Page 36

36

Wyatt

T wo days after the hunt, I'm still stuck in this damn clinic.

The wound in my back is healing, and my strength returns with each passing hour, but they refuse to discharge me. Something about proper observation protocols for wolfsbane poisoning and making sure there are no lasting effects on my body.

I pace the small room, counting tiles for the hundredth time: Twelve across, fourteen down. The walls are closing in on me, and my wolf is going stir-crazy. We need fresh air. To run.

We need our mate.

The clinic's antiseptic smell overwhelms my senses, a constant reminder that I'm stuck in these four walls instead of where I should be, with Naomi, or preparing for the next challenge.

Naomi has been here constantly, bringing food that doesn't taste like cardboard, and news from the outside world. The competition is continuing, the field now vastly reduced, although more and more wolves are travelling from far away packs, excited by the prospect of the final rounds, and seeing the best of the best compete.

That it includes my mate is a source of immense pride. I don’t know what I did to deserve her, but I’m not going to question my good fortune.

She's due back in an hour, but I'm not sure I can wait that long. My skin feels too tight; the urge to claim her grows stronger by the minute. We've been dancing around it, both knowing what needs to happen, yet understanding the timing hasn't been right. I’m not marking my mate in a hospital bed that smells like disinfectant.

I'll do it right, with the reverence and respect she deserves. A true mating bond, not just a physical claim. Not the ownership that Brad wanted.

A soft knock interrupts my thoughts. Too early for Naomi. Too hesitant for my mother, who considers knocking an optional courtesy at best.

"Come in," I call, hoping it's Jamie with another contraband coffee.

The door cracks open to reveal Callum, who scans the room first to see what he’s disturbing before he steps inside. Behind him, Jax slips in, closing the door with a careful click. Something about their coordinated arrival sets my wolf on edge. And that Jax is out and about willingly during daylight hours.

Jax looks tense, his gaze darting around the room like he'd rather be anywhere else. That he's here at all speaks volumes.

Callum nods in greeting. "Feeling better?"

"Well enough to leave," I say, crossing my arms. "If someone would tell Maggie that."

Jax snorts. "Good luck with that. She's still pissed at me for letting you compete with that knife wound."

"Which possibly saved my mate." I point out.

Jax shrugs, his usual restlessness oddly subdued today. He exchanges a glance with Callum, which confirms my suspicion. This isn't a casual visit.

"What's going on?" I ask, cutting to the chase.

Callum's posture shifts subtly. "Blake and Dean are starting formal interviews tomorrow. About the hunt. About Brad."

My jaw tightens. "Good."

Jax moves to the window, peering out, before turning back to face me. "Brad's been busy. Building his own version of events."

"So I’ve heard. Not surprising," I mutter, the memory of the knife sliding into my back still vivid. "Hard to explain away a wolfsbane attack, though."

"He claims you threatened him first, that he felt his life was in danger," Callum says flatly.

I laugh bitterly. "And he just happened to be carrying around wolfsbane and silver weapons?"

Callum’s eyes flash. No respectable wolf would even own those things.

"He's saying you were unstable. Feral." Jax's expression darkens. It’s a slur he’s been on the receiving end of and clearly doesn’t appreciate. "That the wolfsbane was already in your system before he encountered you, that someone else had poisoned you and were lashing out at anyone nearby."

The absurdity would be comical if it weren't so dangerous. "And people believe this shit?"

"Some do." Callum's voice is carefully neutral. "Others don't. But it's complicated by the fact that he's an established alpha, and you're..."

"A rogue." I finish for him. "I'm aware of my reputation."

"You're not just a dangerous rogue anymore," Callum says. "The way you fought through the poison, the way Dash and Eli stood up for you, people are taking notice."

I study the beta carefully. He seems sincere, but I'm not na?ve enough to think everyone's suddenly on my side.

"What's the real reason you're here?" I ask, sensing there's more to this visit.

Jax and Callum exchange another look.

"Blake's going to use his alpha command to demand truth," Jax says finally. "For the interviews. It’s not going to be pleasant."

The news lands like a stone in my gut. My wolf will not like this. Alpha wolves already have a powerful ability to detect lies through scent and heartbeat fluctuations alone. Using a command to demand the truth is used only in the most serious pack matters because it suggests a break-down of trust, and can be extremely taxing, even painful, for a wolf being forced to do something against their will.

“Good. Brad's position won't save him when the entire wolf council hears what he's done. And I’ve got nothing to hide.” Even my wolf agrees it will be worth it to see Brad punished.

"All interviews will be under command," Callum adds. "Including Naomi's. And Maddie’s."

And there it is. The real concern.

"When is she scheduled?" I keep my voice steady despite the sudden racing of my heart.

"Tomorrow afternoon. Before you." Callum's eyes meet mine, understanding passing between us. "She and Maddie will both be questioned."

My wolf surges forward and my protective instincts flare. Naomi has been keeping secrets about her sister, about Brad's brother. Secrets that will be dragged into the light without mercy.

"There's nothing I can do to delay the process," Callum continues, his tone softer now. "But I thought you should know. In case you wanted some... privacy before things get complicated."

The implication is clear. Once they begin their work, we'll all be swept up in the fallout, whatever it may be. Blake wants the full story, not just what happened around the hunt.

Jax clears his throat. "I’ll be taking a break in about twenty minutes. And I'll be gone for at least an hour. I need to gather some herbs from the south field."

