Untamed (Wolf Lake) by Jennifer Kohout Read Free Book Online Page B

I want her to smile at us like that .  
    As if reading his thoughts, Natasha looked up at Roland, sharing that smile with him. "Marcus must be a fine male, letting the little one win."
    Roland grunted. "Michael is likely winning fair and square."
    Natasha laughed, her eyes sparkling with humor.  
    Roland liked her laugh, and wondered how to go about hearing it more often.  
    "Sam said there's a stream nearby?" Natasha held up the bundle, shaking it slightly.
    Roland ignored the reminder, his eyes passing over her face. He noted the paleness of her skin, the dark circles beneath her eyes and the lines of strain surrounding her mouth. More than just tired, Natasha looked like she was walking a fine line between holding it together and coming apart.
    How much had it cost her to try taking down her father? She'd obviously paid with blood, but how much of her soul had she lost?
    "Give me that," Roland ordered, taking the bundle from Natasha and tossing it aside.
    "What - ?" Natasha started. Like the dress, the toiletries had been a thoughtful gesture. She wouldn't have Sam thinking them unappreciated.
    "I want to show you something," he said, tugging her towards the forest.  
    ****
    Sam stepped out of the den in time to see Roland disappear with Natasha into the forest. The bundle she had prepared lay on the ground as they headed away from the stream. Well, shit .
    Sensing her concern, Nafarius slid his arms around his mate and pulled her back against his chest. "He'll take good care of her."
    "It's not Natasha I'm worried about." Sam hadn't known Roland long. Out of everyone, Nafarius' beta had been the most resistant to Sam's presence among the pack. She thought she'd understood, his hostility stemming from the fact that she had been human.
    "Roland?" Nafarius asked, not surprised when his mate picked up on their beta's distress. He'd known Roland for so long that he'd come to accept the subtle disturbance that existed along the pack bond. "He'll be fine."
    Sam leaned her head back against her mate's shoulder. "I'm not so sure."
    Nafarius frowned after his beta. "He's been with me for thirty years, there isn't anyone I trust more."
    "I know," Sam said. "That's not what I'm worried about."
    "Then what?"  
    "When I called his wolf..." Sam trailed off, the memory still fresh.
    "What did you see?" Nafarius was still trying to understand what Sam experienced with her ability.
    "He's feral," Sam said quietly. "At the heart, his wolf is wounded and wild and in so much pain."
    Nafarius looked towards the place where his beta had disappeared. He knew what he would find if he reached out to the male through the pack bond, Roland's pain was something they had both learned to live with. Nafarius had hoped that time would heal most of the wounds, covering over the emotional scars even while the physical ones remained.
    "He needs more time," Nafarius said, wondering how much time would have to pass before Roland would heal from the betrayal he had suffered.
    "I wish there was something more I could do." Sam's role as alpha drove her to take care of her pack, but the need went beyond duty. Nafarius and the pack were family and family was to be protected.
    Nafarius pressed his lips to the top of Sam's head, offering what comfort he could as they stood together watching the pack. Everyone was busy getting ready for the winter, fall was already here and the snow wasn't far behind.
    "Run with me?" Sam asked. The idea of shifting had her rolling her shoulders but running with her mate was worth the pain.  
    "I can't," Nafarius said, reluctantly releasing his mate. "I need to get the men ready to hunt."
    Sam nodded, understanding. A pack their size took a lot of food to feed. Wild game and vegetables grown in the garden were plentiful in the summer but winter was a different matter. Nafarius would organize one last, large hunt to bring in as much meat as possible, and when that was gone, the pack would turn to non-perishable staples that had