Page 102 of Mate
The wolf needed to calm the fuck down.
“You know, wolves calm down once they get pregnant,” Ry mentioned as soon as we converted to our wolf forms to go hunt down our mate.
I looked over at him wearily.
“Hey, I’m just saying. My wolf is trying to think of long-term solutions.”
“And he doesn’t care about promises made, apparently,” I grumbled in reply.
“Oh, yeah, no. He’s not bothered by that. I can’t even begin to explain promises to him. He thinks I’m just acting dumb,” Ryker assured with a grunt. “Fine, then. We’ll tame her the old-fashioned way.”
“You love the old-fashioned way,” I reminded with a bit of a laugh, picking up the pace.
I heard Ry laugh behind me. He had been sounding and acting looser and happier than I’d seen him since I’d met him. “Fair enough, boss. The old-fashioned way it is.”
CHAPTER 34
Kaci
My alpha queen wolf wasn’t having it.
She wanted to run, and she didn’t care that her mates thought she should be going to class like a good little girl. Fuck that, running was far more fun than Hunter’s physics class about all that boring shit. His power point slides always followed the book chapter to a ‘T’ and that would be there later.
So, I skipped class.
What-the-fuck ever. I was a badass bitch, and I could do what I wanted.
Caelum and Ry had spent no time moving me into their house once the mansion had to go through massive repairs. It was easy to see when they were gone in a two-bedroom house. As soon as Caelum and Ry had left for the day, I’d slip out.
It wasn’t that I needed to get out of there. It was that I needed to get out ofall placesnowadays.
Enough time had passed that we’d all healed up after the massive fight with the rogues, and I was getting antsy. Neither man had so much as touched me since the attack. It was like they were treating me with kid gloves. Caelum had ordered Ry to keep his hands off to make sure I healed properly, and I had liked the peace at first. But the more time passed, the more frustrated I became. Not to mention Ry could say whatever sexy thing he wanted, which was all the time, but then mostly kept his stupid, oversized hands to himself.
Now, I was practically vibrating with energy, and I couldn’t make it stop, so I wanted to run. I wanted to run far and wide and get whatever this was out of me.
I’d shifted a number of times since the attack, and now I was just as graceful as the boys. I leapt over the threshold of the door this morning, leaning into my wolf and feeling my limbs lengthen as my body reshaped. When my paws landed on the ground, I looped into the swamps, letting the call of nature surround me in its entirety.
The earthy scent of moss and damp soil filled my nose, mingling with the tang of water, creating an intoxicating blend that fueled my every stride.
The cool, murky waters of the bayou were a magnet for me. I dashed along the swamp’s edge, my paws barely touching the moist ground as I felt the muck squish between my toes. I couldn’t help but let out a series of joyous yips as I splashed through the shallows, creating ripples that reflected the sun’s golden glow.
My senses sharpened as I sped through the labyrinthine paths of the swamp. I howled with pleasure. I could hear the subtle rustling of creatures in the underbrush. The humid air flowedover my fur, and I felt the weight of the world lift with every step. In that moment, I was no longer a vulnerable human being, but a badass, powerful wolf that bowed to no one.
It was a heady feeling, and I reveled in it.
My wolf ears pricked up as I detected a faint rustling behind me, bigger than a small critter. At first, I dismissed it as the usual sounds of the swamp, but as the noise grew more distinct and urgent, my instincts kicked in.
Somethingor someonewas following me.
Without hesitation, I shifted into a higher gear, my powerful wolf muscles propelling me forward in a blur of motion like one of those high-speed bullet trains in Japan. The undergrowth rushed by as I sprinted through the dense vegetation, but the sounds following me only seemed to draw closer. My heart pounded as I increased my speed, every fiber of my being focused on escaping.
Adrenaline surged through my veins as I ran like the fucking wind, but whatever was tailing me only seemed to go faster. I snarled under my breath, pushing myself to pound my paws into the muck and propelling myself forward as swiftly as possible.
But it wasn’t enough.
As I continued to sprint through the bayou, the presence behind me grew ominously close. Every ounce of my instinct screamed at me to flee. But then, as the wind shifted, I caught a whiff of something I recognized—the distinct scent of both Caelum and Ry, laced with the faintest hint of dark, seductive intent.
Realization hit me like a lightning bolt. I wasn’t being chased by a threat; I was merely being pursued by my own mates.My frustration at being coddled turned into a mixture of exasperation and relief.