A growl rose in his throat, but he swallowed it. He had to control the sudden raging protectiveness that burned in him. But he also had to protect her, care for her.My mate.“Please tell me.”
She peeked up at him. Her eyes caught the sunlight that poured through the windows, that turned them so pale they were nearly colorless. “I’m just…dehydrated and…and hungry.”
“When did you last eat?”
“Around five p.m. yesterday.”
Twenty hours ago. He had to swallow another growl. He kept his hand under her arm and led her to a stuffed chair. She was trembling again. He crouched in front of her and wished, for the first time in his life, that he could gentle his voice to something softer than his gritty rasp.
“What would you like to eat?”
“Anything,” she said. “Anything at all. Thank you.”
“No food allergies?”
She took a moment too long to answer, as though basic thoughts were beyond her right now. “No.”
“Wait here, please,” he said.
As he stood to his full height, abruptly towering over her position in the chair, a hard shudder seized her, and her scent spiked with panic. Malachi dropped to a crouch again.
“I won’t harm you,” he said, but now her teeth were chattering. “April?”
“You are Alpha,” she whispered.
“And that means harm to you?”
“He takes what he wants, when he wants it. He requires absolute submission. We’re never to call him Drew. Only Alpha. Alpha at all times.”
Malachi’s blood pulsed hot with a fury he’d never known before. Somewhere a wolf called Drew was exploiting his power. Exploiting his pack, the very ones he bore a responsibility to serve and lead as sacrificially as necessary. The yearning to bare his teeth at this base predator burned in his very blood.
“How many in his pack?” he said. “How long has this wolf abused them?”
She looked up, startled again, this time not by his movement or his voice but by his words. “Abused?”
“That is what you’ve described.”
She fisted her hands in her lap. Gradually her shaking began to ease. “Six wolves live there. I was the only mate, but they talked about…taking more.”
The snarl that filled his chest nearly ripped free before he could stop it.My mate!Touched by these wolves? Hurt by these wolves? Pain clutched his wolf heart. He had to shut his eyes against it.
“What’s wrong?” she said.
“They harmed you.”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Forty-seven days. Yesterday I escaped. I heard of a wolf pack here, and I came to you because…because humans can’t protect me from them. If they can find me, they’ll kill me. But I thought maybe…there might be less violent wolves in the world too. Less violent than they are. Willing to help me.”
“You’ll be protected here.”
“You wanted to know about the risk to your pack. Well, if they can kill you, they will. For taking me in.”
For claiming her as mate. He must claim her.
April pressed a hand to her head and closed her eyes. “And there’s the gist of my situation. The rest is just details.”
