Maddie woofed her amusement, her eyes closing as the movement jarred her injury.
"Easy," Sam cooed, reaching out and brushing her hand over Maddie's head. "You scared the shit out of me," she whispered, her voice hoarse.
Maddie opened her eyes but left her head laying on the bed. Sam got the sense that Maddie was waiting for her to fill her in. Quickly, Sam went over everything that had happened since Maddie got shot.
"Everyone is ready to go," Sam said, swallowing past the lump in her throat. "I just came up to...ah...you're going to go home with Bev and Miles," she added, unable to say goodbye.
Maddie nuzzled Sam's hair, her warm breath brushing against her forehead.
"Bev promised to take good care of you and I'll be down to get you the second you're ready to travel." Sam closed her eyes, rubbing her face against the top of Maddie's head.
Maddie whimpered softly, licking at Sam's jaw and letting her know it was okay.
"Sam," Bev called quietly from the doorway. Nafarius and Roland stood behind her, ready to carry Maddie down to the waiting SUV. "It's time."
Sam nodded, cradling Maddie's head, she pressed a kiss to the animal's forehead. "Take care of you," she ordered.
Stepping back, Sam wrapped her arms around herself, watching as Nafarius came forward, scooping the small wolf up off the bed and carrying her outside.
The pack was all there, bags on their backs ready to go, waiting to see Maddie safely away.
Sam brushed at the tears on her cheek, grateful when Natasha stepped up beside her, rubbing her hands up and down Sam's arms.
"I'll take good care of her," Bev promised, hugging her daughter-in-law before slipping into the driver's seat. "You take care of the rest of them."
"I will," Sam said, closing Bev's door for her. Nafarius handed her a pack, helping her to settle it on her back.
Miles clapped his son on the shoulder. "Be careful. Dimitri is dangerous."
"I know," Nafarius, said and hugged his father. "I won't underestimate him again."
Miles searched his son's face, his eyes flicking to Sam standing over Nafarius' shoulder. "See that you don't," he admonished gently. "You have a lot to lose."
Nafarius nodded watching as his father got behind the wheel and followed the SUV out of the parking lot.
Sam slid her fingers into her mate's hand. "Let's go home."
****
The trip home was quiet, the group subdued by recent events. They traveled hard that first day, walking late into the night. Each night, they shifted, their wolves curling up together to share warmth and protect the food from hungry predators.
It was late afternoon on the third day, Sam was following close behind Nafarius. Roland and Natasha walked behind her, their heads close together as they talked quietly. Inside, Sam's wolf perked up, lifting its head and scenting the air.
"Home," Sam sighed.
Nafarius looked back at his mate. "We just crossed into our territory."
"How long has it been?" Sam asked.
"Only a week," Nafarius said.
"It feels like a lifetime," Sam said quietly.
Nafarius knew what she meant. The world around them had changed, and he knew there was no going back to the way things were.
The den was still a few hours away, Nafarius pushing them over rough terrain that strained even their superior strength.
The shift was so subtle that it took a while for Sam to realize the change. Eventually, she noticed that her legs weren't having to work as hard and her breathing had gotten easier as overgrown vegetation gave way to the familiar paths of home.
Stepping from the forest, Nafarius wasn't surprised to find Marcus and the others waiting for them.
"Welcome home," Marcus said, his smile filled with relief.
"I see you didn't burn the place down," Nafarius said, clasping Marcus' hand and slapping him on the shoulder.
"It was close a couple of times," Marcus said. "You have no idea - "
Nafarius' raised brow said it all.
"Right," Marcus said. "We're just glad you're all back."
"Not all of us are back," Nafarius said, watching Sam slip out of her pack and hand it to one of the other females.
"How is Maddie?" Marcus asked, the clearing a sudden a beehive of activity.
"Alive," Nafarius said, scratching his hands through his hair. He was exhausted, his body protesting the long days, and there was still more to do. "How are things here?"
Marcus considered his alpha and bit back his retort. "Nothing that can't wait."
