Page 9 of The Wolf Prince’s Mate (Marked Beneath the Moon #2)

nine

NOVA

My nose twitched as I finally managed to get my eyes open. Afternoon sun streamed in from the window of a room I recognized by the ceiling and smell alone.

The Lodge’s single-room hospital.

“I think you’re officially my best patient,” the doctor remarked from beside me, and I flinched at the sudden sound.

I couldn’t remember his name. Kevin? Steven? Logan?

Yeah, I was clueless.

“How is your arm feeling?” he asked.

“Hurts,” I mumbled.

It did hurt. The whole thing felt like someone had taken a hammer to it.

I knew it was probably from the way I’d rolled my car partway down a small mountain, even though I couldn’t recall the rolling. Or the moment of impact. Or if I’d woken up in the vehicle.

My stalker’s hands around my throat? I remembered that.

And it made my stomach churn violently.

“I’m alive?” I croaked.

“It’s hard to kill a werewolf.”

“What about…”

A hand squeezed mine, and I tensed. It was small enough that I knew it was a woman’s. When I lifted my gaze, I found Sydney sitting beside me, wearing a small smile.

“Your stalker is dead. Clay killed him. Hunter’s trying to figure out who he is, but it’s more difficult than he expected.”

I let out a shaky breath.

Dead.

He was dead.

That was good, even if the knowledge didn’t do a damn thing for my existing fear. My heart was racing, and I was starting to sweat.

The way I felt when he grabbed my throat flooded my mind, making me feel trapped again.

Helpless.

Like I couldn’t breathe.

I gasped out a curse and sat up quickly. “I’ve got to get out of here.”

Sydney frowned. “Where do you want to go?”

I didn’t answer.

I wasn’t sure I could.

I was on my feet and rushing down the Lodge’s hallway a moment later, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

The Lodge had never been comfortable. It never felt like home.

I needed to go somewhere. Somewhere safe.

My wolf whimpered, but nudged me.

She was willing to take a turn. To give me a break.

I needed to shift.

I hurried down the stairs. There was dried blood on my skin, and my arm hurt something fierce, but that was the furthest thing from my mind as my thoughts raced and my heart pounded.

Sydney called after me as I accidentally bumped my arm brace against the railing. My eyes stung, and I yanked it back. But I didn’t stop.

I couldn’t.

Finally, I burst through the door and ran for the forest. I heard people around me—someone said my name—but I couldn’t stop. I just couldn’t.

The shirt I had on was oversized, and belonged to a man. Hunter. His scent wasn’t comforting, and I yanked the fabric over my head without pause. It caught on the brace as it went, and more tears stung my eyes as I worked the fabric over it.

My wolf broke through my skin, whining at the pain as she held her injured leg off the ground. She carefully made her way to a large, thorny bush nearby, and buried herself inside it with her eyes facing the Lodge.

She wanted to see if anyone was coming for us.

I sank deeper into the space between us, quieting my mind as I moved further from the surface.

Sydney entered my line of sight, concern on her face as she took in my wolf, and her position.

“Nova?”

My wolf whined, and Sydney stopped where she was, not coming any closer.

“It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.” She lifted her hands.

My wolf didn’t believe her.

I was too far from the surface for the words to even register. I didn’t want to be there, I didn’t want to talk, and I didn’t want to think.

Eventually, Aspen joined her. My wolf recognized her as Alpha, and whined louder.

She had to stop even further back than Sydney.

They talked about something—ideas about how to get me to come out, probably—and eventually, Enzo’s mind brushed mine.

“Nova?” he asked, his voice more controlled than I’d ever heard it before. “You’re injured. You need to take over before your wolf accidentally hurts you further. The doctor needs to look at your arm again, to see if shifting messed with the healing.”

My wolf ignored him.

I was barely conscious enough to hear the words. The thought of responding didn’t even pass my mind.

The doctor appeared eventually. He reached Aspen and Sydney, and my wolf didn’t just whine. She growled. The sound was weak, and terrified.

He stopped. After a while, Hunter replaced him.

My wolf growled at him too.

Enzo tried after that.

Silas came by too.

A few other men I vaguely recognized as guys I was dating followed.

Even Fletcher, Aspen’s brother, tried to get my wolf to come out.

She snapped at all of them.

A few of them argued. I heard Clay’s name, though he hadn’t come by.

Clay’s mind finally brushed mine as he used the pack’s bond. “Hey, Gorgeous.”

