Page 23 of The Pack

CHAPTER 23

T obias

I had every intention of making our mate sit between us after her punishment with our seed dripping from every hole as she thought about what a bad little mate she had been, but I couldn’t bring myself to force her to move from where she was.

Instead, I simply looked at her lying on the weird grass between Thorne, Killian, and Callum. She was quiet now, her breathing even and controlled as she clung to Callum’s hand like it was the only thing anchoring her to the ground.

She looked so small there, fragile even, but I knew better. Zara wasn’t fragile—she was fire and fury, a storm wrapped in a human shell. That was what drew us to her, part of what made her ours.

I had wanted to mark her tonight so badly. I wanted to sink my teeth into her soft skin and claim her in a way that no one could ever question who she belonged to ever again.

We would. We all would. In time.

When she was ready.

I leaned back against a tree, watching as Killian teased her softly, his mischievous grin tugging a reluctant smile from her lips. Callum brushed her hair back gently, his gray eyes warm and full of affection. Even Thorne, ever the stoic sentinel, lay close to her, drifting a hand down the side of her naked torso and making her shiver.

She was such a perfect fit in our pack.

I watched as Zara’s eyes fluttered closed, her breaths soft and even as she gave in to her exhaustion. Her body relaxed between them, her head resting against Callum’s shoulder as her hand still clung loosely to his. She looked peaceful, finally, her lips curving into a faint smile even in sleep.

Magnus rose to his feet. “We need to find somewhere better for the night. She can’t sleep out here, not like this.”

“We passed a place a half mile back or so,” Thorne said, his eyes scanning the trees. “Looked like a cottage. Might be worth checking out.”

Callum gently eased Zara off his shoulder, cradling her against his chest as he stood. “Lead the way,” he said softly.

It didn’t take us long to reach the place Thorne was talking about. Callum carried her the entire way.

The cottage was old, much like the one we’d stayed in a few nights ago. Its stone walls were cracked in places, the roof sagging slightly, but it was still whole. The door creaked loudly as Magnus pushed it open, the hinges objecting after years of disuse.

Inside, the air was musty but dry, and a thin layer of dust coated the floor and furniture. An old wooden table sat against one wall, its surface nicked and scarred, and a few mismatched chairs were scattered around the room. A small fireplace stood in the corner, its hearth blackened with soot.

“Better than nothing,” Killian said, his grin returning as he dropped his pack onto the floor.

Callum carried Zara inside, his steps careful as he laid her gently near the fireplace. She stirred slightly, murmuring something unintelligible, but didn’t wake.

“She’s out,” Callum said, brushing his hand over her hair.

“Good,” Magnus said, his tone softer now. “She needs the rest.”

We found a few supplies in the cupboards—some canned food, a mostly full bottle of whiskey, and a tattered blanket that Thorne spread out over Zara. Magnus started a small fire, the flickering flames throwing long shadows across the room as we settled in for the night.

No one said much. The tension from earlier still hung in the air, but there was a quiet understanding between us now.

Zara was safe, and for tonight, that was enough.

The sun was just beginning to rise when we woke the next morning, the faint light streaming into the cottage through the cracks in the walls. The fire had burned down to embers, and the room was cold, but Zara was still asleep, her breaths even and soft.

Magnus stirred first, scanning the room before looking at her. “We need to move soon,” he said quietly.

I nodded, stretching as I rose to my feet. “Dublin’s not far now.”

Killian yawned loudly as he leaned against the wall. “Hope you’re ready, lass,” he said, glancing at Zara as she began to stir. “The fun part’s just about to start.”

She moved, her sleepiness still written all over her face. Then she started, and her cheeks reddened, likely as she realized she was still naked underneath the blanket and remembered the events of the previous night. She pulled it up just enough to cover her bare beautiful breasts, flicking her gaze between each one of us until finally her eyes landed on me. She looked nervous. I smirked and cocked my head in her direction, clearing my throat.

“Stand up. Leave the blanket where it is,” I directed.

Her blush deepened, but she hesitantly obeyed me.

“Turn around and show me that well-punished ass,” I instructed, and her eyes opened wide, embarrassment flushing across her features.

Slowly, she did as she was told. Her body hinged slightly at the waist, and I was graced with the heavenly vision of her naked backside. The welts from her switching were much lighter now, leaving behind several pink lines that striped her perfect heart-shaped bottom.

The sight of it made my cock very, very hard.

It also made me want to fuck her ass again. Her pussy. Her wet, warm mouth. Every single one of her holes until she screamed my name and begged for mercy as I forced one climax after another from her trembling little body.