"Good, work with Roland to get the food stored. We'll start curing the meat tomorrow." Nafarius handed Marcus his pack and went in search of his mate. Sam had been busy greeting the rest of the pack and answering questions about Maddie. Like everyone else on this trip, she was exhausted, her fatigue weighing down the mate bond.
Marcus watched his alphas slip away, Roland coming to stand beside him.
"I see you survived," Roland said, adding his pack to the growing pile.
"Barely," Marcus said, heaving an exaggerated sigh. "I don't know how you and Nafarius manage this motley group...and the females are the worst."
Roland laughed. "Don't let my mate hear you say that."
Marcus blinked.
Roland smiled, puffing out his chest and rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.
"What? Who?" Marcus sputtered.
Roland frowned.
"Right, stupid question." Marcus searched the thinning crowd, easily picking out Natasha's red hair. "Jesus, man. Congratulations."
"Thanks," Roland said, his smile growing bigger. Word traveled fast and it wouldn't be long before the rest of the pack knew. Still, he wanted Marcus to be the first one he told.
"Seriously," Marcus said, happy for his friend. "She's a worthy female."
"Lets just hope I can be worthy of her," Roland said, watching his mate. Natasha was working with several of the other females to move the food to the back of the den where it was coolest.
"Don't even worry about it," Marcus said, catching a hint of the beta's uncertainty. "She couldn't have asked for a better male."
Roland looked over at his friend, touched by Marcus' genuine happiness. "What about you? Any particular female driving you crazy?"
"I wouldn't wish the lot of them on my worst enemy," Marcus grumbled. All of the females had driven him crazy this past week with things getting worse as most of the males left to help Nafarius and the others.
Roland laughed, making a grab for his friend. "I think, perhaps, you protest too much."
Marcus ducked out from under Roland's reach, darting away from what would have been a headlock. "Just because you didn't have the good sense to run while you still had the chance..."
"It wouldn't have made any difference," Natasha said from behind Marcus. "I would have just chased him down."
Roland smiled as Marcus' eyes widened.
"Ah...hey," Marcus stuttered, turning to face off with Roland's mate. "Ah...congratulations!"
Natasha's smile showed teeth. "Never run from a female," she warned. "She'll just hunt you down and eat you."
Marcus blanched, making Roland wonder if there really wasn't a particular female he was running from.
"Stop scaring the boy," Roland said, smiling as he reached for his mate.
"Just giving him a little friendly advice," Natasha said, smiling up at Roland. "Everything has been put up and stored."
Surprised, Roland looked around. Sure enough, all of the packs had been emptied, the clearing slowly emptying as the pack moved inside.
"What's on the schedule for tonight?" Natasha asked.
"I know what I've got planned," Roland growled, bending to nip at Natasha's ear.
Natasha flushed, her body heating as long-suppressed desire flowed down the mate bond.
Marcus rolled his eyes. "I think I'll go and see if I can't get a good game of cards going."
Laughing, Roland followed Natasha inside, bumping into her back when she pulled up short.
"CONGRATULATIONS!" The pack's cry filled the common room, startling Roland and causing Natasha to jump.
"You didn't honestly think we would let the mating between our beta and newest member go by without a celebration, did you?" Nafarius asked, handing Roland a beer.
"I...ah...I" Roland swallowed against the lump in his throat. Beside him, Natasha's eyes were noticeably bright as she hastily blinked back tears. "I...ah..."
"Has he ever been speechless before?" Sam asked, sliding up and handing Natasha a beer.
"No, he usually falls back on a growl when nothing else comes to him," Nafarius teased.
Roland clamped his teeth together and bit back a growl. "Thank you," he said, his eyes passing over the pack.
Nafarius wrapped Roland in a big bear hug, slapping him on the back. "Congratulations. I'm happy for you."
"Congratulations," Sam said, slipping into Nafarius' place, her embrace gentle but no less heartfelt.
"Thanks," Roland said, bending down to embrace the alpha female. A flood of warmth was resonating through the pack bond, everyone happy as they congratulated Roland and welcomed Natasha.
Hours later, Natasha led a dazed Roland back to their burrow. She'd been by earlier, dropping off their stuff and leaving a low light burning. The room was warm and smelling so much of her mate that it made her chest ache for want of him.