His voice was quieter than usual.

I buried myself in deeper. My wolf didn’t snarl at him, but she didn’t budge, either. I was attracted to him, but we weren’t his. And he wasn’t ours.

“I hear your arm is messed up,” he added, his voice full of forced positivity. He didn’t want to be talking to me. “Shift back so the doctor can take care of it for you. Aspen and Sydney will keep you safe.”

My wolf huffed, and ignored him.

I was too out of it to say a word.

“Hello? I can feel you there, Gorgeous. Answer me.”

There was a command in his voice, and my wolf shut down further.

He changed tactics.

“I’m on lockdown in Stray right now. If I was at the Lodge, I would already have pulled your pretty little ass out of that bush,” he said, the change of his tone making it seem like he was just making conversation.

His words caught my wolf’s interest, though. Just a little.

“My wolf lost his shit and broke through the cage I keep him in when I found your car. I couldn’t stop him. He tore the fucker in your backseat to shreds.”

My wolf tilted her head, just slightly.

She was officially intrigued. Talking about killing would do that, when it came to a wolf.

Her interest forced me out of the deepest pit between us as she pulled me closer, wanting to hear more from Clay.

“I thought he would kill you for a minute. It fucking terrified me. He ended up just licking the blood off your face and neck. It was kind of disturbed. Sorry about that. Wasn’t planning on violating your personal space again without permission. He’s just a pain in the ass.” He paused. “Actually, that’s an understatement.”

He stopped talking for a minute, and my wolf nudged me.

She wanted me to reply.

She wanted Clay to keep talking.

She wasn’t afraid of him the way she was afraid of everyone else, for whatever reason.

When I didn’t start talking, she started to pull back, to force me to shift. It was her version of a threat. I had to give her what she wanted, or she wouldn’t let me hide any longer.

I dragged myself out of the pit I’d hidden in.

Clay spoke again. “Hunter had to sedate me to get me to Stray. The wolf hasn’t tried this hard to take over in a couple of decades. We haven’t had to use the sedatives in just as long. He kept trying to break free during the drive back, and didn’t give up until Hunter dropped my unconscious ass on the edge of the wolf’s territory.”

“Tell me he’s not doing the claiming thing too,” I finally whispered.

“Nah. I think your wolf is just so submissive that he would’ve felt bad for killing her. Which is a real feat, considering he’s tried to kill his own brothers a handful of times.”

“Guess even insane wolves have morals when it comes to weak female werewolves.”

“Guess so.” He was being playful, but there was no humor in his voice.

I tried to retreat again, but my wolf started shifting back, so I forced myself to talk.

“How dead is he?”

“Think of the last dead thing you saw, and multiply it by ten.”

If I’d been in human form, I would’ve had a hard time fighting a smile.

“Want to tell me why you’re hiding inside your terrified wolf, Nova?” he asked.

My amusement faded. “Not particularly.”

“Everyone’s worried about you. Worried enough to call me.”

“You’re the guy they always call when they’re worried.”

“Usually. Right now, I’m completely useless.”

“My wolf is making me talk to you, and growling at everyone else. I’d say you’re the most useful at the moment.”

He snorted. “So that’s why you answered me.”

“You intrigued her with the mention of murder.”

“So she’s a murderous little creature.”

“Apparently.”

“Well, I’m glad. I’d hate to have you terrified of me because of my insane wolf.”

“He can be as insane as he wants if he kills my enemies,” I said.

Clay chuckled. “I wouldn’t count on a repeat scenario. Earlier, you woke up in the hospital room and panicked, because…”

“My heart started to race. I had to get out.” My voice was quieter. “I don’t feel safe. The Lodge has never felt like home.”

“Why doesn’t the Lodge feel like home?”

I didn’t answer that.

He didn’t want the answer. Not really.

“Is it my fault? Because of your last heat?” he checked.

“Of course not. That was just sex.”

He let out a breath . “Is it Hunter? I thought you figured things out.”

“We’re in the process of figuring things out.”

“And you’re doing that by…” he waited for me to tell him.

Clay had been trying to casually get information about mine and Hunter’s agreement since he learned it existed. By some miracle, no one had spilled the truth to him yet.

Probably because everyone in the Lodge knew I spent heat with him. Which meant everyone I was going to meetings with knew I spent heat with him.

Awkward.

“It doesn’t matter,” I finally said.