There would be time for that later. For now, we had to get moving, tragically.

“Good girl,” I murmured. “As much as I would like to enjoy that beautiful body this morning, it’s time for us to go.”

With a knowing smile, Callum handed her a pile of clothes that we had found in the cottage the night before. She dressed quickly, slipping into a pair of worn jeans and a thick flannel shirt that were slightly too big for her, but I knew she would be warm in them, at least. She laced up her boots with quick, efficient movements, and then stood up, looking between the five of us.

Her cheeks were still a bit flushed, and I reveled in the sight.

“Ready?” Magnus asked calmly.

She nodded, her jaw tightening. “Let’s go.”

We stepped outside, the chill of the morning air biting at our skin as we moved down the narrow path that led toward Dublin’s edge.

As we ventured into the city, the destruction became more pronounced. The cobblestone streets were cracked and uneven and covered with pieces of twisted metal and scorched wood. Rubble spilled from what had once been shops, their painted signs faded and charred. There were no sounds—no birds, no wind, no life. Only the eerie, oppressive silence of a city long dead.

“This place is worse than I thought,” Callum said softly, his gray eyes scanning the ruins as he walked beside me.

Killian kicked at a loose brick. “No one’s lived here in years,” he muttered, his usual grin replaced by a tight frown. “Not properly, anyway.”

“That’s not entirely true,” she said.

Magnus froze and glanced at her. “What do you mean?”

“Mogg, the creature you saved me from,” Zara said quietly, her eyes dark with the memory of that terrible mutant creature. “He said there’s something worse in Dublin. Something dark. Dangerous…”

Her voice trailed off, her gaze dropping to the cracked pavement beneath her feet.

“What?” Thorne asked, his eyes narrowing with concern. He stopped in his tracks, glancing around the ruins around us. “I told you,” he said, his voice tight. “I told you there’s something out here.”

Killian rolled his eyes. “Don’t start, Thorne.”

“I’m not starting anything,” Thorne snapped. “But I’ve heard the stories—mutations don’t just stop with the animals. The zone changes everything it touches.”

“It’s just superstition,” Tobias said, though his tone betrayed unease.

“Is it?” Thorne shot back, his pale eyes locking onto Tobias. “Because the scratches on those walls say otherwise.”

We all turned, following Thorne’s gaze to the side of a crumbling building. Deep gashes marred the stone, as though something massive had raked its claws across it.

My stomach tightened, and I stepped closer, my fingers following the jagged edges of the grooves. They were too large to be human, but too precise to be random.

“What could’ve done this?” I whispered, my breath catching in the back of my throat.

“Something big,” Magnus said grimly. “And angry.”

Callum crouched near the ground, his eyes narrowing as he studied the dirt. “There’s more,” he said, motioning us over.

Large paw prints were embedded in the soft earth, their shape unmistakably wolf-like, but far too large. The edges were sharp, as though whatever made them had claws that dug deep into the ground with each step.

“They’re fresh,” Callum said, his voice low.

“We don’t have to go further,” Magnus said finally, his silver eyes locking onto mine and then onto Zara’s. “We can turn back. We can work out another way to find your brother.”

“No,” she said firmly, her little hands clenching into fists. “My brother’s here. I can feel it.”

“Zara,” I said quietly, watching her closely. “We don’t want to abandon him. But you have to understand—if these things are as bad as I fear they are, we might not come out of this.”

“I know,” she said, her voice shaking. “I don’t expect all of you to risk yourselves. I love you and don’t want to see you get hurt, but I love my brother too and I’m not leaving without him.”

I exchanged a glance with Magnus and the rest of the men, their expressions tense, but resigned. We didn’t want to disappoint her, so we would stick with her through this.

“Then we keep moving,” Magnus said, his voice calm and collected, and we pressed on.

The scratches and footprints weren’t the only signs of danger. Half-eaten corpses lay scattered in the shadows—small animals mostly, their bodies twisted and gnawed almost beyond recognition. But then we found something else.

A body.

It was slumped against a collapsed wall, its clothing tattered and bloodstained. The unmistakable stench of decay filled the air, and I froze as my gaze locked onto the familiar sight of claws and elongated limbs.

A wolf shifter.

Its back was torn open, the gashes deep and ragged, as though it had been attacked by something far larger and far stronger.

“It’s not your brother, right?” I asked Zara and she thankfully shook her head.

My stomach churned, and I turned away, covering my mouth with my hand.

“We keep going,” Magnus said, his voice harder now. “But stay close. Whatever did this—it’s still out there.”