Page 23 of Wanted By the Wolves
Dex
The little omega’s whimpers wake me. She whines amid her panting, the movements of her chest rising and falling too fast. It isn’t pain. As far as I can tell, she’s recovered from the wolfsbane and her injuries from her time with the king.
My purr tries to combat her anxiety, but her nest fills with the scent of fear. My hand digs into her fur, and I hold her tightly, speaking softly into her ear, “Wake up, sweet girl. It’s only a nightmare.”
It takes a few tries, but I feel the moment she’s back with me. Her body goes rigid. I pick her up and cuddle her to my chest. She’s small, even for an omega wolf. I can only guess what it’s been like for her.
Was she on her own? How did she find herself in the Outskirts? How did she survive before now?
The questions are endless. I want to know everything about the fierce omega in my arms, but those must wait. Right now, all she needs is to feel safe so her wolf can settle and give her back her skin.
The vibrations of my purr quiet her shaking. The skin-to-fur contact helps. After a while, she wiggles in my grasp, licking myarm, then my chest. Only she has touched me there intentionally since the fire. The sensation is odd but not unwelcome. I tighten my hold and pull myself off the floor so we don’t wake Briggs.
My brother is just as stubborn as the other alpha in this house. I can feel Briggs’s pain in the littermate bond, especially when he’s asleep and can’t try to cloak it. His tough-guy pride will have to take a hit so he can heal. If I have to be an asshole about it, so be it.
I move through the dark house, passing the door where Gage has holed up. He vanished after returning to the house last night with the little wolf on his tail. The curses he let loose when he saw she had turned his bedroom into her nest made me feel slightly guilty, but then I decided he’s as lost as she is. Maybe what he needs is to find his way again.
The air outside is cold. I set down the little wolf, who blinks in confusion. “I figure we could get a run in. I bet your wolf would like to get the lay of the land.”
A good run might also chase away her nightmares and help her sleep.
I strip and shift.
My wolf shakes out his fur then circles the omega, sniffing. He rubs along her side and her muzzle, scent marking her. Covering her in my wolf’s scent is deeply satisfying to my alpha. He’s obsessed, licking her snout and ears before she gets tired of it. She gives a little nip and takes off into the circular yard.
At first, we play a simple game of chase. My wolf is huge compared to her small size, but she’s fast and agile. She manages to catch my tail multiple times. Once, she even slides under my chest to playfully bite my throat.
She gets bolder, edging farther away until she notices a trail and takes off into the forest. My wolf catches up easily, taking the lead as he runs with her. We make a wide turn, paws pounding over the mossy floor. We move more slowly near thecliffs, but my wolf guides her down the small trail to the river’s edge.
The water excites her, and I watch with amusement as she yips in delight. Even though it’s freezing, she trots along the bank.
I didn’t think it was possible to find a mate, not with the way things are—especially not with the way I am. Seeing her look so free is a gift. Maybe she’ll fear me when she returns to her human form, but she isn’t afraid of me right now.
No matter how she feels, she’s it for me. I knew the first time she curled her hand against my chest the night we found her that I was done for. The pull between us only gets stronger. I don’t need a mating rune to know my soul belongs to her.
She’s my omega.
While she plays, my wolf hunts for her, overcome with the need to prove he can provide and protect. She splashes me, and I pretend to grumble, splashing her back. Our teasing makes it difficult to focus, but I manage a fish before too long.
I lay the salmon at her feet, bowing my head. She nuzzles me affectionately. The night fills with the heady scent of her perfume as she makes a happy sound, her tail wagging.
She takes her fish to one of the larger rocks on the shore and digs in. My wolf is a bossy fucker, nudging into her space to watch with primal satisfaction as she accepts his gift.
After she’s finished, I clean her snout until she gives me an impatient nip.
We lie on the bank, just lazing for a moment.It’s nice to be in my wolf’s skin without focusing on hunting. It’s been ages since I shifted just to be. Being here with her is a good reminder that pain and ferals aren’t the only things in the world. The little ball of black fur is like my own personal dawn after the longest night.
My wolf purrs in satisfaction, and her wolf joins mine. The anxiety in my chest settles at the harmony. She may need to bea wolf right now, but I believe she will find her way back. I think she’s found her pack here with us in this unlikely place.
I vow to Odin that this won’t be her last moment of peace.
Before long, my little wolf wants to play again. She bites at my snout and nips at me to get moving with a cute little growl.
We follow the trail back up the cliff and into the woods. The tree cover makes the forest dark, but she’s as familiar with running in the forest as I am. We follow the scent of a hare, and when that loses her interest, she takes back up a game of tag. I let her win once, and she growls at me, nipping at my ankle. She wants to play fair.
She charges too fast in the direction of the wards and the camp of ferals posted at the boundary. I race after her, but it’s too late. Her wolf thinks it’s a game, and she sprints, pulling ahead of me in the dark forest.
I recognize the moment she reaches the boundary line. A string of haunting howls fills the night.
