Suddenly, the air seems to smell of fresh seawater. Wait, not just smells like it, it feels like water is brushing against my body in a warm caress. Sparkling water droplets fill the air, and I look over as a massive white wolf jumps literally out of the river, and the water moves with him in vicious spirals that swim around his body and into the air. This huge wolf, three times the size of the one that’s currently using me like a tugging toy, and far more nasty, locks eyes with mine. Burning blue.
The new wolf slams into the other wolf, ripping him off me, and his teeth finally leave my leg. I cry out as pain makes everything haze over. I watch them fight like I’m in a dream and it’s not real, and it’s hardly a fight at all as the bigger wolf throws the biter into the air and jumps on him. I hear the crunch of teeth and bones, growls and finally cries of pain as death takes one of the two. I barely manage to crawl away before I throw up violently into the leaves. I scream as a hand lands on my shoulder, brushing my braid to the side, and I jump, kicking out with my good leg.
“Careful, little human,” a male warns, his hand easily catching my leg. “I don’t want to lose you to death before we even meet.”
He’s huge. Not like Blackfire huge, but still bigger than me, like most people are. The male has a lot of muscle packed into a smaller, leaner frame. His white hair falls around his face, locks of it so bright they almost look silver. Bright sea-blue eyes lock onto mine, and he’s grinning mischievously, like we know each other well. I saw him once at the selection and that was it. The air smells like salt water, and it takes me a second to realize that it’s him that smells like the sea.
He’s wearing a lot of black, similar clothing to what Blackfire had chosen, but the crest on his chest is blue, a startling blue that almost glows. His cloak is dark blue too, falling around his shoulders, lined with thick white fur underneath. He is painfully good-looking, from the sharp lines that make up his god-made face, to his tall, imposing body. It’s almost unfair that the wolves all look like this. The pretty image of him is ruined when I notice he has blood all over his neck and chest, his trousers and cloak too. It’s not all my blood from my leg. “Let me go!”
“Never, little human.” But surprisingly, he does let my good leg go, and he kneels next to me. Before I can think of anything to say, he grabs my injured leg, yanking it towards his face. His hand is so big it wraps around my calf tight, his fingers touching, and I don’t have the strength to fight him away. Who am I kidding? Even if I wasn’t hurt, I’d be like a fly pestering a mountain if I tried to fight him.
“Don’t kill me!” I scream, trying to wiggle away, but his grip is iron tight. His lips tip up in amusement before, to my absolute horror, he lifts my leg and pushes the ripped fabric up away from my calf. I wince in pain before he licks the bites on my leg. I can do nothing but watch as he licks slowly up the bite marks, and I hold back a groan. That feels…good.
It feels warm, like sitting in a bath of warm water after a cold day, and with it, all the pain in my leg is suddenly gone. Heat tickles down my spine, straight through my body, warming up my stomach as he continues to lick my leg until the cuts are completely gone. My calf is bare. It still aches, but there’s nothing there but my skin. “How did you do that, wolf?”
“It’s a royal gift called the healing kiss. Or lick, in this case.” He smirks, and it’s charming. I bet a thousand women have thrown their bodies and hearts at this male for that smirk and begged for a kiss. “My name is Reed Frostridge. I am one of the heirs to the Maiden Pack, fifth son to be exact, and it’s a pleasure to meet you, Meredith Crone.”
I groan. Another heir? Why do I keep meeting them, and what did I do in a past life to deserve this hell? I must have been a mass murderer or something equally bad, because I’m clearly cursed. “Why did you heal me if you know who I am? Blackfire told me everyone would want me dead here.”
“Blackfire’s usually wrong about everything, but do keep that between you and me.” He grins like we now share a secret. I didn’t agree to shit, and I’m telling Blackfire, because I have a feeling it might piss him off, and it’s the only thing that makes me feel alive right now—pissing off arrogant men. “I am not from the Crone or Mother Pack, and I do not see humans as they do. As many do. You have nothing to fear from me, Meredith.”
He sits on the ground opposite me as I push myself up against the tree, looking warily around like someone’s going to jump out and help him kill me. He just leans back on his arms, not a care in the world that I’m still covered in blood and so is he. It drips off his cloak. I peek to the left, seeing what is left of the wolf who bit me. The body is in pieces and chunks, and the head of the wolf is inches away, unseeing as it stares.
