but he didn’t appear to be bleeding any longer. Most shifters reverted to their birth form in death or healing sleep but Prince’s bent form was neither human nor wolf. He looked like a shrunken version of the form Beck had fought outside the trailers, although his claws had retracted to sharp, overly long fingernails.
“What is this?” Smoke reached out and jabbed at something resting in Prince’s ruff.
“A bead. He wore beaded braids as a man.”
Shaking his head, Smoke drew his hand back. “What do you want to do with him?”
“I want to talk to him. Call someone to help get these bodies out of here.”
While Smoke reorganized the clean-up effort, Beck watched Prince and hatched a plan to send a message to any other hunters who had a mind to pursue the Peace River packs.
Anders woke January with a nudge to the cheek. She groggily relinquished the baby to another female--not Mira--and someone handed her a dry shirt and loose sweatpants several inches too long.
Cross, she realized, when she looked up to pantomime a request for privacy. He stood above her, wearing an indecipherable expression.
Making the most of her blanket to shield her from the eyes of the growing crowd, she hurried into the shirt first. It clung to her breasts and belly but fell past her fingertips. The pants were a better fit in the hips and the elastic waist secured them.
As she pulled her damp hair out of the back of the shirt, she took stock of her surroundings. Not as many people and wolves as she’d initially thought. Anders nuzzled her neck before joining Cleo and the two wolves, all of whom huddled around the pale woman who’d taken the baby. While January watched, the other woman put the baby to her bare breast.
January swallowed, confused by unfamiliar emotions that grew and tangled together at the sight.
Seeking a distraction, she looked up and met Cross’s gaze.
His lips moved in a single word as he extended his hand to her.
She was no lip-reader but she got the gist. Placing her hand in his, she accepted his help off the cold rock.
Unlike her, Cross was naked. She didn’t need much more than a brush of her forearm against his hard stomach or his hips cupping hers as they squeezed from the grotto to remind her how it felt to have his body wrapped around hers.
Desire seemed an out of place thing but it unfurled anyway, uncaring of convenience.
Cross wasn’t unaffected. The next time their bodies moved together as he helped her scale a short rock wall somewhere deep in the mountain, she felt his erection. His hands seemed to close hard on her hips, his breath warm on her neck, but she reached a level surface and he released her like nothing had happened.
They eventually emerged into open air. Dark still hung in the sky. The river slid past below. January breathed deep of the open air and only realized she could hear something besides rushing water when she heard herself sigh.
Cross climbed through the opening after her.
January waited for him to settle before she asked, “What are we doing?”
“The camp’s been secured. I’m taking you back there.” He straightened, turned, and started moving down the mountain, away from the river.
January stayed where she was, waiting for him to realize she wasn’t following.
Waiting for him to actually look at her.
He was a couple yards away before he turned back. A scowl darkened his ruggedly handsome face.
For the first time, she realized he was a few years older than Beck and Anders. Mid thirties, maybe, with twice the years’ experience in his eyes.
January knew this wasn’t the time, but when else would she have him right in front of her, with as much privacy as two people could get, surrounded by shifter packs?
Seizing the moment, she licked her lips. “You’ve barely looked at me in days. I thought we were friends.”
His brow lowered and the glower deepened. “We are.”
“But we aren’t, are we? The other night, you…we…” She trailed off,
“What is this?” Smoke reached out and jabbed at something resting in Prince’s ruff.
“A bead. He wore beaded braids as a man.”
Shaking his head, Smoke drew his hand back. “What do you want to do with him?”
“I want to talk to him. Call someone to help get these bodies out of here.”
While Smoke reorganized the clean-up effort, Beck watched Prince and hatched a plan to send a message to any other hunters who had a mind to pursue the Peace River packs.
Anders woke January with a nudge to the cheek. She groggily relinquished the baby to another female--not Mira--and someone handed her a dry shirt and loose sweatpants several inches too long.
Cross, she realized, when she looked up to pantomime a request for privacy. He stood above her, wearing an indecipherable expression.
Making the most of her blanket to shield her from the eyes of the growing crowd, she hurried into the shirt first. It clung to her breasts and belly but fell past her fingertips. The pants were a better fit in the hips and the elastic waist secured them.
As she pulled her damp hair out of the back of the shirt, she took stock of her surroundings. Not as many people and wolves as she’d initially thought. Anders nuzzled her neck before joining Cleo and the two wolves, all of whom huddled around the pale woman who’d taken the baby. While January watched, the other woman put the baby to her bare breast.
January swallowed, confused by unfamiliar emotions that grew and tangled together at the sight.
Seeking a distraction, she looked up and met Cross’s gaze.
His lips moved in a single word as he extended his hand to her.
She was no lip-reader but she got the gist. Placing her hand in his, she accepted his help off the cold rock.
Unlike her, Cross was naked. She didn’t need much more than a brush of her forearm against his hard stomach or his hips cupping hers as they squeezed from the grotto to remind her how it felt to have his body wrapped around hers.
Desire seemed an out of place thing but it unfurled anyway, uncaring of convenience.
Cross wasn’t unaffected. The next time their bodies moved together as he helped her scale a short rock wall somewhere deep in the mountain, she felt his erection. His hands seemed to close hard on her hips, his breath warm on her neck, but she reached a level surface and he released her like nothing had happened.
They eventually emerged into open air. Dark still hung in the sky. The river slid past below. January breathed deep of the open air and only realized she could hear something besides rushing water when she heard herself sigh.
Cross climbed through the opening after her.
January waited for him to settle before she asked, “What are we doing?”
“The camp’s been secured. I’m taking you back there.” He straightened, turned, and started moving down the mountain, away from the river.
January stayed where she was, waiting for him to realize she wasn’t following.
Waiting for him to actually look at her.
He was a couple yards away before he turned back. A scowl darkened his ruggedly handsome face.
For the first time, she realized he was a few years older than Beck and Anders. Mid thirties, maybe, with twice the years’ experience in his eyes.
January knew this wasn’t the time, but when else would she have him right in front of her, with as much privacy as two people could get, surrounded by shifter packs?
Seizing the moment, she licked her lips. “You’ve barely looked at me in days. I thought we were friends.”
His brow lowered and the glower deepened. “We are.”
“But we aren’t, are we? The other night, you…we…” She trailed off,
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