“I warned you.”
She watched as Maddox grunted. The scent of blood filled the air as David cut into his arm. Within seconds, she saw the tiny-looking bullet. The tracker.
“Is that it?” Maddox asked.
She didn’t like his ability to withstand pain, to brush it off as if it meant nothing.
There had to be something wrong with him that she didn’t know.
“Only one way to find out.” David put it on the floor of the car, grabbed a container, and slammed it down on the tracker, breaking it.
The light on the screen disappeared. There was no trace of it.
“Oh no…” Mika’s eyes looked watery but there was no time for pity.
Heather was firm. “Get mine out.”
“Babe, I’m not going to do it like this.”
“I don’t want that thing inside me any longer than it has to be. Maddox did it. I can as well.” She lifted her shirt near where the device had beeped.
“It’s going to hurt,” Maddox said. “I did it because I’m trained to handle pain.”
“I don’t care if it is going to hurt or not,” she said. “Please, do it.” She didn’t want those hunters finding her again. She was only with them for a matter of hours, but Maddox, he was with them for months.
The tracker needed to come out now.
“I’ll do it,” Maddox said.
“You’re not touching my mate!” David took a step toward her. “I’ll do it.”
She knew he didn’t want to. Staring into his eyes, she tensed up, waiting for the inevitable sharp pain, and when it came, she tried to keep her screams in, but this hurt a lot more than she thought possible.
Chapter Twelve
Heather had been waiting on pins and needles all morning. There were so many unanswered questions with the she-bear. It was important for Heather to know the bear was safe and wouldn’t harm herself. She’d seen her younger self reflected in the young woman and didn’t want her to suffer the way she had by not belonging.
The moment she heard the rumble of the truck, she rushed to the window. David hopped out of the pick-up truck and headed to the house. She met him at the door. He smelled like the outdoors, pine, earth, and a uniquely masculine scent that was all David.
“Did you get an update?” Heather asked. She tugged him down by the collar and nuzzled his neck.
David nodded. “Joe’s going to handle everything.”
“He won’t hurt her?”
Her mate shook his head. “She’s his responsibility and he’ll do things rights, make sure she’s not a threat until she learns to control her beast. We can’t get involved in bear affairs, you know that.”
The last month had been a whirlwind. Now they were only hours away from the next full moon. She could already feel its strength and power rising. Warmth grew deep in her stomach, and her wolf was unsettled. It felt like the mating heat starting all over again, except this time, she was in full control.
“Are the guys still gone?” she asked.
“It’s just us.”
All the other shifters, including Mika, had taken off for a hunt. The full moon made it nearly impossible to resist shifting. The thirst for blood and meat was too intense to ignore. The desire to run and hunt rang strong in all shifters—except her. She’d trained her body to survive on a vegan diet. At first, her wolf was not impressed, but now they were fully in sync. She no longer craved meat at all, even her wolf obliged her.
“You could have gone with them, David. I know you still need meat. I’d never judge you for that. You’re a wolf and it’s completely natural.”
“And miss another full moon? Fuck that.”
“So … we’re actually going to make this official. We’ll be mates once and for all. No turning back.”
“Mated for life. That’s the plan,” he said, cupping her cheek in one hand. The way he looked at her, with such adoration, made her knees weak. “And with everyone gone, we won’t have any distractions. You can be as loud as you like.”
Heather smiled. She did like to scream. David was well-endowed and made her see stars every time they made love.
She knew David was glad Maddox was gone with the others, even if he wouldn’t say it out loud. Once they were officially mated, his intense territorial jealousy would fade. They could all be a cohesive pack as they were meant to be. She craved stability and security within her pack because it was the only one she had.
“I’m all yours,” she said. Heather traced a finger along his jawline, then touched his lips. “I hope you can handle my she-wolf.”
He smirked. “I look forward to your bite, baby.”
It was still too early to begin. The sun had yet to set and the moon needed to be at its peak strength for this to happen. It was so close but so far. She was scared something else would come up to postpone their mating once again.