"Really?" I say, understanding dawning. He’s been watching me like a hawk, under strict instructions from Jamie, but this could be my chance to get out of this damned room.

Jax shrugs, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

"Dean and I will be doing perimeter checks on the east side," Callum adds, his expression deliberately blank. "Won't be anywhere near the guest cabins. In case you were wondering."

I look between them, my unexpected allies. "Why are you helping me?"

Callum's mouth twitches. “I’d hoped to find my own fated mate here. Even though it hasn’t happened to me yet, it doesn’t mean I can’t be happy for you.”

I nod, and Callum coughs, straightening before he turns to leave.

"Just be back for your interview tomorrow." Callum warns. "Otherwise, Blake will send out search parties. His patience is non-existent right now."

They slip out as quietly as they’d come, the click of the door echoing in the silent room.

Twenty minutes. Twenty minutes until I can escape this sterile prison, find my mate, and then make her mine in every way before the storm breaks tomorrow.

I gather what little I have, the fresh clothes Jamie brought, and wait, counting the seconds while listening for Jax's footsteps to fade down the corridor.

The moment they do, I'm moving, slipping out of the window rather than risking the main entrance. My back protests as I drop to the ground, the mostly healed wound still tender, but the pain is nothing compared to the urgent need for my mate that’s pulsing through my veins.

I follow Naomi's scent across the compound, keeping to the shadows where possible. It leads me to the dining hall. She's early for dinner, her distinctive vanilla and wildflower scent mingling with others. Lynn’s. Maddie’s. A few other competitors I don't know well.

Pausing at the entrance, I straighten my shoulders, ignoring the lingering weakness in my limbs. I may not be at full strength, but I'm strong enough for what matters.

The conversations inside falter as I push open the door, all eyes turning toward me. I scan the room, ignoring their stares, until I find her.

Naomi sits between Lynn and a petite woman, who must be her sister, her back to the door. She's laughing at something Lynn said, her head thrown back, the graceful line of her throat exposed.

My wolf fixates on that patch of skin, at the exact spot where my mark will go.

As if sensing my presence, she stiffens, her laughter cutting off abruptly. Slowly, she turns, her eyes widening as they meet mine from across the crowded room.

"Wyatt." Naomi breathes, just loud enough for my enhanced hearing to catch. "What are you doing here? Maggie is going to kill you."

I don't answer, just move toward her with a single-minded purpose. Every step brings me closer to what I need. Conversations resume around us, though quieter now, watchful.

She rises to meet me, concern written across her features. "You're supposed to be in the clinic. Is something wrong?"

"No." The word comes out rough, almost a growl. “Yes.”

Understanding dawns in her eyes, along with a flash of heat that matches the fire in my blood.

She knows what this is about. What I need.

What we both need.

"You shouldn't be walking around yet," she says, but there's no conviction in her protest.

The woman beside her, Maddie, judging by the family resemblance, looks between us with wide eyes. "Um, Naomi?"

She gives me the same look most people do as she takes in my size.

"It's okay." Lynn interrupts smoothly, giving Maddie a gentle nudge. "They just need some privacy. Let's go check on that thing we were discussing earlier."

Maddie looks like she might argue, but Lynn is already steering her away, throwing me a knowing look over her shoulder.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," she calls back to Naomi, who flushes beautifully.

"Wyatt." Naomi starts again, but I cut her off and step into her space, close enough to feel the heat radiating from her body.

"I need you," I tell her, not bothering to hide the desperation in my voice. "Now. Before everything gets complicated."

She swallows, her eyes darting around the room, conscious of our audience. But when she looks back at me, there's no hesitation, only a matching need. "Okay."

That single word is all I need. I take her hand and tug her toward the exit, barely remembering to keep my pace measured until we're outside. The moment the door closes behind us, I pull her into the shadow of the building and press her against the wall, my mouth finding hers in a kiss that's all hunger and heat.

She responds instantly, arms winding around my neck, body arching into mine. The soft moan that escapes her sends a jolt straight to my core, my wolf howling in triumph.

"I missed you," I murmur against her lips, hands sliding down to her hips to hold her in place as I press against her.

"I only just left." She teases but then gasps as my mouth travels to her jaw, down to her neck, hovering just above where my mark will go. "But I missed you too.”

The admission makes me groan, my control fraying at the edges. "Need to get you somewhere private. Now."

She nods, breathless, and I force myself to step back, to create enough space between us so we can make it to her cabin without giving the entire pack a show.

We hurry through the compound, hardly speaking, the tension between us building with each step. Twice more, I can't help myself, pulling her into the shadows to taste her, to reassure myself that this is real, that she's mine. Each time, it's harder to stop, to remember we need walls and a door before I can do what I really want.

Her cabin comes into view, a small structure on the edge of the guest area.

As we reach the door, Naomi’s shaking hands fumble with the key. I press against her back, unable to keep from touching her, my lips finding the nape of her neck. She shivers, dropping the key, and I chuckle against her skin.

"Distracting you?"

"You know you are." She breathes, finally unlocking the door.

The words break something loose inside me, unleashing the full force of my need. I gather her close, one hand tangling in her hair as I claim her mouth in a kiss that promises everything to come.

Tomorrow will bring questions and consequences. But for now, nothing matters but this, making Naomi mine and leaving my mark on her skin with my scent on her body and my claim for all to see.