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“What about Rowan?”I wondered.“What happens when he returns to our pack?”
Flint gave the equivalent of a wolfish shrug across the pack bond.“That’s up to her.”He paused,“And him. Since he was raised by wolves, he might see things differently. I’m not sure Rowan is ready to be loved.”
Heath chuffed a laugh.“True. But let’s build that bridge when we get to it and all that.”
“Even if you’re right… And I’m not saying you are,”I started.“She already has a lot to absorb. She’s not ready to hear these… wild conjectures.”
“For now, we could just tell her the deal is still on,”Heath suggested.“We’re still protecting her, after all.”
Flint got to his paws with the faintest growl, which he sharply cut off when he remembered he didn’t want to wake his mate. His next words shook me to the core.
“The real reason you’re both so protective of her is because your wolves know she’s your mate…ourmate. You can hidebehind the deal for Freya’s sake if you insist. But you can’t hide from your own packmate.”
The moonmarked wolf took a step forward, staring us both down as his voice echoed in our minds.
“I know you both, and I sense the truth in the pack bond. You’ve let slip much more than you realize. You both want her just as badly as I do. You want to bite her, to claim her, and to be claimed by her. I see it, and eventually, so will she.”
Chapter 7
Freya
When we rounded a steep, rocky slope, two days later, my eyes fell on a highway winding along the mountainside below us. I knew little about the geography of the area, so it surprised me to see such a wide road. Then again, I’d never been so far from Ironwood packlands.
“Finally, we can get out of here,” Heath grumbled, dusting off his shirt.
We carefully picked our way down the slope across treacherous loose rocks, losing sight of the highway thanks to trees and wayward boulders.
The Howling Echo had killed two more rogue alphas and a beta lone wolf who hadn’t backed down, even when confronting three growling alphas. It made me think my heat must be close.
The next time we got a clear view of the highway, Gage called, “Meet me down there.”
He ripped off his clothing, leaving it and his sling bag behind in his haste to shift. Then he charged down the steep slope, sending loose rocks flying. My heart was in my throat when I caught sight of the bus barreling down the highway, and Gage’s path on course to intercept it.
I grabbed Flint’s arm. “It’s going to hit him!”
Heath’s lips curled up, and I swear he almost looked excited by the prospect. “Only if the driver doesn’t stop.”
“Don’t worry, moonbeam, Gage knows what he’s doing,” Flint reassured me.
Heath’s caramel eyes danced with mirth when he turned toward me. “Gather up his clothes, little wolf.”
I grumbled as I bent to do as he ordered, but when I picked up Gage’s shirt, I stopped short. Without thinking, I brought it to my nose and took a deep inhale. My entire body heated with desire as I caught Gage’s heady scent.
I noticed Heath smirking at Flint, and my face heated for an entirely different reason. Feeling awkward and ashamed of myself for reveling in another alpha’s scent right in front of my mate, I stuffed the rest of Gage’s things into his sling bag before pulling it over my shoulder. It settled low across my stomach, made for someone with a much broader chest than mine.
For a moment, I imagined what it might be like to wear a sling bag because I could shift at will, whenever I wanted to. That must be what true freedom felt like.
The screeching of brakes shattered my daydreaming.
“Gage!” I screamed, every instinct forcing me to run downhill.
My wolf went wild inside of me, doing her best yet failing to come out and aid me. I went way too fast on two legs down the steep slope, but nothing could slow me down right now.
“Freya, wait!” Flint called.
When I caught sight of the bus through the trees, I breathed a sigh of relief. The bus hadn’t pulverized Gage. Instead, he stood stock still in wolf form, only a foot in front of the massive bus.
“What the hell was he thinking?” I slowed down to something less than breakneck speed.
