Page 14 of Mating Season
I moved as fast as I could in human form, careful to check and not disturb my traps. When I was far away from my nest and closer to the small brook that would draw animals to it anyway, I added my voice to the ruckus Fallon was making as she crashed through the woods.
“I’m over here!” I cupped my hands over my mouth, projecting my voice downhill. “Find the water and follow it upstream.”
“Thank the fucking Goddess!”
I tightened the cord on my makeshift bag around my back and looked around, finding low branches to climb. Shimmying up the pine tree was easy enough.
“Found the water,” Fallon cried, falling to her knees by the brook just a few yards away. Her black hair was a tangled mess and dirt marred her face. Shesplashed herself and I climbed back down, wanting to give her time to compose herself without an audience.
A trail camera blinked on the tree across from me. I stuck my tongue out at it.
“Keep walking upstream. I’ll meet you there.” I picked my way along the bank slowly.
When I reached the clearing where the trees and brambles parted, Fallon turned the bend. She still had twigs and leaves in her hair, but her face was full of relief as she wrapped her arms around me.
“I didn’t know if I’d find you.”
“You found me.” I patted her back awkwardly. She didn’t seem like the type of person who hugged and I wasn’t sure how hard I should squeeze in return.
Fallon pulled away, looking at me with wide eyes still rimmed with black makeup and old tear streaks she hadn’t been able to wipe off. “I did something I shouldn’t have done.”
8
Ranger
I stared at the paler fur on the back of John’s right shoulder as we trotted toward the bridge, wondering how I’d missed the slight curve of a mating mark. He didn’t smell like a mated wolf so the bond must’ve not been completed.
The river continued to rush below us. Even in the daylight, it was too treacherous to cross. Jones and Foster arrived early this morning having found the hiking bridge.
“Tell me again what I’m missing.”I mind-linked my pack as we crossed the rickety structure over the white-water rapids below.
John had taken a fist to the face before my guys showed up to lead us here and he still hadn’t explained what happened.“I’m not one to kiss and tell,”he’d said.
Someone had better start talking soon before I lost my mind. It was bad enough with the protective worry pummeling my beast and the aggression building from the coming rut. I didn’t want to be more paranoid than I already was. I needed to know who I could trust.
Beau stepped into that role.“Jenna said something about Fallon asking how to break a mate bond.”
“Why would she ask that?”My wolf finished crossing the bridge and stopped, waiting for Jonesand Foster to make it safely across before the massive Alpha wolves came over all following like a line of scary baby ducks.
Jones and Foster shared a look. They were mates with their own mind connection I wasn’t privy to. Normally it wouldn’t bother me.
Today I growled, demanding they spit it out.
Foster broke first, pawing the ground with a friendly whine.“Come on, Alpha. We all know how Fallon is.”
No. We didn’t. I growled again.“Explain.”
Jones’ gray wolf padded forward. He was the larger of the two males and he put his mate behind his back, baring his neck in respect.“He meant Fallon wouldn’t want to be tied down to a mate.”
No, she wouldn’t.
My beast’s fur stood on end as a wave of fury passed through him. It was so intense, I was forced to pull him back with a stern command.
Stay in control.
If he hurt her…
She would have said something.