Page 15 of Mating Season
John’s wolf continued forward as the last of the wolves crossed the bridge. The forest thinned out, surrounding an old human hiking trail we followed through the valley.
Even John looked bigger with the coming rut driving his beast. His tail was bushier as it swayed side to side. An undercurrent of tension rippled from him too. My pack stayed pressed close to me, offering comfort. But John’s wolf remained just to the rightand up ahead, all alone with no one else besides me watching his back.
“’Did Fallon chase him?”I asked, already knowing the answer.
“We weren’t there,”Jones answered honestly.
“That’s her bite. But I thought it’d be bigger,”Foster teased, dodging my wolf’s paw as he swiped half-heartedly at his massive skull.
Jones rolled his eyes at his mate’s antics.
“Equal rights,”Beau said proudly, like Jenna could hear him out here.“Fallon is allowed to choose.”
Did she choose? If so, why was she so adamant on leaving the show?
I wasn’t sure if I’d missed any signs or if she’d tried to tell me something. Guilt washed over me. I’d been so caught up with Aspen that I neglected my duty to my family. The pack was having to run this season without me…
John’s wolf growled, snapping me from my thoughts. He glanced over his shoulder and my wolf followed his motion.
The Alphas behind us were getting bigger too. Spit frothed in their jaws as their muscles bunched and flexed with the run. The growing aggression from the group was licking at our heels like flames.
I couldn’t blame them.
This was biology driving us all forward no matter our position or ranking. And I needed to focus to remain in control.
John’s wolf caught my eye and we shared a look of pity laced with desperation before we both turned forward, picking up the pace again.
At least I didn’t have two young nieces to worry about and a potential mate mark half-finished from a tornado like Fallon to contend with.
Whatever happened this season, I sure didn’t envy him.
9
Aspen
“Slow down and tell me what happened. Start from the beginning this time.” I was still trying to make sense of what Fallon said. She’d followed behind me as I finished checking the traps, speaking a mile a minute and that was without caffeine in her. It wasn’t Clara fast, but she was all over the place.
Fallon took a deep breath as I turned the rabbit over the fire pit. It was a scrawny thing and a little roughed up which meant life was harsh for prey in these woods. I almost felt bad for snaring it, but with the way Fallon’s stomach growled, I was grateful for being able to provide her hot food.
She exhaled slowly, looking paler than when she started talking. “Ranger is going to kill me.”
“For biting John?” I was still trying to wrap my head around this part.
“I didn’t bite him. My wolf did,” Fallon cried.
Typical human response. Blame us when you don’t want to take responsibility.
Hush.I turned the spit again.
“When were the two of you together as wolves?” I glanced at the trail cams watching us and probably recording this conversation. Once, I might have cared about breaking the rules, but that was before the stupid show drugged and kidnapped me…usI mean. She’d come looking for me and got knocked out from behind.
I felt awful about that.
“Ranger held a pack meeting after the obstacle course and I was coming back to the resort alone. My wolf heard a noise and had thisfeelingshe wanted to investigate.” Fallon closed her eyes, cringing at the memory. “The feeling turned out to be a massive dark brown wolf with green eyes standing on a rock under the moonlight. One thing led to another.”
The rabbit caught fire and I hurried to blow it out, focusing on not charring the meat beyond edible. “Did you two…”
“We didn’t knot!” She hurried to explain. “There was a lot of pawing and sniffing and rubbing.”