With Her Capture (30 page)

It was a tough climb. Although he’d leapt up
steeper inclines in the past, he hadn’t done it with a weighted
down saddle bag strapped to him, the female he was prepared to kill
for running next to him, or with so many werewolves trying to stop
them. By the time they reached level ground again, he was panting
hard. He’d focused all his adrenaline on making sure they aimed for
level footing. Ayden took a moment to sniff out their new
surroundings and let his eyes focus in the dark, mossy forest that
both of them slowly walked into.

There didn’t appear to be any werewolves
behind them. But they’d made quite a ruckus with trees continually
falling behind them, and a damned avalanche. Whatever pack might be
up here would have to be deaf not to have heard him and Magda
coming.

And he was right. The moment he had his
bearings, Ayden picked up on the strong smell from trees, the moss,
and the snow covered ground under their paws. Magda inched closer
while sniffing the air along with him. It wasn’t hard to pick up on
the strong smell of werewolves, a lot of them. They were
surrounded.

Magda rubbed against his chest. He looked
over her head, embracing her warmth as she stood next to him. He
stared into the forest and saw them. To his right were six
lunewulfs
, all males. To his left were Malta werewolves.
Magda snarled and he pushed her behind him, staring down a total of
ten males, all in their prime—and he was on their territory.

Magda remained huddled next to Ayden. This
was what she’d wanted, what she’d fought with Ayden to receive. He
had granted her wish, run with her to the Colorado Rockies. Now the
two of them barely escaped a pack of American mutts only to come
face to face with
lunewulf
and Malta werewolves. She hadn’t
plotted through what to do if they weren’t welcome.

The anger was palatable on the
lunewulf
. Magda’s eyes burned from the thick spiciness in
the air. But when one of the male Malta werewolves moved, she
forgot about them and stared at the magnificent male. He reminded
her of her sire when he was young. Memories of running alongside
him, of knowing she was safe and could race anywhere without fear
or worry, hit her so hard it grew difficult to swallow around the
lump building in her throat.

The male was large, as thick in the chest and
tall as Ayden. She watched him move, his steps certain and his long
black coat sleek and flowing with his movements. Malta werewolves
had to be the most beautiful creatures on this planet. And she
wasn’t biased just because these males reminded her of her
sire.

Ayden remained grounded where he stood. He
was so solid. Magda felt power and confidence radiating off him
while pressed against him. When he pushed her behind him, not only
making sure these males knew that she was his, but determined to
protect her, Magda inched back up alongside him. There wasn’t a
doubt in her mind that he would willingly draw first blood to
protect her. They were grossly out-numbered, though. She understood
why he didn’t move, showed no signs of aggression, and stayed
planted where he was. There was no more running. Magda moved around
the saddle bag and rubbed against him again, glancing up at his
powerful jaw line while he studied the males before them.

When he glanced down, although only for a
moment, Magda swore she saw something in his eyes that she’d never
seen before. There was determination. She smelled that much on him.
But there was something else. Was it resolution? Possibly
acceptance?

But of what? Magda continued looking up at
him for another few seconds, trying to understand what she’d seen
in his intense, silver eyes. Ayden looked away first, his
concentration completely on the situation around them. For another
moment Magda studied him, taking in his handsome profile. She drank
in how incredibly gorgeous he was. And he loved her. It made her
insides warm, and created a calm confidence that one way or
another, this would work out.

For three months she’d run. She had escaped
death numerous times. She’d run on will power alone, and the
determination to ensure her littermates’ safety. Ayden had found
her when she’d been more than half-starved and damn near too weak
to defend herself. Yet he’d seen something in her. Magda knew she’d
made tough decisions. Hopefully Liesa and Katrin had forgiven her,
or would soon for not running to see them once she had learned they
were safe.

