The Unwanted Wolf
The Hunted Wolf – Chapter 9

MARK

The next couple of days were stressful as we prepared to deal with the hunters. Luckily, they hadn’t tried to attack us again since the first attack. We sighted them nearby on three separate occasions and chased them off before they could do anything. I had a feeling they were planning something big, since their presence was now known. Little did they know we were preparing as well.

We had scouts looking for their base camp. They were smart and stayed away from prying eyes. Typically, hunters stayed at sleazy motels, and it made it easy to replace them. Humans always talked about the strange men and women who carried crossbows and looked like they were looking for a fight. Sometimes hunters even ranted about how they were here to kill monsters, making humans talk even more.

Not these guys though. They kept a low profile, likely staying out of the sight of regular humans, which was making it much more difficult to locate. We had scout parties of four going out each day, being careful with their search. I told them not to engage on their own if they discovered the hunters or their base. I wanted to make sure it was a fight we would win.

“I can help with the scout party today,” Adira said. It was still early in the morning, and she hadn’t gotten dressed for the day. She was sitting on the edge of our bed, watching me get ready for the day.

“No,” I said without hesitation. “I don’t like the idea of you going out there.”

Adira frowned. She had offered to help every day since we started the scouting, and I could tell she was getting frustrated with me. I knew she wanted to help, but I wouldn’t be able to focus, knowing she was willingly putting herself in danger.

“Mark, you can’t keep me from this before. How often do I have to remind you that I’m not some weak girl you have to protect?” She leaned forward as she talked to me.

Her shirt slid down just enough to distract me from her words. I found myself looking at her exposed. My mouth began to water as I imagined what I wanted to do to her.

“I know,” I said, forcing my eyes away. I didn’t want to be distracted while discussing this matter. I moved over to her and knelt in front of her. She was sitting on the bed in front of me, so I took her hands. “I know you are strong and capable. I promise this has nothing to do with me doubting your abilities. This is purely selfish on my part. If anything happened to you, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.”

Adira’s expression softened, and she looked down at me with eyes that made me weak. “I know how you feel. I don’t like it when you go out and put yourself in danger, but you’re the alpha. I understand why you have to do it. I just want to do my part. You trust my skills, right?”

“Of course. You have improved faster than anyone else I’ve been training.” I didn’t want to admit it, but I wasn’t about to lie to her about this.

“And you trust your other warriors?” she continued.

I knew exactly where she was going with this, and I was confident I had already lost this argument. “Yes. Some of them need more work, but they are all skilled warriors.”

“So if you trust me and trust them, give me one good reason I shouldn’t go and help out the pack tonight?” She gave me a pointed look. She also knew she had won this argument. This woman sure knew how to get her way with me. I loved and hated that at the same time.

I let my head fall into her lap. “Fine. But please check in with me every ten minutes. I’ll go crazy if I don’t hear from you.”

I could feel her face brighten up. She threw her arms around me, knocking me backwards. I lost my balance, and the two of us fell to the ground. She giggled out of shock from falling, and I laughed in response to her laughter. She was beautiful in every way.

Suddenly, she stopped laughing, looking down at me with big doe eyes. Her hair created a curtain around my face, and for a moment, it felt like it was just the two of us in the world. I couldn’t get enough of her.

My eyes moved from her own, down her neck, taking every inch of her body. From this angle, I could see most of her chest, especially because she hadn’t put on a bra for the day yet. B***d flowed into my pants, and I knew she felt it as I hardened beneath her. Her eyes grew darker from l**t, and it wasn’t hard to tell she was thinking the same thing as me.

We moved in synchronization, our lips replaceing one another. The room grew heated as she pressed her body into mine. God, this woman was amazing in every way. I knew I would never grow tired of her or moments like these. I groped at her clothes, desperate to feel her skin against mine. I pulled her shirt above her head and couldn’t help but stare at her chest. She was amazing.

I pushed myself up, covering her n*****s with my mouth. She m****d as I swirled my tongue around the bud, and she started rolling her h**s against mine. Her pajama bottoms were thin, and there wasn’t much separating me from her heat. I flipped her over, pushing her bottoms to the side and sliding two fingers between her legs. She gasped and closed her eyes, straining her head back.

