“Just let me see that he’s okay, and I’ll do what you want.” Though it almost choked her to say the words, she at least needed to see that Magnus was safe with her own eyes.
“Of course, I’d expect nothing less.” Magnanimous in his victory, he gripped her arm and led her through the woods.
Nari took comfort in the fact that she could scent him, though she knew the wolf next to her could smell him too. There was no trace of blood, nor was there any fear or pain in his scent. Just anger. It was so thick in the air, she hoped the wolf choked on it.
“I would suggest we run”—he ran his finger over the collar—“but I guess you can’t really do that right now.”
Gritting her teeth and plotting his demise, she let him lead her through the forest. She’d even play along. But once she got the collar off, he was going to pay.
Chapter Six
Magnus strode through the woods and fought not to give in to the smile itching at the corner of his lips.
The wolves that escorted him were utter morons. He knew they were probably used to being told what to do, but they took idiocy to a whole new level.
They were new to his woods, he’d give them that much, but it didn’t excuse how truly blind they were.
Magnus had led them, because they didn’t trust him to be behind them, in a subtle circle until they were behind Nari and their alpha. He made sure he stirred up enough flora as they passed so that it overpowered the other scents. They thought he would just meekly allow them to escort him through the woods? For what? So they could use him against Nari once they arrived at their camp?
These guys were little more than pups and just as stupid. The one they thought was their alpha was leading them into ruin. A good alpha took care of his pack. He didn’t use them for his own ends.
He would try to explain it to them, but they were too blind with adoration for their leader that he doubted anything he said would take.
So, he led them through the woods, hoping that they didn’t catch on to what he was doing until it was too late. Fortunately, the wolves “guarding” him were too interested in their own conversation about what they would do with the money they’d get from the hunt to notice.
But it wasn’t their conversation that he was interested in.
He did his best to keep a safe distance from Nari and the wolf that had her while trying to listen in on them as well. There were only snippets of the conversation that he heard, but it was enough to make his bear claw at his insides.
The stupid mutt thought he could take her for himself? Not if Magnus had anything to say about it.
How would he stop him? Various plans flashed in his mind that involved innumerable degrees of viciousness. The ones that involved leaving the wolves beaten and bloody made his bear rumble in appreciation. His main concern was getting him away from Nari and making sure he never so much as thought about her ever again. He would do whatever it took to achieve that end. If things didn’t go in the direction he wanted, the wolf would find out just how vicious he could be when the safety of his mate was on the line.
His bear urged him to move faster. The sooner this was over, the sooner his mate was safe and they could get to living happily ever after.
Yes, Magnus admitted, he was as horny as his bear. He’d gotten a taste of Nari, and he wanted all of her. Needed her like he needed the blood rushing through his body. He sure as hell wasn’t going to allow her to be taken from him.
Magnus moved faster. His bear was right. The sooner this was over, the better.
As he closed the distance, he could see them now and was aware of the way Nari was watching the wolf. She studied him so closely. Was it possible she welcomed his attention? That maybe they were playing him?
No. He refused to even let the thought settle.
She had to be trying to figure out a strategy. He nearly groaned in relief when he was proved right and she gestured behind the wolf’s back for him to hang back.
His heart squeezed. She knew he was there and was trying to protect him. As much as he loved that, he was bigger and stronger. It should be the other way around. His bear concurred.
Instead of hanging back, he started jogging now. Then sprinting. Who needed stealth when he could attack right now?
The wolves behind him were barely keeping up and shifted to try to head him off.
The first ripples of his shift shuddered through him as he closed the distance.
This ended now.
****
Magnus! No!Nari tensed a fraction of a second before the wolf did as well. Within the span of a breath of her trying to warn Magnus back, a huge grizzly bear barreled into the newly shifted wolf beside her with a force of a freight train.