“Do you recognize any of them?” I whispered to August.
“No, but the yellow one with the violet eyes could be Alex.” He tipped his chin up and smelled the air, and a rumble of frustration ripped up his corded throat. “I can’t fucking smell anything.”
A penny for his Mom’s curse jar and a punch to my already guilt-ridden gut.
The yellow wolf-Alex?-craned his long neck and peered at us over one of his companion’s pelts. Had they picked up on what August had just said?
I sidled closer until my hipbone hit the side of August’s thigh, feeling my wolf scratching against my envelope of skin, desirous to come out. I bridled her back, because one, I didn’t want to get naked-yes, I know . . . incredibly silly-and two, because I wanted to offer August some solidarity. His anger at not being able to morph agitated the tether.
The Creeks made more whiny noises. When one took a step closer, Cole charged her, bumping her back a couple steps with his shoulder. The brown wolf yelped and stuck her tail between her legs.
The fair-colored wolf growled at Cole but didn’t attack. Even though Matt’s fangs were bared, he didn’t lunge forward.
Cole gnashed his pointy teeth, and the wolf in front of him soared back. The yellow wolf emitted a shrill howl, which got the attention of the five others. He swung around and sprinted into the copse of trees, and his packmates followed.
Matt and Cole waited a good five minutes before shifting back into skin. Once their fur had receded, they straightened, eyes wild with energy and ferocity.
Keeping my gaze on their torsos, I asked, “What did they want?”
“They said we were trespassing on their property!” Cole exclaimed.
“Put your clothes on.” August plucked dark mesh from the grass and lobbed it at Cole, before stepping in front of me.
“You do know I have to get used to nudity?” I whispered against his shoulder blades that were pulled in like metal wings.
He grunted, so I flicked the base of his spine. He tossed me a hooded glance over his shoulder.
“What?” I asked all innocently.
He didn’t say anything, just slowly returned his attention to the Rogers.
After a few seconds, I walked around my muscular blockade. “Were we trespassing?”
“No. This is neutral territory,” Cole said, spearing his arms through his muscle tee. “The Boulders and the Pines signed an agreement a long time ago about boundaries. This part of the forest belongs to no one.”
If the land was for sale, Aidan Michaels would surely snatch it up with a briefcase of cash.
“Who was here?” August asked.
“Alex Morgan, his sister Lori . . . She’s the one Cole knocked back. The other four were Creeks I’m not familiar with.”
“Why did you leap at her?” I asked Cole.
“‘Cause she was trying to sniff you guys.”
My head jerked back. “Sniff us?”
“She said you had an odd smell.”
“The mating link,” August murmured, barely shifting his lips.
I twisted toward him so fast my ponytail flogged my cheek. “You think they don’t know about it?”
“If they didn’t, they probably do now,” Matt said.
“Or not,” Cole said, straightening up. “It’s pretty faint.”
“It is?” I asked. “You think that’s because of the Sillin?”
“Either that, or it’s because you’ve been keeping your hands off each other. You have, right?”
My cheeks burned. “Yes,” I hissed.
Cole raised his palms in the air. “Don’t bite my head off.”
“We should head back,” Matt said, studying the woods as though expecting more wolves to show up.
“Did they say anything else?” I asked.
Matt flicked his gaze to the grass at my feet. “Nothing worth repeating.”
I folded my arms. “What else did they say?”
The Rogers exchanged a look.
“What. Else?”
“Alex said something about Sarah.” Cole spoke really fast, as though speed might lessen the sting. “About how fun she was and asked if you’d be interested in a threesome.”
My navel pulsed so hard I half expected it to pop right off my abdomen. August hadn’t said a word nor let out a sound, but his already rigid body became as still as the trunks of the evergreens in front of us.
“Classy,” I said.
“Classy?” Matt raised a blond eyebrow. “That’s what you got from that?”
“What else was I supposed to get from that?”
“Your best friend’s screwing him,” Cole said. “Doesn’t that repulse you?”
My forearms tightened in front of my chest. “It does, but I’m not her keeper.”
Cole exchanged another look with his brother, and then both of them looked at me again, and for a second, I thought they would see the truth behind Sarah’s actions, but then they shook their heads, and Matt said, “I hope you didn’t share too much sensitive information with her, because if she’s willing to screw them, she’s probably willing to screw you over.”
“She doesn’t know anything damning.”
“She knows we’re mates,” August said.
“But she won’t tell them.” I said this way too quickly and confidently.