I pumped my fingers in and out of her, enjoying every little noise she made. With my free hand, I started undoing my pants, freeing my member. She pulled at my shirt, struggling to pull it off my head as I continued moving my fingers. I loved the slightly tortured look all over her face, but I couldn’t keep up the act. I wanted to make her feel good and fill her up.

I finished pulling my shirt off my head before pushing between her legs. I caught her gasp with a k**s, not giving her a moment to breathe. I moved faster, and as her body began to squirm underneath mine, I knew she was close. I kissed along her jaw and down her neck, moving faster and faster. I wanted her to feel as loved as deeply as my love ran for her, but I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to express to her what she meant to me.

Suddenly, her body tightened around my c**k, and I could see the waves of pleasure radiating over her body. It was enough to push me over my own edge. With a final g***n, I finished. I pulled my body off of hers and collapsed to the ground next to her. I was covered in sweat and trying to catch my breath.

“Well, that was unexpected,” she laughed, out of breath herself.

I chuckled, thinking about it. That was our first time on the floor like that. “You’re the one who gave me that irresistible look.”

She looked over at me, smiling brighter than the sun. “I can’t help it. You’re too alluring.”

I leaned over and kissed her softly. I pulled away and sat up. “Come on. We should shower. We have a busy day ahead of us.”

She held out her hand to me. “Help me up?”

I let my head fall into her lap. “Fine. But please check in with me every ten minutes. I’ll go crazy if I don’t hear from you.”

I easily complied. I would do almost anything for my mate.

–

ADIRA

It felt good to stretch my legs and run in my wolf form. It had been almost a week since I had gone out for a run with Shadow. The pack house had been on strict lock down with the hunters, and no one was allowed to go out for a run, unless they were part of an approved scouting party. It was to keep everyone safe and prevent anyone from getting caught unexpectedly by the hunters. It made sense and was the right choice, but I had been going to stir crazy.

I was relieved when Mark finally agreed to let me go on the next scouting party. I knew he was just trying to protect me, but I was used to taking care of myself. I had taken care of myself for five years before he came along, so it was weird having someone else looking out for me. I was just grateful he respected me enough to let me have his space, even though I knew the incident with Theron scared him deeply. I didn’t blame him though. I never wanted to go through something like that again.

The air was chill and crisp. The sky was cloudy and gloomy, but I didn’t mind. The sun was never my favorite anyway. I just hoped it didn’t snow today. It was cold enough to snow, but the weather had not predicted any snow. It just needed to stay that way.

Darian had found some traces of footsteps a few miles away from the pack house. Snow would ruin any progress we had. We were so close to replaceing the hunters’ camp. I could feel it in my bones, and I was ready to eliminate the threat so the packs could get back to their normal lives.

Do you smell that? Shadow asked in my head.

I stopped and took a deep breath. The smell of burning wood filled my wolf nose. It reminded me of dark nights and campfires. I knew this had to be what we were looking for. I signaled to the other members of the scouting party, and it wasn’t long before they picked up on the same scent as me.

We moved quietly through the forest, searching for the source of the burning wood. We slowed our pace as the smell grew more pungent. Darian signaled for us to stop. He moved forward slowly, not making a sound as he moved. It was incredible how stealthily he could move. This was only one of the many reasons Darian was the best warrior.

Something’s off, Moon said in my head.

I wasn’t sure what she was talking about, so I took a deep breath and focused on my surroundings. I could feel the presence of other humans, but I could feel they were on edge. Darian would be in trouble if they knew we were here.

I changed back into my human form and then shifted in front of Darian, stopping him in his tracks. I was face to face with his wolf. I placed my hand on his head, feeling the softness of his fur. I looked at him with wide eyes and shook my head. I couldn’t explain what was wrong, but deep down I knew we couldn’t keep moving forward. It was too risky.

Darian nodded his head, understanding what I was saying. He turned back, signaling to the others that we were turning back. We had discovered the camp of the hunters, that much I was sure of. We had done what we needed to as part of the scouting party, and it wasn’t worth taking any unnecessary risks.

I was about to change back into my wolf form to return home when I heard a branch snap from behind me.