Read Online Wolf Pact: A Wolf Pact Novel by Melissa de La Cruz - Free Book Online
Authors: Melissa de La Cruz
Ads: Link
feel worse
.
He felt a soft tongue on his brow, mopping up the blood, wiping off the salt and the crust and the grit and the sand that had
embedded in
his skin.
He turned over and finally he was able to open his eyes. There was a wolf kneeling in front of him, cleaning his wounds. He recognized her. She was from his den. A plain brown wolf with kind blue eyes.
Tala.
Yes.
Tala. She was just one more cub in the litter. He did not remember seeing her at the usual watering holes where they gathered. What passed for courtship among their kind was spontaneous, physical, instant. Wolves were able to breed until they were turned, but their offspring was not theirs to raise; cubs were turned over to the masters and assigned to a den. Once they were hounds, they were infertile, soulless killing machines. When it was clear that he would be the one most likely to lead the pack, there had been many who’d wanted to share his bed, but he had resisted. He would breed no cubs for the masters’ kennels. He would not give them more wolves to turn. He had succumbed to temptation only once and had vowed never to do so again.
Tala continued to clean his wounds and she pushed him to his feet. She was surprisingly strong for how small she was.
Thank you.
She nodded.
He was shakingfrom fear, he realized; he was still so afraid. What if the masters returned? What if they took him away? He thought of everything he and Marrok had planned—if he was killed, it would all be for nothing.
He cringed at the sound of footsteps, but Tala shook her head.
They’re not coming back. Not yet.
What’s going to happen to me?
Nothing. Do not worry. I won’t let anything happen to you, I am here.
He wanted to believe her. He knew she was lying to make him feel better. He would be killed, tossed into the Black Fire, left to burn.
But what if he was allowed to live? What then? How could he face his den? His brothers? After this colossal failure? Where would he rank in the pack now?
The taste of defeat was new, unexpected, raw.
How could this happen?
He anguished.
You let her win.
She knew
.
He did not argue
.
The masters did not come that day; he was not speared and thrown into the fire. Tala helped him back to their den. Life went on as usual, until their escape.
Hewouldn’t fall in love with Tala until they were on the other side, until they were free. But later he thought that maybe he had loved her even before. That day in the arena, when he had been defeated for the first time, when he was near death, when she had brought him back to life.
E LEVEN
M alcolmwas sick and Lawson was glad. It meant that they were on the right track, that the hounds were nearby, and that meant they were close to finding the oculus. They were back in Hunting Valley, after having been gone for almost a month following the attack. When they crossed the portal, they had emerged somewhere near the coast, in a small town in Maine. They had learned their lesson by staying in Hunting Valley too long. They’d returned to Ohio the night before to find that even Arthur had changed domicile; the attack had unnerved him and he was living in a cave, of all things. Lawson thought it was a good idea. Stone was fireproof at least. They’d bunked there for the day, and upon moonrise had taken off for their destination, Malcolm’s stomach acting as a guide.
“You all right?” Lawson asked from the driver’s seat.
“No. Pullover,” Malcolm said urgently. The minute Lawson stopped the car, Malcolm yanked open the door, making horrible regurgitating noises.
“Try not to hurl all over the car, all right? Took a lot of work getting this for nothing,” Lawson said, keeping his voice light. He’d stolen the car, of course; they could never have afforded it otherwise. They’d have to lose it in a week or two, or once someone got suspicious about that old license plate he’d bolted on it.
Malcolm gave a hollow laugh, leaned over, and threw up his dinner all over
.
He felt a soft tongue on his brow, mopping up the blood, wiping off the salt and the crust and the grit and the sand that had
embedded in
his skin.
He turned over and finally he was able to open his eyes. There was a wolf kneeling in front of him, cleaning his wounds. He recognized her. She was from his den. A plain brown wolf with kind blue eyes.
Tala.
Yes.
Tala. She was just one more cub in the litter. He did not remember seeing her at the usual watering holes where they gathered. What passed for courtship among their kind was spontaneous, physical, instant. Wolves were able to breed until they were turned, but their offspring was not theirs to raise; cubs were turned over to the masters and assigned to a den. Once they were hounds, they were infertile, soulless killing machines. When it was clear that he would be the one most likely to lead the pack, there had been many who’d wanted to share his bed, but he had resisted. He would breed no cubs for the masters’ kennels. He would not give them more wolves to turn. He had succumbed to temptation only once and had vowed never to do so again.
Tala continued to clean his wounds and she pushed him to his feet. She was surprisingly strong for how small she was.
Thank you.
She nodded.
He was shakingfrom fear, he realized; he was still so afraid. What if the masters returned? What if they took him away? He thought of everything he and Marrok had planned—if he was killed, it would all be for nothing.
He cringed at the sound of footsteps, but Tala shook her head.
They’re not coming back. Not yet.
What’s going to happen to me?
Nothing. Do not worry. I won’t let anything happen to you, I am here.
He wanted to believe her. He knew she was lying to make him feel better. He would be killed, tossed into the Black Fire, left to burn.
But what if he was allowed to live? What then? How could he face his den? His brothers? After this colossal failure? Where would he rank in the pack now?
The taste of defeat was new, unexpected, raw.
How could this happen?
He anguished.
You let her win.
She knew
.
He did not argue
.
The masters did not come that day; he was not speared and thrown into the fire. Tala helped him back to their den. Life went on as usual, until their escape.
Hewouldn’t fall in love with Tala until they were on the other side, until they were free. But later he thought that maybe he had loved her even before. That day in the arena, when he had been defeated for the first time, when he was near death, when she had brought him back to life.
E LEVEN
M alcolmwas sick and Lawson was glad. It meant that they were on the right track, that the hounds were nearby, and that meant they were close to finding the oculus. They were back in Hunting Valley, after having been gone for almost a month following the attack. When they crossed the portal, they had emerged somewhere near the coast, in a small town in Maine. They had learned their lesson by staying in Hunting Valley too long. They’d returned to Ohio the night before to find that even Arthur had changed domicile; the attack had unnerved him and he was living in a cave, of all things. Lawson thought it was a good idea. Stone was fireproof at least. They’d bunked there for the day, and upon moonrise had taken off for their destination, Malcolm’s stomach acting as a guide.
“You all right?” Lawson asked from the driver’s seat.
“No. Pullover,” Malcolm said urgently. The minute Lawson stopped the car, Malcolm yanked open the door, making horrible regurgitating noises.
“Try not to hurl all over the car, all right? Took a lot of work getting this for nothing,” Lawson said, keeping his voice light. He’d stolen the car, of course; they could never have afforded it otherwise. They’d have to lose it in a week or two, or once someone got suspicious about that old license plate he’d bolted on it.
Malcolm gave a hollow laugh, leaned over, and threw up his dinner all over
Similar Books
