauntered toward the cabin, then cast a glance over the four men staring back at me with various shades of curiosity…and interest?

Torn between being flustered and cursing myself for acting like an idiot under pressure, I attempted to saunter confidently toward the cabin, but feared it probably looked more like a drunken stumble.

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