Page 29 of Taken By The Wolves (Blackwood Forest #2)

NIXON

A part of me understands why generations of wolf-shifters have taken their mates by force.

The patience required to convince a reluctant human woman to give up her ordinary life to join a wolf-pack and bear wolf children is enough to try the patience of even the most patient man, and I am not a patient man.

But when Scarlet falls asleep in my arms, her red hair cascading around her, and her pretty pink lips parted, my wolf is quiet.

She’s everything I hoped our mate would be.

Beautiful, of course, but not only on the outside.

Her heart is sweet and open enough to love a child who isn’t her own.

She works with us, finding a role in whatever task we need to tackle.

She’s down to earth, not pretentious, and as in love with the forest and the craftsmanship that shapes its trees as we are.

She challenges us, and holds her own, even against the strength of my will, with its alpha stubbornness.

Finn told me about how she helped sell some of his furniture. It warmed my heart to know that when we claim her, she’ll be able to continue the life she loves. The goddess is wise to send us a mate who could find happiness and contentment in our lives.

She’s bright and clever, challenging us and bringing new light to our world.

And in bed, she’s fire, accepting her place between the three of us, bringing us more pleasure than we could have hoped for.

All we have to do now is convince her that this life is better than what she could have if she returns home. No human man could give her what we can.

“Nixon,” Reed whispers, interrupting my thoughts. His arm is around Scarlet’s waist, and he was breathing so evenly, I was convinced he was asleep.

“Yeah.”

“You think she’s going to choose us?” he asks.

“Of course.” It’s my role, as alpha, to be strong and sure. My brothers are relying on me for confidence and guidance.

“I’m not so sure,” he says. “There’s still doubt in her mind. She’s holding back. Isn’t she?”

She is, but I was hoping he would be too overwhelmed by her to notice.

“I think you should give her your knot.”

I flinch at his suggestion, and Scarlet stirs, burrowing closer to my chest, arching her back in the process, and Reed groans as her naked ass grinds against his dick.

“She’s not ready,” I say. “That’s only for after the claim.”

“There’s no rule against it,” Reed counters. “Nothing to say you can’t breed her before the claim. Maybe, if you prove to her that the doctors were wrong, she’ll believe that this is where she belongs.”

His words reverberate in my mind. The thought of tying her to us irrevocably is potent and dangerous. But also… beautiful.

The image of Scarlet swollen with our pups is what fills my mind as Reed finally drifts off to sleep, and I’m left to keep watch over my pack.

***

In the morning, we load ourselves and sweet Ahya into the truck.

Scarlet cradles the baby in her arms as I close the door.

Her red curls peek from under a wool cap, and her cheeks are rosy and eyes bright with wonder at the trees rustling overhead.

Everything in me stills to watch them together; two strangers, but so bonded, there’s no longer an inch of space between them.

As we drive toward town, the cab is quiet. Finn and Reed seem as lost in thought as I am, our wolves’ desire for the claim almost overwhelming. I picture a future filled with mornings like this, of quiet roads, family contentment, and anticipation of a day spent happily.

But that will only happen if Scarlet can see that this future is her destiny.

At the baby store, the light is stark with bright overhead panels illuminating cribs, colorful toys, and walls lined with pastel clothing.

Reed positions himself near the exit, alert, while I stay close to Scarlet and Ahya.

Braysville Town isn’t strictly our territory, and there is always a chance we can come across other shifters, wolves, or otherwise, while we’re surrounded by humans.

We move through the aisles following Scarlet, who lifts tiny socks from the rack, her eyes soft. She smiles when she finds a onesie printed with woodland creatures and a forest scene. She picks up organic formula packs, passing them to Finn.

I imagine returning to this store again when she’s swollen with our cubs. I guide her gently from rack to rack, pointing out items I know Ahya will grow into, and boys’ clothing I like, too. For our sons, I think. I wonder if she understands.

At the register, I pay and am presented with the purchases in two large bags. Finn carries the box containing the stroller and another containing a car seat, and we flank Scarlet and Ahya as we approach Reed to leave the store.

Glancing left and right, I observe the townsfolk going about their days. A couple passes us, and the woman smiles as Ahya waves her arms up and down, clearly excited to see so many people. I stick close, my wolf senses on high alert.

Protect.

Mate.

Mine.

The words buzz through me, bunching my muscles against an invisible threat.

Invisible until the breeze fills my nostrils with the scent of a rogue wolf.

A tall figure pauses fifteen feet ahead, his face tipped. He’s scented us, too. He’s lean and angular and his scent freezes me. One of Gregory’s pack has crawled out of the woodwork at the worst possible time.

Reed braces as Finn becomes aware. I position myself between the man and Scarlet, hoping it will be enough to mask Ahya’s scent. The stranger stares, not threatening but interested.

