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But my wild, stubborn wolf wants to explore. Or maybe it isn’t my wolf. Maybe it’s just me.

35

EZRA

AXEL CLAN

Icome down slow at the territory line of Axel Clan and backwing hard to break the drop. Even that much sends a hot ache through my healing wing joint. In the field grass, I pull my wings into my back while my dragon grumbles at the bear scent rolling out of the woods.

Aya tears out of the forest with her arms pumping and drops her weight back into a slide. She plows short ruts through the pine needles with her bare feet and stops at my side without even breathing hard. The run has her scent rich and thick, and my mouth waters for it.

I want to kiss her silly when she does that.

She catches me admiring her and smirks. My dragon damn near purrs. I’m reaching to haul her up against me when we lift our noses together. Woodsmoke and House of Zorah are cutting fast through the forest toward us. I know the wolves behind them too well.

I groan. Aya slaps my arm. “Ezra, stop that. They’re family.”

Seth and Ocran come weaving through the trunks at wolf speed. Seth swings wide around a deadfall. Ocran crashes through the brush without bothering to dodge it. They pull up hard beside us on the open ground with Ocran already frowning at me. I know exactly why. Word of my threat against House of Zorah has made it around Wintermoon. I’m not sorry about it, either.

Aya plants herself between us as Ocran comes forward. “Back off, Ocran.”

Ocran stops short of her but keeps his scowl on me. “Step aside, cousin. Let me say what needs to be said.”

My dragon won’t have his mate out front for a fight that’s mine. I pull Aya behind me, and she smacks at my hand. “Ezra, what the hell⁠—”

“This is between me and Ocran,” I tell her. “We’re friends.”

“Burn down my village?” Ocran spreads his arms. “Damn, man.”

“I was in a heated argument with Levi.” I keep my voice level. “And I wasn’t really gonna do it anyway.”

“Bullshit,” Seth and Ocran say in unison.

Aya cringes at her cousins.

“Okay.” I hold my hands up. “Maybe. If things would have gotten out of hand⁠—”

“He submitted before Alpha Jacob,” Aya reminds them from around my arm.

Seth and Ocran gape at her. She just called Jacob by his title instead of dusty wolf. Even her scent spikes. She turns around to glare up at me. Somehow this is my fault.

I say nothing. She’s the most beautiful woman in the world, even mad at me for no reason.

Her cousins twitch their noses and step aside. The air behind them splits open with blue-gold burning along the edges of the tear. House of Zorah’s sunlit clearing shows through it, with cabins in the distance. The smell of cookfires and wolves reaches us before Samara steps across. Her cloak swings over a pretty summer dress and black flat shoes. The portal snaps shut behind her and takes House of Zorah with it.

Seth leans down to plant a kiss on his sister’s cheek. Samara is the shortest out here and has to tip her head back to see our faces.

“What are you doing here?” he asks.

“I’m taking over things for Mom while she’s…” She doesn’t finish.

Ocran snickers.

Aya leans in. “How mad is she?”

Samara stays quiet. Seth answers for her. “Oh, she’s pissed. The spell just wore off, but Dad is making her take some time off and rest up. She couldn’t eat or drink for nearly a full day.”

Aya winces. I want no part of Angie in a mood like that.