Page 17 of Bound

We knew we couldn’t take an unknown wolf back to our pack house, especially while she was unconscious. Technically, rogues are not welcome on Westgrove Pack lands, but we weren’t about to turn her away, and she’s clearly not feral, like most rogues become over time.

We also don’t know what she’s been through and didn’t want her waking up in a strange house.

Once she woke up from her three-day nap, we decided to wait until she shifted and agreed to come back with us. She’s clearly terrified, and we don’t want her to be scared of us too.

“Chase, it’s ready,” Hunter calls, pulling me from my thoughts.

I quickly jog over to the fire, where Bain pulls the spit-roasted rabbit off the flames.

“It’s still hot. Let it cool for a few minutes before bringing it to her. I don’t want her to burn her mouth,” Bain says, surprising me with such a long sentence.

Maddox grunts, staring at the meat as if he’s deep in thought.

“What are you thinking about?” Hunter asks as we all watch our leader with concern. He’s normally the first one with a plan, but something about our little wolf has thrown him for a loop, as if he feels unsettled for the first time in his life.

“I wish we knew more about her and where she came from,” he says, staringinto the fire.

“Me too. Then we could rip apart whoever did that to her,” I say with a scowl.

“A little bloodthirsty today, are we?” Maddox asks.

“No more than usual,” I lie.

I check the meat, and it feels cool enough to touch, so I take it to our little wolf.

“Hey, blue, here’s your dinner!” I call out as I step inside the cave.

For a moment, I consider leaving it at the entrance like Hunter did with the rabbit leg, but in the end, I decide to bring it to her so she doesn’t have to get up. I move slowly, and she sits up with her back to the wall, watching me with caution. I try to hide my smirk when I see the way she eyes the rabbit and licks her lips.

I lean down and place it on the ground in front of her, but she doesn’t move. I take a few backward steps, then turn to leave. Within two steps, I hear her chomping down on the meat. That brings a smile to my lips. I hope she eats the whole thing.

She needs to get her strength up so she can shift and prove that she’s my mate.

Chapter 9

Cherry

When I wake up, light filters in through my eyelids, and the sound of birds chirping reaches my ears. Slowly, I open my eyes and find myself alone in the cave, though the sound of the men’s voices tells me they’re just outside.

I take a moment to assess myself. I think my stab wound has healed now, so I stand and stretch my legs, finding no residual pain. I take a drink from the fresh bowl of water beside me, trusting that, after being unconscious and weakened around them for a few days, they weren’t about to poison me.

I find a fully cooked rabbit waiting near the cave entrance, just like last night. I only hesitate for a moment before I make my way over to it.

Glancing outside, I find the large blond man, shirtless, chopping some logs, and my mind and body freeze at the sight of him. Corded muscles run up his back, over his shoulders, and down his bare arms. He lets out a small grunt as he swings the large ax down, splitting the log in two.

I’m suddenly reminded of a word I once heard Ruby use to describe a man she’d found cute.Lumbersnack.

I hadn’t known what that meant at the time, but standing here staring at his beyond-large body chopping giant logs in half as if they were butter, I now understand.

He digs his ax into a fallen log then grabs a bottle of water and takes a few big gulps. I watch his neck move as he swallows. When he’s finished, he pushes his messy blond hair away from his face before he notices me watching him.

Being caught has my cheeks heating as if I were blushing, which luckily doesn’t show in my wolf form. It’s strange, feeling attraction to a man when I’m like this. But I don’t feel like an animal. I feel human.

“Little wolf?” I turn to where Maddox is beckoning me over to the fire, where he and the black-haired man are sitting. A big part of me wants to go to him, knowing he won’t hurt me. But that doesn’t mean he’s not dangerous. He has predator written all over him, even if he tries to show me softness.

I take a step backward, lower my head, grab the rabbit, and dart back into the cave. As I eat the cooked meat, I consider not taking any handouts from them. What if they expect something in return?

But I know my best chance at escaping and finding freedom is to regain my full strength, and since I still can’t shift to my human form, I can’t cook, so I’ll eat as much cooked food as they offer me.