Bain
Ican’t believe I’m holding her. After days of smelling her smoky, dark cherry and vanilla scent around the campsite, my wolf has been howling in my chest to get closer to her, to hold her in my arms, to protect her and keep her safe. To love her.
I’ve tried to tell him he doesn’t know that she’s our mate, but my wolf is already claiming her as his, regardless. He doesn’t seem to care about confirming that there’s a fated mate bond there; he already sees her as his to protect. And it’s pissing me off.
She can’t possibly be my mate. I know for a fact that the others feel a pull toward her too. And outside of twins, females can’t have multiple mates.
I wouldn’t have been surprised if Hunter and Chase shared a mate, but to also share one with Maddox, Gage, and me? It’s impossible.
At this point, I think any of the others would be crushed if she wasn’t their mate. My wolf tells me the same, but I try to ignore him, knowing the likelihood of her being our mate is slim to none.
I came to terms a long time ago with the fact that someone like me would never be given the gift of a fated mate.
Strong enough to lead but no desire to do so.
I’m an enforcer at heart: brash, hard, and strong.
There’s nothing soft about me. Women want someone like Chase or Hunter, able to fight when needed but know how to treat a woman with softness and kindness.
I frown down at the quiet little wolf in my arms, the one I seem to be holding… gently. Even that word feels foreign in my head.
Shaking my head, I tell myself not to get attached. We don’t even know anything about her yet, and Alpha Kane isn’t about to let some unknown rogue into the Westgrove Pack.
It’s not that I am completely unaffected by her sweet scent; I am just the only one being realistic about it.
Well, Gage seems to still have his wits about him, thankfully, but mostly because he’s had his nose stuck in the book he asked me to bring here for him when I went to grab the other supplies.
That guy can’t go a day without reading, even out here.
I just didn’t expect the first time I held the little wolf to be because she jumped into a pond when she didn't know how to swim.
I’d been watching her closely, and as soon as I saw her start to jump, I dove in after her, a feeling of unease pushing me into action.
I’m glad I listened to my instincts and was there to pull her up.
When I saw her under the water, struggling to reach the surface, I immediately realized she was panicking and couldn’t swim.
I start to sway her back and forth, watching the dirt trail off her fur and into the water. When was the last time she bathed?
“Here,” Gage says from the shore as he tosses Maddox the environmentally friendly soap we use to bathe with in the wilderness.
Maddox wades over to us, standing in front of me so she’s between us in my arms. “Okay, little wolf, we’re going to wash you now,” he tells her softly.
She keeps her eyes closed and doesn’t move.
“We’ll keep your head above the water for the time being and clean that last, so you don’t need to worry about holding your breath right now.
Just relax and let us get you cleaned up. ”
After squeezing some soap into his hands, Maddox gently starts running his fingers through her fur. We both watch in surprise as a large dirt cloud fills the water around us.
I shift my arms so one supports her neck, keeping it above the surface while the other bands under her stomach. I let that arm drift deeper so her entire back is an inch under the surface.
Maddox starts running his fingers back and forth across her back a little firmer, loosening the dirt. Eventually, the water grows so murky that we have to move to a different spot just to see her body again.
We repeat this a few times, him using his fingers to scrub through her back, legs, stomach, and neck, until finally the water stops turning brown. Then I carefully dunk her back down while Maddox runs his hands through her fur to rinse out all the soap.
We do it several times, making sure to get her good and clean.
“Let me take her so you can clean the side that’s against you,” Maddox says as he slides his arms beside mine to pull her from me. As he does, she turns her head toward me.
She has the most beautiful blue eyes I’ve ever seen. I could get lost in her gaze if I’m not careful.
I realize how calm she is right now, and frown at her strange behavior.
Before we came to the pond, she wouldn’t let anyone touch her or even sleep near her.
Now here she is, letting the biggest guy here hold her and clean her, and yet she hasn’t so much as tried to get away.
I wonder why? Is it because she knows we’ll keep her safe?
A strange urge presses me to reassure her that she’s doing well, so I whisper, “You’re being such a good girl for us, angel,” as I brush my fingers and the soap through her fur. Maddox’s eyes flash to mine, and I catch him frowning at me out of the corner of my eye.
My body tenses, realizing what I just said, but thankfully, he doesn’t comment on it and I ignore his stare.
“I bet you’ll feel so good after you’re all cleaned up,” Maddox tells her. “Bain, let’s take her to the waterfall to wash her face, so she doesn’t have to go under.” I nod as I reach out and take her back from him.
I know he can carry her, but my protective instincts are pushing me hard, knowing she can’t swim. The best way to protect her is for me to hold her myself. I don’t doubt Maddox or the others, but my wolf won’t let it go.
Besides, I have a feeling she’ll go back to shying away from our touch after her bath, and my wolf will become whiny again. So, for him, I soak in as much of her as I can right now.
I shift her so her front paws rest against my chest while my arms form a solid bar under her ass to sit on.
She leans forward, resting her chin on my shoulder, against my neck, and I freeze. My entire body is tingling from her close proximity. I feel her nose twitch and wonder if she’s sniffing me. What do I smell like to her? Is she drawn to me like my wolf is to her?
She must feel… something.
Again, I’m surprised by how easily she lets me handle her. I really hope I’ll get to do it again when she’s dry. For my wolf’s sake.
As we approach the waterfall, the other three watch us, surprise covering their faces.
“She’s so…” Chase trails off.
“Red,” Hunter finishes.
“I knew she was red, but now that she’s clean, you can see the depth of the coloration. That rich red with those darker undertones. It’s actually a striking genetic trait. Very unique,” Gage says in his form of a compliment.
He’s right, though. Now that the dirt is gone from her, the red is much more vibrant than I thought, making her beautiful coat even more unusual.
I stride toward the waterfall and shift my arms, one still holding her up, the other moving to the back of her head and neck.
“Hold still, angel. We’re going under the waterfall. Hold your breath and don’t panic. Only a few seconds at a time.” I feel no resistance, so I hope she understands me.
“Can I?” Hunter asks, reaching for the soap. Maddox nods and hands it over.
“Ready,” Hunter says, standing right beside the falling water.
“Okay, hold your breath now,” I tell her, right before stepping under the stream. I quickly rub the top of her head as Hunter runs his hands through the fur along her face. After five seconds, I turn us away.
“Okay, breathe now.” I feel her exhale and then inhale a few times.
“All right, hold your breath again,” I say, and we repeat the process a couple more times until the dirt is gone. Then Hunter starts massaging in the soap.
“I think she likes that,” Chase comments with a smirk.
I can’t see her face, so I glance at Hunter in question.
“Her eyes are closed. It’s the first time I’ve seen her looking relaxed.”
“Girls do love the spa,” Chase quips with a smile.
I take a deep breath as tension eases from my chest. If she’s relaxed, then she’s letting her walls down around us. I’m sure it won’t be long until she shifts.
And when that finally happens, we’ll lock eyes and confirm we’re not fated mates. But even as I try to convince myself that’s what will be revealed, I can still feel the ball of hope in the center of my chest, praying that it isn’t true.