"You're pretty quiet," Natasha said, reaching for him.
Roland guided her arms around his waist, pulling her against his chest. "I wasn't expecting all of that."
Natasha leaned back and searched his face. "You didn't think they would be happy for you?"
"I was always Nafarius' project," Roland said, reaching out to tuck a wayward curl behind her ear. "I was still feral when he brought me back to the pack," he explained. "He hadn't been alpha long and many of them questioned his decision not to put me down."
"He took a chance on you," Natasha said. "I, for one, am very grateful."
"It was stupid," Roland said, his voice matter-of-fact. "When I think about what I was like back then...it's no wonder they were scared."
"They're not scared of you anymore," Natasha told him. There wasn't one among them that hadn't come by to congratulate the couple.
"No, but they're not comfortable around me either." Roland said, resting his forehead against hers.
Natasha lifted her hands to cradle his face, brushing the pads of her thumbs along the stark line of his cheekbones. No, they wouldn't be comfortable with him, and that knowledge, however unintentional, would hurt him.
"There's nothing comfortable about you," Natasha said gently. "Being with you is intense and exciting and...all-encompassing."
Roland searched her face when she paused, knowing that she was trying to tell him something.
"You come at me with everything you have," she said, her face gentle. "Even when you hold part of yourself back...it's like being swept up into a storm. It's wonderful and terrifying and you leave me breathless."
Roland frowned. "I can't tell if that's good or bad."
Natasha grunted. Silly male. "It's good but it...you...will never be comfortable."
She kissed him, her lips soft and gentle as she opened herself wide, letting him feel her experience of him through the mate bond.
"And I wouldn't have you any other way," she said, breaking the kiss.
Roland growled. Wrapping his arms around Natasha's waist, he pulled her against him and dove into a kiss. Inside, his wolf surfaced, flowing down the mate bond and brushing up against his mate.
Natasha surrendered to the kiss, to Roland, her body bending backwards as he swept inside, flooding her with his taste. Threading her fingers in his hair, she held on and prepared to get swept away.
Roland lifted Natasha up into his arms, crossing the room and setting her down next to the bed. Still, he didn't stop kissing her, his hands cradling her face, sliding into her hair and holding her while he plundered her mouth. She tasted sweet, her lips full and ripe against his mouth.
Natasha groaned as Roland released her mouth, pulling her head back and working his way down her neck with teeth and tongue. She shivered, her nipples hardening as he licked at the pulse in her neck, sucking the skin between his teeth and biting.
Roland growled at her sharply indrawn breath, her desire spiking down the mate bond as he held her between his teeth. Passion heated her skin, releasing her scent into the air. She flooded his brain until his every thought was of her, and his body hardened with leashed desire.
Letting go of the leash, Roland pulled her shirt over her head and tore at her jeans. He took a moment to appreciate the sight of her pale skin clad in emerald green lace.
"Beautiful," he whispered, reaching between her breasts and snapping the delicate fabric.
Natasha's smile was pure feminine satisfaction at Roland's quick drawn breath as her breasts bounced free. Her smile turned to a hum of pleasure when he slid his hands down her torso. Anticipation kicked in her belly as he hooked his fingers into the string of her panties and tore the slip of material from her body.
"You too," Natasha panted, reaching for his shirt as he ripped open the front of his pants. Naked, they reached for each other, their bodies colliding and falling back onto the bed.
Roland caught their fall on his hands, growling with approval when she wrapped her legs around his waist, opening up her core to him. Bending his head, he nipped at her mouth and licked at her lips.
"I want to taste you," he growled, pushing off from the bed and shoving her legs apart. He paused long enough to spread her wide, revealing pale pink lips glistening with her juices.
Natasha took a shuddering breath, her body arching in anticipation as Roland licked his lips and lowered his head.
Roland rocked forward, pressing his face against her core. She exploded against his tongue, her flavor saturating his senses. He couldn't stop his body from bucking against the bed, his hips thrusting his cock into the mattress and searching for release.