I try not to look at it or smell the blood. It’s really gross. But I am glad he’s dead because he really just tried to kill me. I stillwant to throw up, though. I don’t know if that’s a nice thing to do when someone’s just saved you. “Not to be an ungrateful bitch, but I don’t trust a single word out of your mouth, Reed. Stop lying and tell me why you saved me?”
“Have you ever been to the Maiden Pack or travelled outside the human district?” he counters, watching me closely for the answer.
If I had the energy to get up and run away, I would. “When I was younger, I had a friend who worked in the Crone Pack, and he would sneak me in sometimes.” I hate even mentioning him. I never talk about him…or that time. Why am I now? I clench my fists. “I’d have to keep hidden because I wasn’t enslaved, and what I saw there… I didn’t go back. I regretted travelling each time I went. I never left the human district for any of the others.” Not that I could have done that. Humans can’t just leave and go to the packs; we have to have a job secured and a wolf who allows us entry to get into the Maiden Pack. The Mother and Crone Pack only want the enslaved. Anyone who has a connection to the Maiden Pack is long gone, living in the only pack who doesn’t enslave. I would have done anything to get into that pack once upon a time. Now I know better. All wolves are the same. I wave around. “And all this happened, and I’ve now decided all wolves are mad and the goddesses clearly want me dead.”
He watches me carefully. “How exactly did a human get marked by the goddesses? How exactly did you end up in the Crone pack lands when that happened, if you never leave the human lands?”
“I stabbed a wolf in the foot.” I deadpan the truth.
He laughs, grinning widely. “Alright, don’t tell me; we all have our secrets, little human. I’m not asking for yours.” Reed leans closer. “Yet.”
Of course he doesn’t believe me, and I’m not in the mood to convince him of anything. “Then what are you asking for? Youjust saved my life and healed me.Why?You’re an heir. Why would you help a human?”
“One of my best friends is human.” I’m shocked silent, and that rarely happens. I always have something sarcastic to say. “He’s not here, but I’m glad for it. Humans in the Maiden Pack are… Yes, they work for us, but they’re well paid and we are often friends. They don’t wear the slave mark, and it is rarely used in our lands. They’re free, well, as free as humans can get in our world as long as they agree to have no children and undergo the spell to make sure of that. Of course, we have areas you can live and have children that wolves are banned from entering,” he explains. Is this guy for real?
He continues, “Mind you, that rule is an old agreement in all packs from the goddesses to make sure half-breeds are not created. We don’t believe in stripping away every part of you to make you docile, as other packs do. My parents don’t believe in that. Neither do most of my brothers.” I notice themostin that last sentence. “You don’t deserve to be here, and it’s not fair you’re outgunned in every aspect.”
“Still, what do you want?” I watch him with a frown.
“You’re not very trusting, are you, little human?” he murmurs, his voice low. “And where did you inherit that unusual gold hair and eyes? I’ve never seen a human like you.”
“I don’t have a clue; I’m an orphan.” I lift my chin. “And fuck you, I’m not that little.”
“Yes, you are. It’s adorable, actually. It’s the first thing I thought when I saw you. You’re adorably little but fierce like a cat.” He smirks again. “I’ve decided we are going to be friends.”
I laugh. At least he is funny. “I don’t make friends with wolves. We will not be friends, Reed. Ever.”
“We already are.” He frowns. “Most females like when I flirt with them. It’s not working on you.” He flashes me a smile that shows off his dimples. “Do you like women?”
“I have no interest in your flirting with me, and I don’t like women like that. It doesn’t matter, you’re all the same, and at the end of the day, it’s just pain you cause.” I wave a hand. “Plus, I’m human; you’re not allowed to be with me. You just said so.”
“I can fuck you, just not keep you. And trust me, I know it would be worth the goddesses’ anger. Many in my pack do the same, and I’ve never been with a human before. You’re tempting, little human.” His voice is seductive, and if I didn’t know how wolves could be…I might be tempted by that offer just so I don’t die a virgin.
For a moment, I’m taken aback by how good-looking he is. It’s really not fair. Why can’t humans be blessed with extreme good looks? Wolves already haveeverythingelse. The extended life, the strength, the magic. Why did they get to have the good looks too? I know my cheeks are burning as he stares, and I refuse to look at his face. I get the feeling he isn’t used to anyone saying no to him in this regard. First time for everything. I go to tell him to shove his idea up his ass, but he speaks first. “I’m offering an alliance, Meredith. We work together and find our selected. I’m sure they will be near each other, and I’ll protect you.”
