color would even make the climb inconspicuous, but she’s proven she can’t be trusted.
If I’m going to get away, it’s going to be up to me.
Behind one small cabin, there’s a taut line stretching from the house to a pole full of clothing dangling in the breeze. They’re practically waving at me, just asking me to take them. I look around, but thankfully, no one seems to be paying me much attention.
There has to be at least one hundred wolves now gathered in the center of what is definitely pack communal space. Some of them are on two legs and fully dressed, some nude and fresh out of a shift, and some trotting along as wolves.
As inconspicuously as possible, I veer away from the main group, slipping into the shadows to the side of a rudimentary looking home. My eyes are fixed on the fluttering fabric just ripe for the picking. I mean, if they’re going to punish me for stealing food, I might as well be dressed when it happens. I try to tap into my wolf’s give-no-fucks attitude as I reach up to unclip what looks like a shapeless wool dress from the line.
“You know, Vicious, this pack has very strict rules about wolves taking things that don’t belong to them,” a deep rumbling voice declares.
My heart tries to jump out of my chest. I barely bite down on the squeak of alarm that wants to fly out of my mouth as I whirl to find him casually leaning against the house opposite me as though he hasn’t a care in the world.
Well, fuck.
Chapter Twelve
My body reacts instantly to his presence.
Fire ignites through me, and my wolf wags her tail and yips with excitement. My clit starts to pulse with desire, and my nipples harden as brown eyes move salaciously over me before settling on my face.
“My name is not Vicious,” I practically growl at the stranger who somehow has dominion over parts of me he shouldn’t.
He smiles, flicking imaginary lint from his leather pants before his heated gaze returns to me. His back is pressed against the house behind him, one leg stretched out to support his weight and the other is cocked at the knee and resting against the log siding. The male tilts his head and takes me in, and instead of being bothered by the fact that I’m still naked and standing here, I suddenly want to own it.
“Well, now that you’ve bagged the coveted prize, maybe you can tell me who you are and just what the hell you’re doing here on Ruin Falls land?” he demands silkily, and I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes.
Full of himself much?
“Prize is questionable, and if I could be anywhere else in the world, trust me, I would be,” I snark, and his eyes harden ever so slightly.
“Who sent you?” he demands, his tone just a hint sharper under the languid confidence.
“If by sent me you mean dumped me here against my will, then you have Alpha Burke from Twin Rivers to thank.”
“And what did you do to Alpha Burke to warrant exile, Vicious?” he asks me tauntingly as he casually cleans dirt from under a fingernail.
I pull in an even breath, trying to rein in the heat of temper that warms through me. If this pack doesn’t tolerate stealing, they sure as hell aren’t going to be a fan of me mauling one of them in the middle of whatever gathering is going down.
“The name is Seneca, and it wasn’t what I did that landed me here, it’s what I didn’t do. That, and almost killing him for trying to force himself on me,” I reply saccharinely, a glare punctuating my words.
The male’s body tightens almost imperceptibly, and I swear I see a shudder of a shift move through him so fast that makes me question if it was ever even there. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up as though they’re warning me of a threat, but in the blink of an eye, his relaxed, nonchalant mien is back in place.
“Shame you only almost killed him then. Someone like that should be put down painfully,” he tells me, his eyes far away and his tone crawling with savage promise that makes me think he’s considering doing just that.
I snort incredulously. “As if you’re one to talk,” I challenge, and he steadies a stony, incredulous gaze on me. “Do you often hunt and claim unwilling females here in Ruin Falls?”