Page 19 of Wild

He hugged me hard, slapping my back. For being my little brother, he had an inch on me. I could still take him on in a fist fight, but I’d rather face a hidden sniper than climb on the back of a bull, like he used to do every day.

“Hey, brother.” I slapped him right back. I couldn’t help but grin at him. Fuck, he looked good. That underlying rebellion and anger he always had simmering had faded, was replaced by an aura of contentedness. “And I heard you don’t have to tug on yours all alone anymore.”

He stepped back, winked. “Damn straight.”

“You turning into Betty Crocker now?” I asked, taking another sniff of the air. I could swear I smelled my mate. Her scent must’ve carried on my clothes. I remembered her taste on my tongue, but this was different. Visceral.

“Nah, the women are making the wedding cake. They’ve been in there for two hours, and it smells damned good.”

The moon madness was definitely fucking with me if I was confusing my mate with baked goods.

“Women? I thought you found one mate, not two.”

He tipped his hat back. Fuck, he looked happy. Potent jealousy shot through me, but I instantly pushed it down. He wasn’t the only Wolf brother to find his mate. Hewasthe only one who knew where his fucking mate was, though. I might’ve been older and wiser, but who was the dumbass now?

Me.

“Marina’s making it,” he said, and I’d forgotten what he was talking about. Oh yeah, cake. “Audrey’s watching. She might have gone to medical school for four years, but she can barely boil water.”

“Who’s Marina?”

“Her little sister—half-sister, actually—from LA.”

He sniffed, then his eyes widened.

“What?” I asked.

A slow smile spread across his face. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

I was going to ask him what the fuck he was not telling me, but Rob’s voice cut me off. “Hey—I expected you to parachute in or something.”

I turned as he came up the porch steps. Behind him were two of our ranch hands and pack members, Levi and Clint.

The trio were fucking huge. They didn’t have to do morning calisthenics and ten mile runs with fully loaded packs to be sturdy fuckers. They also had all the room to shift and run.

Shit, I hadn’t realized how much I missed being home.

“The airlines don’t like me opening the emergency exit,” I countered as Rob stepped close. “Dude, is that gray hair?”

Rob touched the side of his head and rolled his eyes. “Fucker.”

“It’s good to see you.” It was. My fellow soldiers were brothers not of blood, but Rob and Boyd… the other shifters on the ranch, the connection went deep. They knew the truth, knew the real me.Allof me.

“Expected you last night,” Rob said, slapping me on the shoulder, which was him showing affection. He wasn’t much of a hugger.

The screen door banged behind Levi. I shook his hand and Clint’s.

“The storm flooded a creek on county road ninety-three. Had to spend the night in Tremont.”

Boyd looked me over. This morning, I’d tossed on the same clothes as the day before in my rush to go after my mate. “What did you do, sleep in your truck? You look like you barely slept.”

My wolf preened at our prowess, then whined because we’d lost her.Her.What the fuck was her name? Why did I not make it my number one priority to know every detail about her? I’d gotten cocky, thinking I had her. Thinking I’d take it slow and not scare her off. And then she fuckingleft.Wherethe fuck was she?

“Yeah, found some trouble.”

In the form of a five-foot-two she-devil who soothed my wolf, emptied my balls and sated my dick. Then bolted like a pissed off bull out of a chute.

Boyd smirked.