Stolen and Forgiven (Branded Packs #1)(46)

Soren shook his head. He’d never blamed his Alpha. Never. They both sacrificed for the Pack. It’s what leaders did.

“And you wouldn’t have found Ariel,” he murmured.

Holden remained troubled. “So I found my heart while you-”

“Don’t.” Soren stepped back, dislodging his friend’s hand. There was no way in hell he was going to allow Holden’s relationship with his beautiful mate to be tainted with guilt. “The second I caught Cora’s scent I accepted that the past is behind us. It’s time to move forward.”

There was a long pause before Holden gave a nod of his head, accepting Soren’s request to concentrate on the future.

“The question is...move forward into what?” he asked with a grimace.

Soren’s gaze drifted toward the fence he could see in the distance. A tangible sign of their imprisonment.

“These dark days won’t last forever,” he murmured.

“No, they won’t,” Holden agreed, his expression suddenly grim. “And I swear I’ll do whatever is necessary to make sure we survive to enjoy a life where we can live without fear.”

Soren nodded. “I have full faith.”

They shared a moment of silent determination, both dedicated to seeing the day they would live without fences. Then, Holden narrowed his gaze.

“In the meantime, I need to you to be careful,” the older man said. “If you piss off your cat, it could strike a spark that sets off the powder keg beneath our feet.”

With his warning delivered, Holden headed down the narrow path that led toward the communal area. Soren turned in the opposite direction, his earlier plan of a shower and a few hours of shut-eye forgotten as he was overwhelmed by a sudden need to finish what he’d started.

Jogging through the undergrowth, he made his way to the young aspen tree he’d planted in Leah’s favorite spot next to the lake. Then, dropping to his knees, he bent his head and released the ghost that had haunted him for so long.

“Rest in peace, Leah,” he whispered.

****

Cora stood in the small back garden of her new home and sipped her coffee. After a night of tossing and turning, it felt good to get out, feel the sun against her skin and allow the crisp air to clear the fog from her brain.

She hadn’t expected to sleep. Not after her encounter with Soren. But she’d assumed it would be anger that kept her awake. And perhaps a need to plot the wolf’s slow, painful death.

The last thing she’d expected was the savage hunger that had clenched her muscles until she wanted to scream.

She wanted Soren. No. It was more than that. She ached for Soren.

Memories of having him in her bed with her legs wrapped around his hips as he pounded deep inside of her had tormented her for hours. Even worse were the vivid images of having her head pillowed on his chest as they slept in sated exhaustion, and his lips tickling her ear as he woke her to begin their day together.

At last crawling from her bed, she’d released her cat to go for a long run, hoping to work off her seething frustrations. It’d helped until her animal had caught the scent of Soren near a small lake. Cora had instantly shifted back to human, ignoring her urgent need to be close to her mate.

Instead, she’d returned home and tried to convince herself that she’d become used to having Soren around. That eventually, his mere scent wouldn’t send her cat into a frenzy of longing.

Thankfully, she didn’t have to dwell on the futile effort. She’d barely finished her coffee when a handsome male stepped through the bushes to join her.

Max Leskov was her father’s Beta and current heartthrob of the Golden Pack.

Her lips twitched as she took in the thick blond hair streaked with gold that he wore long enough to brush his broad shoulders and fall across his piercing green eyes. His father was a Siberian tiger, which meant that he was larger than most males in the Pack, with thick muscles and a strength few could match. But it was his deep dimples and his breathtaking beauty that were his greatest weapons.

And he wielded them without mercy.

“A beautiful morning, kitten,” he murmured, his gaze taking a slow survey of her faded jeans and tight jade sweater. She’d pulled her hair into a high ponytail to keep it tamed in the brisk breeze.

“Max.” She cocked a brow, doing a mutual inspection of his jeans and loose Denver Broncos sweatshirt. Not that she thought of this male as anything other than a surrogate brother. Despite her father’s best attempts, she couldn’t seriously consider Max as a mate. “Isn’t it a little early for you to be out and about?” She tilted her head to the side. “What’s her name?”

He moved to stand at her side, his dimples flashing. “Would you believe me if I said...Cora?”

She rolled her eyes. “No.”

“You never take me seriously.”

“You would flee in horror the second I did.”

His tiger suddenly lurked in the back of his eyes. Quiet, intent, ever patient.

“Try me.”

Cora stiffened. “Max-”

“I could smell the dog when I returned last night,” the male abruptly interrupted. “What did he want?”

Cora’s heart clenched, her hands tightening on her coffee cup.

“Nothing important.”

Max wasn’t fooled. He might play at being man-candy, but beneath the good looks and charm he was a cunning, calculated hunter.