Page 35 of Their Marked Mate

Alex hurried through the forest, wanting to put some distance between himself and Eagle Village before he shifted back into a wolf.

Nate snatched the backpack off the forest floor as he hurried to keep up with Alex.

Someone grabbed Alex’s upper arm and spun him around.

“Have you lost your fucking mind?” Caden yelled. “We are not retreating!”

Excess energy still pulsed through Alex from his confrontation with Gabriel. Alex reacted to the challenge instinctively. A vicious jab caught Caden in the jaw, snapping his head to the side. Alex didn’t hesitate. He followed the first punch with a well-placed combination, driving the breath from his cousin’s lungs. Then Alex wrapped his hand around Caden’s throat and allowed his claws to extend. With just enough pressure to draw blood but not cause lasting damage, Alex dug his claws into Caden’s flesh. Caden grabbed Alex’s wrist with both hands then held perfectly still.

“Is this a challenge?” Alex demanded, his gaze locked with Caden’s.

“No, alpha.” The response sounded choked and uncertain. “I’m just trying to understand.”

“If I can get the women back without losing any more wolves, isn’t that worth a try?” His hand tightened, a silent reminder that there was only one appropriate answer.

“Yes, alpha.”

* * *

Aboard the Azrithal

“Are you ready for your big debut?” Avery asked as she pushed her empty plate aside. They sat in the officers’ dining hall as they had every evening for the past few weeks, but the ship was finally in orbit around Rydaria. And Avery was struggling to contain her excitement.

“I’m going to ease into this,” Natalie told her. “I’ll appear to the raptor shifters first. They’re less volatile than the others.”

Avery agreed. “As I’ve confessed, I’m hopelessly addicted to the wolves, but they’re going to be the biggest challenge.”

“I don’t know about that,” Natalie argued. “Have you seen Zion?”

The lion pride leader was massive and ruthless, but the wolves were even worse. “I didn’t set out to watch the wolves’ latest attack, but I inadvertently triggered the file.”

“I’m sorry. I thought I’d password protected all the files with graphic content.”

She looked at Natalie and admitted, “Fallon has been hacking your security features ever since we left Earth. What was she arrested for? She’s frighteningly intelligent.” Fallon was one of the few volunteers who talked to Avery. The rest liked to pretend she didn’t exist.

“She was arrested for theft, but I suspect that her cyber-crimes were never discovered. And I agree. She’s too damn smart for her own good.” Natalie shook her head, unable to conceal her smile. “I should be worried about Fallon, but I’m not. There’s very little technology on Rydaria and we’ve both seen how the hybrids deal with defiant females.”

“So have the volunteers,” Avery warned.

Natalie’s gaze shot back to Avery as she asked, “What are you talking about?”

“The volunteers were watching a very graphic video last night when I walked into the hold. It was courtesy of Fallon, I’m sure.”

“Graphic violence or graphic sex?” Natalie wanted to know.

“Both. Three feline shifters were disciplining their mate. The belt they spanked her with left her bottom striped in red and each male… enjoyed her vigorously afterwards.”

“They vigorously enjoyed her?” Natalie laughed. “You can’t say it, can you? Repeat after me, silly senator, they fucked her brains out.”

Instead of obeying, Avery made a face and said, “Most of the volunteers were shocked, but Fallon thought it was funny.”

“She won’t when it’s her ass they spank,” Natalie predicted grimly.

Heat crept up Avery’s neck as she lowered her voice and asked, “Have you ever been spanked by a lover?”

“A couple of times, but it was playful, not punitive,” Natalie told her. “You?”

Avery shook her head. “I’m vanilla all the way.”