Chapter One
Navin
“Navin!”
I turn around at the sound of my name being shouted. Orion and Pryce are walking at a fast pace toward me, and I narrow my gaze because it looks like Orion is carrying a limp body.
It’s not big enough to be one of our pack members, and as they get closer, I notice long brown hair flowing over his arm.
My heart rate picks up as the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. What the hell? What is a human female doing this high in the mountains? Is she even alive? I hope whatever happened to her has nothing to do with our logging company. That would spell disaster.
“Found her in the woods,” Orion informs me breathlessly.
She’s covered in blood, which concerns me greatly as I take a closer look. “Is she breathing?”
“Barely,” Pryce says. “Huge gash on her thigh. I’d say she’s lost a lot of blood. We used Orion’s flannel as a tourniquet.”
I lift my gaze from the woman. “What caused the injury?”
Orion shrugs. “No idea.”
“Was she anywhere near our logging operation?”
“No,” both men say in unison. “We stumbled upon her by accident while scoping out the next grove of trees.”
I glance at my truck. “Guess we better take her to the clinic in town.”
Pryce shakes his head. “She wouldn’t make it, Navin.”
I inhale slowly as I return my gaze to his and then switch to Orion’s. Both men stare at me. “What are you suggesting?” I ask, even though I know the answer.
“You should claim her, Navin. It’s the only way.” Orion’s voice is calm.
I shift my attention back to the woman. Fuck. He’s serious. “Why me?” I mutter. She’s pale from blood loss, but I think her skin is ordinarily tanned. She seems very small and frail, but it’s been a long time since I’ve been this close to a human, so it’s possible I simply can’t remember how much smaller they are compared to me and my pride members.
“You’re our leader. You should be the first to claim a female.”
I inhale deeply, which draws her scent into me, and take a step closer. I’m oddly drawn to her, which isn’t logical. She’s unconscious, and it’s obvious she’s hanging on to life by a thread. Blood has soaked through her jeans.
Nothing about her clothing makes any sense. She’s barefoot and wearing a red tank top. We occasionally come upon humans hiking in the mountains, but she’s not dressed for that sort of thing. In fact, she has to be cold. It’s too chilly for nothing more than the tiny shirt she’s wearing. How long has she been in this condition?
I lick my lips. “Bring her into my cabin. Let’s assess her wound. Maybe we can patch her up and still get her to the town doctor.”
“Her pulse is weak, Navin,” Orion says. “Without your intervention, she’s not long for his world.”
“Come.” I turn and take long strides toward my cabin. It’s probably a terrible idea. If I bring her into my space, her scent will fill it and linger for years. I don’t see how I have any other option, though.
I didn’t set out to be the leader of our pride. It just sort of happened. When the twelve of us broke off from our previous pride in search of a place to put down roots and find mates, the others voted and declared me the leader.
Hurrying, I leap up the three front steps to my porch and open the front door, guiding my men through to my bedroom.
Orion gently deposits the human female onto my bed.
I stare at her for a few seconds. Her features are stunning. Small button nose, rounded face, long dark lashes. She’s petite.
“We need scissors,” Pryce states. “We’ll have to cut the denim from her.”
“Kitchen drawer under the coffee pot,” I say as I reach for her leg to carefully angle it so I can see the damage better. I wince. The gash must be long. The shirt they used to secure the wound is soaked with her blood. So are her jeans all the way down past her knee. She must have passed out soon after receiving the cut because there’s no blood on her hands. She didn’t even attempt to put a tourniquet around her thigh herself, though I’m not sure what she could have used besides her tiny tank top.
