Page 8 of Bite

Through the trees I can just make out the imposing exterior wall of the Grand Prairie Compound. Nerves ice my veins, and an unwelcome fear of disappointment sours my stomach when I think about potentially failing my mission from the Lunar Mother.

We need to gain access to their radio tower, even if we have to do so by force. There is no room for failure. I take a deep breath and remind myself, Get in, get out, go home.

The alpha that greets us at the gate is just shorter than Tore, with floppy brown hair and arresting green eyes. As he steps forward for introductions, I get a whiff of his warm, spicy, boozy scent. It tickles my nose, and my wolf perks up, suddenly interested in what’s going on.

The alpha extends his hand and says, “Greetings, I’m River, the lead Alpha at Grand Prairie. We have been eagerly awaiting your arrival.”

Small talk is never my favorite, but I grasp his hand for a brief shake. “Thank you for the warm welcome. My name is Dair, Alpha of the Cascade Clan, and these are my traveling companions, Aspen, Koda, and Tore.”

“I hope your journey was okay. We haven’t seen a horde here for nearly three months, so hopefully that means the surrounding areas were quiet too.”

Nodding, I agree, “Everything has been quiet for several days. Getting through some of the Wastes was challenging, but my group remains whole, and that’s all that matters.” My lips lift in a small smile, pride for my friends bursting in my chest.

Immediately, a small tendril of the most decadent scent I have ever smelled nearly knocks me on my ass. It’s deep and warm with thick molasses, sweet, creamy undertones, and spicy sassafras. My mouth waters and my canines lengthen, threatening to slice my lips. Astonishingly, I have to curl my hands into fists to hide the claws trying to sprout from my fingertips.

My wolf is almost uncontrollable, pushing at my skin with a ferocity that I haven’t experienced since my first shift. His demands echo in my head like drumbeats, Must shift, must hunt, need to find her, find our mate. Mate? My eyes fly to the group gathered behind River and collide with eyes the color of polished jade. My breath catches in my chest, and it feels as though time itself stands still.

Fuck, this was not in the plans.

Is River still speaking to me? I can’t tell because both my wolf and I are entirely focused on the omega tens of feet away, looking at us with barely restrained lust. My nostrils flare wide, taking in as much of her scent as I can, and I nearly moan at the new, sweeter depths of her arousal. Did she perfume for me?

Standing next to her is a tall, strong alpha with warm-beige skin, curly brown hair, and fiery, amber eyes. He’s standing very close to her, closer than I’d consider friendly, but my wolf is strangely quiet, merely examining him through my eyes. Sizing him up.

I look back to the omega one last time before trying to refocus on the situation at hand. I glance back to River, who must have seen where my attention had gone, because he inclines his head and gestures behind him to the small, gathered crowd. “I’d like to introduce you to everyone, but I’m sure you understand that I need to check your eyes.”

“Of course,” I reply woodenly, nodding my consent on autopilot as he takes out a small flashlight and examines our eyes one at a time, checking for the reflective shine of Biters. In my periphery, Aspen gives me a concerned look, but now that River has moved down to where Koda stands, I have an unobstructed view of the gorgeous omega, and I refuse to look away for anything.

Once all four of us have been cleared, River walks us closer and introduces the other alpha as his packmate, Ferris. Interesting, considering Ferris seems more concerned with the omega than his own packmate.

Then, he gestures to the omega, and I take in everything about her, from her adorably freckled nose to her brown hair that gently waves over the curves of her chest and shoulders. Her light skin has rosy undertones, like she’s always just shy of a blush, which makes her green eyes even more intense. She’s tall for an omega, with broad shoulders and a dangerously thick, strong frame. The generous flare of her hips and thighs is nearly enough to send me to my knees.

I snap back to the conversation and catch River saying, “This is my little sister and ward, Raine.”

Without thinking, I extend my hand toward her, needing to feel her skin on mine in any way I can. When her hand joins mine, my world changes forever. There is no doubt anymore that this omega is mine. Bright, hot amazement floods my body, filling me to the brim with barely restrained euphoria. Are the gods truly so benevolent that they’d place my true mate directly in my path?

My wolf feels so much satisfaction knowing he hunted her down and found her across the continent. He howls his victory inside of my head, completely ignorant as to how this complicates our entire mission. He can’t wait to wear her blood on our mouth for all to see. For all to scent. To him, she is ours now. Ours to protect, ours to care for, ours to cherish, and damn the alliance to hell.

Not giving two fucks, I bring her hand to my mouth and press a kiss to the soft scent gland on the underside of her wrist. I may not be able to bite her right now, maybe even ever, but the dark, possessive nature of my wolf relishes in marking her like this. I say her name for the first time, “Raine,” and it feels like a holy hymn on my tongue.

A strong gust of black tea steeped with dominance cuts through the moment, and I turn toward Ferris, whose eyes are molten with rage. Peculiar. I extend my hand toward him, and we shake, but it doesn’t feel like a normal greeting. It feels like a declaration of something violent, like war, or something more decadent, like sex.

River continues to introduce everyone while Ferris and I remain locked in a vortex of aggression, dominance, and possession. It feels like we’re both about to be swept away by something bigger than the both of us, but then Raine clears her throat, and we immediately drop hands, breaking the connection.

We simultaneously glance at Raine, and I have to stop myself from purring when I see the lust-drunk look on her face. Then she whispers my name with her perfect lips, and I realize just how fucked I truly am.

River drops us off at our assigned cabin with instructions to meet at the dining hall for dinner. After he leaves, Aspen rounds on me, confusion and accusation clear on her face.

“What the fuck was that?” she hisses.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” I hedge.

She palms her face in frustration. “We don’t have time for distractions, Dair. We are here to do a job so that we can return home. Did you see the size of their radio tower? We need this alliance, and you know it. They might be the only compound on the continent capable of contacting the Appalachian Clans, and you cannot risk everything by flirting with the compound leader’s little sister.”

“Not so little from what I saw,” Tore says under his breath while waggling his brows suggestively. Although I know he’s simply trying to lighten the mood, a deep, threatening growl rumbles from my chest, and my eyes take on the silver sheen of my wolf. He’s not pleased that our friend was checking out our omega, no matter that we know Tore has a true mate of his own, wherever she has gone.

“Whoa,” Tore says, hands raised in supplication. “I was only joking.”

I take a deep breath and exhale all of my unnecessary aggression. My hormones have been unpredictable since that interaction with Raine and Ferris. Frankly, I feel wild. I never expected to find my true mate; the probability of having the opportunity to meet them seemed so infinitesimal.