Borders Pack Series Book 2: My Inescapable Mate

“Hey, Sabar!” I called out, my laughter echoing through the trees as I spotted him emerging from his river bath. Seeing him was always the best part of my day.

“Samjay…” His voice was heavy, his frown deep. Even though he used my special nickname, his eyes were clouded with something that wasn’t joy.

I noticed he was naked, just stepping out of the water. The droplets cascading down his dark skin highlighted his chiseled abs and the muscular planes of his chest.

As the water traced the contours of his hip bones, he ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back from his forehead. His gaze on me was filled with clear disapproval.

“Oops, sorry.” I quickly turned my back, hearing the rustle of grass as he reached for his shirt.

“What’s up, Samjay?”

“There’s something happening in the camp,” I announced, bouncing on my toes. Despite being a grown wolf for quite some time, my fellow she-wolves often said I still had the enthusiasm of a pup.

“What?” His voice took on a serious tone.

“Lily told me.”

“How does she always seem to know everything?” Sabar grumbled.

Stepping up beside me, his black hair and goatee glistened with the remaining water which had soaked his thin tunic and made it cling to his body, accentuating his dark, intimidating features.

He’d been helping me fortify my hut during the Mating Moon for years. And Valerie had mentioned that he was the one who saved her by letting her inside the wall.

“Lily is the oldest among our generation of females.”

“Why do you avoid calling yourself what you are?” Sabar nudged me with his shoulder, almost knocking me over with his sturdy build.

I sidestepped, laughing, and he grinned back at me.

“Because! You know I hate that term.”

“Breedable?”

“Yes.”

“But you are one of the seven breedables, Samjay. It’s just a fact.”

I knew the term meant we were of age to reproduce, but it felt so demeaning.

“Sooner or later, Alpha will insist you dismantle your fortress and let one of the males mate with you.”

“Stop that.” He shook his head, chuckling at my scared face. “It doesn’t have to be that bad. You females sharing horror stories doesn’t help any of you with reproducing for our pack.”

He started walking toward the camp.

“Sabar!” I chased after him, jumping onto his back. “It’s perfectly normal to be scared. You know the males in our pack are especially aggressive. That’s why Edward gathered them to form a strong pack. It’s only logical for us females to fear getting killed while being mounted.”

He caught my arms around his neck, wobbling as he adjusted to my weight on his back. He shot me a disapproving look over his shoulder as I clung to him like a baby monkey.

“You can’t say ‘breedable,’ but you can use the word ‘mounted’?” His eyes flashed yellow.

“Why do you get upset when I say things like that?” I asked, furrowing my brow as I met his gaze.

“I didn’t say I was upset.” He continued toward the camp, carrying both our weights; my legs were hooked over his hips, and he held one of my shins in his hand.

“Then why do you look like that?”

He cleared his throat. “You’ll understand soon enough, Samjay.”

I slid off his back, shouting after him. “I hate it when you say that.”

He ran a hand through his glossy black hair, not even bothering to turn around as he murmured, “I know that.”

Sabar’s face was a mask of irritation.

“Feel free to be as mad as you want,” the Borders alpha said, his gaze locked with his dark border guard. His muscular arms were folded across his chest. “But it won’t change the reality of the situation.”

“I can’t just let someone take advantage of her.”

“Then you should be the one to take her.”

Sabar’s eyes narrowed at his alpha.

“You’re treading dangerously close to disobedience,” Alpha warned, disliking the defiant look in his warrior’s eyes.

Sabar knew he was right and took the warning for the gentle reminder that it was. He softened his expression and relaxed his posture to appear less confrontational.

“You know how she is, Alpha. She’s so innocent.”

“Then convince her now. Before the Mating Moon.”

“Alpha!” Sabar threw his arms up in exasperation. “That’s less than a day away. She sees me as a friend, maybe even a protector, but she doesn’t have any romantic feelings for me. And she’s determined not to be mated. She’s scared.”

“Well.” Alpha grunted. “Then it seems you have a decision to make. Do you want multiple wolves to claim her in twenty-four hours, or do you want to be the one to do it?”

“Are you threatening to mate her?” Sabar looked shocked. The thought of how brutal the alpha could be when he wanted to be frightened him. Sabar had seen him tear rogue wolves to shreds with his bare hands.

“Maybe… We need to have offspring, for the good of the pack. I can’t stand the breedables not being mated any longer.”

“Oh?” Sabar raised a dark eyebrow. “And what about Lily?”

Alpha’s arms fell to his sides, and his teeth bared slightly in a growl. “Don’t concern yourself with her, Sabar. I have a mate planned for her too.”

Sabar took a step back, realizing he’d pushed the alpha too far, at least for today.