My wolf snarl is silent, but I bare the tips of my fangs beneath my mask of calm, enough to glint in the morning sunshine.

His stare flicks to me and then to my brothers.

Scarlet, unaware of the danger, moves slightly to the side to avoid bumping into my back, and I throw my arm up to prevent her.

A flicker passes across his expression at the sight of her and our defensive stance.

He knows she’s someone special now. Not our mate because she carries no wolf marking, but enough to warrant our protection.

Then his eyes drift to the baby in her arms.

“Don’t move,” I grit out to Scarlet, who flinches with sudden awareness.

If he approaches, we’ll be forced to take action, and none of us wants a snarling battle of fangs and claws on Main Street.

“Nixon.”

A gravelly voice calls my name from the coffee shop to our right. Hunter is there with his family, holding a tray. My stillness alerts him, and Robert and Evan respond immediately, stepping forward and guiding Scarlet to where Goldie is sitting with their sons.

Like ice in the spring sun, the threat melts into the crowd.

“Take care of her,” I order Finn, striding after the enemy wolf to confirm he’s leaving town. Reed follows a little behind, and we both pause when we observe him climbing into a black truck.

Reed growls low and possessively. “It was going to happen sometime, but not when she’s unclaimed, Nixon. We can’t leave her unprotected.”

He’s right, of course.

I’m not a patient man, and now my hand has been forced.

“She’s ours,” I say. “They’re both ours. The claim happens tonight.”

***

“Thank you,” I say to Hunter, Robert, and Evan, shaking each man’s hand in turn.

“Trouble?” Hunter asks.

“Pack politics,” I say. Our truce with the bears of Blackwood Forest is new, and I’d rather not drag them any further into wolf business.

“It’s something we avoid.” Hunter rubs his thick brown beard, his frown deep enough to tell me he suffers with similar complications among his own kind.

We have made similar choices to set ourselves apart from our packs to find peace for our families. I’m unsure how Hunter avoids getting dragged into issues with the wider bear group, and I’m not in a position to ask for that kind of advice.

What I’m sure of is that wolf will report back to his alpha, and what happens next could impact everything we’re striving for.

Goldie is watchful, her attention only half on Scarlet, who’s holding Ahya close as she fusses. Can she sense the tension that’s vibrating through us all?

“We should go,” I say.

Hunter’s eyes scan the section of road outside the coffee shop. “Do you have others to call upon if necessary?”

I grit my teeth at the thought of being forced to call on the family we left and the memory of the blame they threw in our direction. It’s too bitter a pill to swallow, but if Gregory decides to make a claim for Ahya, I will humble myself and do whatever needs to be done, no matter the cost.

“We do,” I tell Hunter. “Reed. Finn. Get the truck and bring it outside.”

To Scarlet, I say. “Be ready to leave. It’s time.”

“Okay.” Lines bracket her mouth. I’m impressed with how calm she’s remained, and the way she’s avoided asking questions as though she can sense that it isn’t the time to reveal anything about our situation.

***

We leave the boundaries of Braysville before Scarlet asks, “Who was that man?”

“One of Gregory’s pack,” I tell her. “We have to assume he knows about Ahya.”

Her expression falls. “Will he come for her?”

I reach out to cup her cheek. “I don’t know, Scarlet.

Gregory is unpredictable, but we can assume he’ll be interested in her existence.

Not necessarily because she’s Aura’s child, but because she’s a she.

” I reach over to touch Scarlet’s wild hair.

“Don’t worry. We’ll keep her safe. We’ll keep you both safe. ”

“I believe you.” Her hazel eyes are soft as they gaze at me, giving me the confidence that now is the time.

“But while you’re unclaimed, Scarlet, your life is at greater risk.”

She blinks, the softness morphing into something immediately more suspicious.

I touch her lips before she replies. “I know you’re unsure and you have questions, but sometimes in life, our hands are forced.

Sometimes we can’t wait for the perfect moment, and we have to jump in feet-first, regardless of the dangers ahead. This is one of those times.”

She shakes her head, but I lean in to kiss her, showing her with the softness of my lips all the emotions that I hold in my heart for her. Ahya gurgles, and I pull back to look at the sweet little girl whose existence is still a mystery.

“Sometimes we have to trust that the goddess’s plan for us is greater than the plan we made for ourselves.”

“The goddess?” Her eyebrow arches in question.

“She was wise enough to send you to us, and Ahya to you.”

I steel myself against a shiver. The world we live in is shifting, and “ours” means more than shared love. It’s a promise to protect. To defend to the death. It’s ownership and territory. It’s fate solidifying beneath my skin.

Scarlet might not be ready, but it’s time to do what is required. It’s time to claim our mate.