Page 36 of Mating Season

Ihatedmy old pack.

Ranger’s wolf came to an abrupt stop. His nostrils flared as he turned his snout to my wolf and I could sense his frustration at not being able tocommunicate directly when he was picking up my emotions.

Tell him I’m done feeling sorry for myself.

On it.My wolf put her tail in the air, prancing forward and rubbing her body against him as he leaned into her.

My feisty girl swiped at his nose before she took off running out of reach of his massive paws.

I gave her a mental fist bump as I dried my metaphorical eyes. No more ‘woe is me’ for me.

I may not have had the mentorship to be a great Luna, but I was a quick student and mostly self-taught anyway. Screw Nuva Pack and their backwoods ways.

Ranger’s wolf watched my wolf as she trotted ahead of him like she hadn’t just challenged his beast. I swear I could hear his human side laughing.

That made me smile.

He was my Alpha now and if he needed a Luna, I was going to be the best dang Luna the world had ever seen.

16

Ranger

I don’t like this.

I’m not the biggest fan either.

The snarls and yips of wolves rough-housing grew louder as we raced down the mountain. I shouldn’t have left them alone, but I’d thought they could contain their urges for another night. It was my fault for assuming things would occur in their natural order since I’d gotten us here so fast. The show did the damage they intended. They’d used our own biology against us. All to increase the drama by forcing us into an earlier rut.

I couldn’t wait to make them pay for this.

Aspen’s beautiful brown wolf came up beside my beast and pressed her shoulder against his. Almost instantly, the rattling in his chest eased and a sense of peace washed over both of us.

We stood on the knoll overlooking the valley and pond below. At least the show producers had the good sense to separate Aspen’s nest from the rest of these animals. It afforded her a level of protection and distinction. But the producers probably did this intentionally to isolate her from the rest of the females as a message to me.

We’ll make them suffer.

Aspen’s wolf yipped, drawing our attention away from the dark thoughts of what we’d like to do to the humans for putting us in this position.

I looked through my beast’s eyes into Aspen’s honey brown eyes reflecting the human inside. It wasn’t the first time tonight I wished we shared the telepathic connection so we could communicate directly. My wolf didn’t mind. He was more at ease with her wolf form, picking up on her subtle emotions and enjoying her eagerness to be with him.

It was the human who used words like “wait” and “contracts.” He had no use for such things.

Take her. Mate her. Claim her.

Simple thoughts for a simple beast.

I didn’t fault Aspen for needing more time. I would’ve given it to her, but she’d decided to run with me. As right as it felt to have her by our side, there was awrongnessto this night. Humans had to stop playing with nature. Something bad was bound to happen.

Nature always wins in the end.

I’d thought that too. But look around.

A trail cam blinked red, recording as my wolf let out a howl and continued to race down the mountain toward the beasts entering an early rut.

*

Stay here, my love.My wolf nudged Aspen’s side with his snout, herding her to an area tucked far back in the woods that would provide safety.