No matter what happened now, she knew that
she’d found love. What spread inside her every time she looked at
Ayden, thought about him, or just caught a whiff of his scent was
more powerful than anything she’d ever known. If she died by his
side, she knew that she’d truly smelled and experienced a level of
happiness and contentment that many werewolves never knew. Magda
knew her sire and mother had known it. She was honored and so proud
to know it, too.

Turning away from Ayden, she continued
feeling this new sense of power that came with knowing true love.
Magda watched the male who moved away from the other Malta
werewolves. Instead of approaching the two of them, he instead
walked over the frozen ground, indifferent to how his incredible
weight caused snow to crunch and smash under his paws. He stopped
in front of one of the
lunewulf
, lowered his massive head,
and growled. His eyes turned to slits. He was damn near face to
face with the male
lunewulf
. He curled his lip and sent a
message.

Magda didn’t smell hostility. The large Malta
werewolf was calm. She looked away from the strange encounter to
the other Malta werewolves. There were only three of them. None of
them appeared nervous or unsure, yet the
lunewulfs
out-numbered them. It dawned on her that very likely all four of
the Malta werewolves possessed the gift. Were their talents like
hers? If they’d run in a Malta werewolf litter with a Malta
werewolf pack their entire lives, they’d probably fine-tuned their
gift at an early age.

She wasn’t jealous. Up until three months
ago, her life had been perfect, too. Now after those months of
hell, she knew perfection again. It was a different type of
perfect, but one she knew she’d enjoy the rest of her life. No
matter how long that life might be.

The three Malta males watched the one who’d
walked over to the
lunewulf
. Was he their pack leader? Then
the male quit snarling at the
lunewulf
and turned his
attention toward Magda and Ayden. Magda caught herself staring into
the male’s sober eyes. With all the strong smells coming from all
the males, testosterone being the strongest, it was impossible to
narrow in on one male’s scent, especially at this distance.

He didn’t look at her the way Ayden did. Not
that she’d expect the male to see her as the female he loved. But
there was a steady concentration. Something dawned on her and she
looked away quickly. The male was trying to guess what her gift
was. That had to be it. She was a Malta werewolf, or at least in
her fur appeared to be pure bred. The male had looked at her with
curiosity.

There was a rustle among the
lunewulf
as the six males backed away from the large Malta werewolf. The
lunewulf
that the Malta male had snarled at turned, barked
at his pack mates, then turned and ran into the forest. The other
lunewulf
followed. Slowly, after watching them depart, the
male turned his slanted, silver eyes once again on Ayden and Magda.
Although the three Malta werewolves standing to the side didn’t
move, they now also looked directly at her and Ayden.

Once again Ayden pushed her behind him,
lowering his head and nuzzling against her with enough strength
that if she’d held her ground he would have knocked her over. This
time instead of standing fast and being a shield of pure power,
Ayden moved, leaving her where she was as he stepped forward.

Magda moved with him, remaining tight by his
side. Ayden swung around, lowering his face so he pressed the side
of it by her shoulder. He let out a low, soft rumble in his throat
then raised his head and stared at her a moment.

He was telling her to stay put. Magda didn’t
like it. She’d be damned if he took on four Malta werewolf males
while carrying a saddle bag stuffed full of all the two of them
owned. She would stand by her male, fight by her male, and go down
with him too, if it came to that. But when she tried stepping
forward, Ayden nipped at her and bared his teeth.

When this was over, if the two of them were
still alive, she would beat the tar out of him for trying to play
the dominant male. Ayden would learn quick and fast that she wasn’t
a female to remain on the sidelines and watch her mate take a
beating without her helping with the fight.

She glared at him, returning the action by
snapping back at him. But when he raised his head, stared at her a
moment, she remained where she was. He might be pissing her off at
the moment, but their fight was their own business. In front of
these Malta werewolf males neither of them knew, she would honor
her mate’s wishes. Magda saw in his eyes that he understood her
position, and her anger at what he requested.

