Page 34

Story: His Mark

Good.

I grabbed the first piece of clothing I could find—one of his oversized shirts, because why not—pulled it over my head, and crept toward the door.

A bow and quiver of arrows sat propped against the wall near the fireplace, and my lips curved up in a smile.

Perfect. I needed some air anyway.

The forest was quiet in the early morning, the crisp mountain breeze swirling around me as I moved through the trees, bow in hand, arrows light against my back. The ground was still damp from last night’s frost.

I was going to hunt.

I’d grown up in the forest, surviving off the land, catching my food and preparing it. I knew how to move without sound, how to listen for the soft rustle of prey in the underbrush. When I finally spotted a rabbit, its ears twitching, nose testing the air, I let the arrow fly.

A clean shot, right through the heart.

I smirked, grabbing my kill and slinging it over my shoulder before continuing on to catch a couple more.

By the time I returned to the wolf camp, the sun had begun to rise, casting golden light over the wreckage from the night before. The camp was quiet, still recovering from the fight, but a few of Silas’s wolves were already awake, watching me as I strolled past with my three rabbits in hand, wearing their Alpha’s shirt, carrying one of his weapons.

I grinned at them.

One of them narrowed his eyes at me. “Where the hell did you go?”

“Hunting.” I flipped the rabbits slightly in my grip. “Someone’s gotta feed your Alpha, right?”

His mouth dropped open. “You went alone?”

I patted his cheek as I passed him. “Relax, tough guy. I made it back in one piece.”

With that, I slipped back into the cabin, shutting the door behind me.

Silas was still asleep.

Perfect.

I skinned and cleaned the rabbits with practiced ease, setting up a pan over the fire. The scent of sizzling meat soon filled the cabin, rich and mouthwatering. I took an egg from his supply and cracked it into the pan, letting it fry up next to the meat, humming to myself.

I was plating the food when I heard the bed shift.

A deep, rumbling voice mumbled, “What the fuck is that?”

I grinned to myself, turning just in time to see Silas sitting up in bed, his hair a mess, his chest bare, golden eyes narrowing at me like I’d personally offended him.

“Breakfast,” I said brightly. “You’re welcome.”

His eyes dragged over me, over his shirt hanging off my frame, over the bow and quiver still resting against the wall where I’d left them.

“You went hunting?” His growly voice was rough from sleep.

I shrugged. “Yep.”

His jaw clenched. “Alone?”

I shot him a look, raising a brow. “Why? Were you planning on coming with me?”

His eyes flashed.

“Did you miss me, Alpha?” I added, my voice dripping with sarcasm.