Page 12 of The Untamed

I’m trying to pay attention to the potential game we’re stalking, but I’m lost inside my own head. Last night, I stroked my cock, imagining Rae’s mouth on me. I came so hard I saw stars. Then, this morning, before we left, I came again with thoughts of us naked and in bed, my cock deep inside her.

It can’t ever happen, but that doesn’t stop the maddening images from assaulting me at every turn. I want to tell Ronan, just so I don’t have to bear this secret alone, but how do I even admit that shit?

Yip.

“Stay here,” Dad instructs.

Dad prowls toward the sound, shotgun raised and at the ready. When he reaches the source, he lowers his weapon.

“Goddammit.”

Raegan rushes forward and I follow after her. The grisly scene before us is gut-churning. A full-sized wolf is mutilated, having clearly been on the losing side of a fight with a bear. Three wolf pups are also mangled and dead. Two, however, whimper and whine as they paw at the remains of their family.

“I need to put them out of their misery,” Dad grumbles, aiming his shotgun at the white furball that’s covered in blood.

“No!” Raegan shrieks. “They’re just babies.”

“Babies with no mother,” Dad says, sighing. “It’s cruel to leave them here motherless, sunshine.”

The other pup, dark gray and also sticky with blood, attempts to nurse from its dead mother to no avail. My heart sinks. He’s right. We should put them out of their misery.

But seeing the heartbroken expression on my sister’s beautiful, slightly freckled face is too much to bear. I want to see her smile again.

“We could look after them,” I tell him. “We can’t let them die, Dad.”

Raegan nods, ponytail bouncing. “Please, Daddy. Please don’t kill them.”

Dad groans and squats to pick the hungry pup up by the scruff of its neck. It howls and squirms in his grip. “They’re wild animals.”

“Babies. They’re babies,” Raegan argues. “We have to take care of them. It’s the right thing to do.”

“We can’t keep them.” Dad shakes his head, thrusting the whimpering pup at us. “This will turn into that.” He motions with the pup to the mangled mother. “Then they’ll hurtyou.”

Raegan stomps forward and takes hold of the pup, pulling it to her chest. “I’ll train them to be good, Dad. You won’t let me have my own cabin. Let me have this.”

His lips thin out, and for a moment I think he’ll deny her, but then he sighs in resignation. “They’re not allowed in the big house. The second one of them even looks at any of the kids wrong or so much as growls at them, I’ll put a bullet in their heads.”

The gray pup yelps in Raegan’s arms. When its soulful blue eyes meet mine, my heart squeezes.

“Come here, little one,” I say as I set my weapon down to take the pup. “Don’t be afraid.”

Normally, Raegan would throw a fit if I tried taking something from her—our favorite knife being proof—but not now. Not in this moment.

She smiles.

Again, I’m transfixed by the beauty of it. Her lips are full and a perfect rosy color that I can’t seem to get out of my head no matter how hard I try. Brown eyes, which so often are narrowed at me, are wide and twinkling.

I like this smile on her and that she’s easily gifting it to me.

She steps forward, her lovely pine scent enveloping me, and gently eases the pup into my waiting hands. Silky, delicate fingers brush over mine, sending heat prickling over my flesh. A warm blush creeps over my cheeks. I force my gaze from her onto the pup, stroking its messy fur in what I hope is a comforting manner.

“You’re safe now…” I frown at the pup, lifting him up briefly so I can check his sex. “You need a name, little fella.”

“Mage,” Raegan says. “The white one is Spirit. I already named them after characters in the book I’m reading.”

Mage and Spirit.

I grin at her. “That’s perfect.”

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