Ayden turned from her and once again faced
the Malta male. When he stepped forward Magda didn’t move. Every
inch of her tensed, though. She shot glances from the male before
them to the three standing off to the side. Watching all of them
the best she could, Magda dared any of them to try and hurt her
male. They might all attack, but if they did have the gift, it
would be hard for them to fight and use it. She would stay put, but
she’d be damned if she watched them draw blood from her mate
without retaliating to protect him.

Magda quit looking at the males when Ayden
quit moving. He stood not far from the large male who’d sent the
lunewulf
away. Neither male growled. No one moved. But then
Ayden lowered himself to the ground, moving slowly and not
offsetting the weight of the saddle bags he carried.

Her jaw dropped. She snapped it shut. Her
mate, her powerful, invincible and well loved male, had just
bellied up before these Malta werewolves.

There was no shame. She didn’t feel a stab at
her pride. Magda stared at Ayden’s backside when his broad chest
touched the frozen ground. He didn’t lower his head but held it
high. Ayden was letting these males know that he wasn’t here to
fight. They hadn’t traveled this far to take on this pack with
aggression. There were no plans to dishonor or disrespect any laws
or traditions at play on this mountain. Her mate had told her that
he’d run with her and make their den together. He was following
through with this plan and telling these males that he and Magda
were here to join them. He’d just bellied up to his new pack
leader.

Magda slipped her hair brush back into the
saddle bag and took one last glance into the oval shaped mirror.
Then turning, she took Ayden’s hand when he offered it and sucked
in a deep breath. She smelled all the werewolves on the other side
of the closed bedroom door. The bedroom one of the males who’d run
with them the rest of the way up the mountain had offered so they
could change and freshen up before meeting more of the pack.

“Ready?” Ayden asked. He’d showered and had
put on his faded jeans, her favorite pair on him. He wore a blue
sweater that brought out the color in his eyes. “And you look so
beautiful.”

“I was just thinking the same of you.”

He nuzzled into her, just as he had in the
forest on the lower part of the mountain. This time, though,
instead of biting her with his teeth, he nipped at the same spot.
He hadn’t punctured flesh before and he didn’t now either. But the
scrape of teeth against her skin at the top of her shoulder and so
close to her neck sent chills rushing over her entire body.

“There is no way I’m more beautiful than
you,” he whispered, and chuckled.

His warm breath tortured the side of her
neck. It did a serious number on her insides. Magda put her hands
on his shoulders, then laced her fingers behind his neck. When he
straightened, she went up on tiptoe to kiss him.

“You did an amazing thing earlier today,” she
told him, moving her lips against his.

He understood without her elaborating. Ayden
stared down at her, his expression growing serious.

“If the Malta werewolves had intended to kill
us, I doubted they’d care if the
lunewulf
remain and watch,
or not. I smelled honor and curiosity on them.”

“Same here,” she agreed.

“But no hostility or aggression. The
honorable thing to do on my end was exactly what I did.”

When she smiled he took her wrists and
removed her hands from behind his neck. Then taking her hand, he
turned them to the door. He opened it and they stepped into a large
living area where a group of Malta werewolves were sitting and
standing and visiting quietly. They all stopped what they were
doing and turned to stare at Ayden and Magda when they entered the
room.

Magda’s insides tightened. How intimidating
was this? Three males and two females scrutinized her, then Ayden.
The males were tall, all over six foot and built as well as Ayden,
although they were noticeably older. Magda wasn’t the best at
judging age but considering the genocide all of them had lived
through it was overwhelming standing before them. Werewolves didn’t
often live to be old, white haired and wrinkled. Not that any of
these males or females facing her were that old. They all looked
very healthy, powerful and—was it wise? With all the hell she’d
endured the past months, none of it compared to what these
werewolves had experienced in their past. Magda suddenly felt
humbled in their presence.

It crossed her mind that these males and
females probably had the gift, too. What would it be like to use
her gift openly without being condemned for it? Maybe she would be
able to uproot trees for Ayden when he built their den. She could
fine tune moving boulders and rocks to clear land for them. Were
there other aspects of the gift she might learn?