“Are you screwing?” Clay’s voice still sounded the same, but there was a tiny change to his tone. I couldn’t tell what emotion he was concealing behind the words. Excitement? Irritation? Anger? I didn’t know.

I wasn’t sure if he was hoping that Hunter and I would end up together, or if he was hoping we’d finally end up free from each other.

“No. I’ve never been interested in him, and I’m not going to be the woman who’s slept with two Savages.”

“Then what’s the plan?”

“It’s complicated,” I said.

It was a lie.

It wasn’t complicated.

But he couldn’t sniff it out with the space between us, so I knew I could get away with it.

“I’m a pretty smart guy. I can figure it out.”

“Not smart enough to take a hint when I tried to get you to leave my studio a few weeks ago.”

He made a noise of disagreement. “Smart enough to know that you’re the only person I want inking my body, even when you’re trying to get rid of me.”

“I wasn’t trying to get rid of you. Just the awkwardness,” I said.

“I didn’t feel awkward.”

“Well, I did.”

“Why? Heat was just sex, right?”

“Yes, but—” I began, but my wolf snarled at someone.

Kody was there.

Crap.

Kody came closer, his hands in the air.

“But what?” Clay prodded.

“Hold on. My wolf is pissed,” I gritted out.

She was snapping her teeth at Kody, instead of shifting back to make me talk to him.

We were supposed to interact. I was supposed to be considering making him my mate.

I didn’t have the energy to care that she wasn’t letting go. Or that she was probably ruining my chances with him.

There were other fish in the sea, right? Or other wolves in the forest, at least.

I forced myself to tune back into my wolf’s senses so I could hear what Kody was saying.

Instead, I heard Hunter snarl,

“Back down. She’s been through enough without you making her more uncomfortable.”

“A wolf as submissive as hers needs someone to put themselves in her space. She’s not going to come out on her own,” Kody said, his voice remaining calm.

He was a good guy. He really was.

And he was right.

I just felt nothing for him. I hadn’t even almost enjoyed it when he kissed me.

Something was wrong with me, and I was well aware of it.

“He might be right,” someone murmured. I recognized Aspen’s voice immediately.

“Even if he is, she barely knows him. He’s not the one who should be forcing his way up there. Her wolf won’t miss him if he’s gone.”

“Probably not,” Sydney agreed.

“You know I can hear you, right?” Kody asked

“What’s she pissed about?” Clay whispered into my mind.

I shushed him, and Kody took another step forward.

My wolf’s anger evaporated, replaced completely with fear. She whimpered, and he took a quick step back. “I would never hurt you, Nova.”

He was probably my best option, as far as mates went. We got along well, and I did trust him when he said that.

My wolf lowered her head now that he was further away.

She didn’t like Kody, apparently.

That was just dandy.

Then again, she didn’t really like anyone other than Aspen and Sydney on occasion. She wasn’t afraid of Clay, but I didn’t know if she genuinely liked him.

I heard a phone ring, and Aspen answered it.

“Hey, Clay.” There was a pause. “She was talking to you?”

My wolf watched multiple heads swivel in her direction.

“He wants to know why her wolf is angry.” Aspen explained, glancing at Hunter warily.

“Tell him not to worry about it.”

Aspen repeated the message, then winced. “No, I’m not going to put you on speaker. That sounds like a bad idea right now.”

Another moment passed.

Hunter turned back toward Kody, who was still standing in front of me with his hands up.

“Everything is going to be alright,” Kody said calmly to my wolf. “The man who tried to hurt you is dead. We’re working on figuring out his identity right now. There’s no way he can?—”

“You don’t know who he is yet?” I demanded, speaking to Clay because he was the only one I could talk to at the moment.

“No. Hunter’s trying to get into his phone, but it’s encrypted. We found him on a few security cameras, and we have an ID for him, but we don’t know anything else.”

“And you didn’t think you should start with that?”

“You’re hiding inside a terrified wolf who’s hiding inside a bush, Gorgeous. No, I didn’t think I should start with that.”

“Fuck you.” I pushed him out of my mind and withdrew.

Quickly.

My wolf let me.

She kept up the growling, whining, and snapping any time someone came close, and didn’t try to force me to the surface again. She was submissive, but she was still a wolf. And she wouldn’t come out of that bush until someone forced her.

The rest of the day passed and the sun set, but no one dragged her out, so she stayed where she was.