Chapter 0483

"Get on my back." I offer.

She stares at me, bewildered. "Excuse me?"

"Climb onto my back. The house isn't far from the forest edge. If anyone sees us, they'll only see your back."

"You're completely insane."

"Either that, or you walk out of here completely exposed. Your choice."

"Why does everyone around here seem to enjoy nudity so much?" she scoffs, but she shuffles behind me anyway.

Her arms wrap around my neck.

She hooks her legs around my torso, pressing herself against me.

I can feel the curve of her breasts against my back.

"It comes with being a Lycan. Especially when you can shift." I stand up, adjusting her weight.

I stamp out the remaining embers of the fire.

I make sure Cooper's bones are completely crushed into fragments. Just as a precaution.

Samara holds on tightly as we move through the forest.

After a moment, she finally asks the question. "How are you able to speak in your Lycan form?"

"It's a long story."

"I can't do that." she mutters. "Is it something I need to learn now that I have my Lycan?"

"No. Consider yourself lucky. It's not a good thing to be able to."

We break through the tree line near Mallory's old house.

The place had been repaired for a while.

Since the packhouse was destroyed in that massive explosion, this is where I've been staying.

I open the back door and turn, letting Samara slide off my back.

"I have some clothes upstairs. You should find something that fits."

"Thanks, Damien."

I wait until I hear her footsteps fade toward the stairs.

I grab a pair of joggers drying on a nearby chair.

Shifting back, I quickly pull them on.

I settle on the doorstep just as I catch a familiar scent. Floral. Eris.

She's heading straight for me, and fast.

Her arms swing angrily as she marches closer.

Her golden eyes lock onto mine, burning with fury.

"They won't let me leave... Why do you smell like another woman?" Her tone is sharp, laced with anger.

"I was helping someone."

Her eyes narrow into slits. "You reek of her." she snaps, cutting me off before I can explain.

"I told you, I was helping her. And right now, I don't appreciate your attitude."

She shakes her head, folding her arms tightly across her chest.

"This place is completely messed up. They're holding me here. That Klaus brought me here as a trap. The Wolf Alpha is a complete madman. Someone should have warned me about his eyes. I never would have come. And my mate is... what's the word... a Lycan stuck in the past. I should have taken my chances out there."

"Klaus didn't trap you." I keep my voice calm, though her assumptions irritate me.

"Why are you defending him?" She stares at me, incredulous.

"He offered you safety. Klaus is the most easygoing Wolf I've ever met. He means every word he says."

"Some safety. Is Alpha Dane going to call Alpha Silas?"

"Alpha Silas?"

"The man I'm running from. They're related, right? They look identical."

"Clearly, I've missed something. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Alpha Silas!" She says his name slowly, as if I'm stupid.

"You mentioned Neah being worse than him. That was it."

"Crap." Her cheeks flush red. "It wasn't you I spoke to before. My mistake." She takes a deep breath, ready to explain.

"Damien." Samara's voice comes from behind me. "I found something that fits. The shirt is a bit big, but I tied a knot. Hi, Eris."

"You!" Eris growls. "You knew he's my mate, and now you're here, parading around in his clothes. You bitch!"

She tries to charge past me, jealousy radiating off her.

Her hand slices across my cheek when she can't get through.

"I'm right here, and you choose to sleep with her?" she screeches at me.

I push her back, and she falls hard on her ass. "I told you, I was helping her. What part of that don't you understand?" I stare at her, disbelief washing over me. Her attitude is disgusting. Is this my punishment for nearly killing my own mate?

She jumps to her feet. "I came looking for you for help. I didn't expect to find you with another woman. Is this what you Lycans are like? You don't care about your mates? You just sleep with anyone?"

"Smell the air. Does it smell like we had sex?"

She glares at me for a moment, then reluctantly sniffs the air.

"And even if we had, do you really think you'd still be standing there?"

She frowns. "Then why is she wearing your clothes?"

"I told you. I was helping her. If you hadn't stormed in here with that attitude, I might be helping you too."

"Do you like her?" she demands.

"Right now, I like her a hell of a lot more than I like you."