Free Capturing the Alpha (Shifters of Nunavut Book 1) by Viola Rivard Page B

around his neck. Even the bright sunlight of morning didn’t rouse her, but Zane still treaded carefully to avoid jostling her.
    When they were almost at the den, he nudged her awake. He would have preferred letting her sleep, but he knew there’d be far too much commotion in the den for her not to be startled awake. Rubbing her tired eyes, she slid from his back as Tallow and Breeze approached.
    Zane shifted, wrapping his pelt loosely around himself. He tried to serve Tallow a warning look, but she only had eyes for Ginnifer, a wicked grin curving her lips.
    “Boat troubles?” she asked.
    Ginnifer seemed to hardly notice the other females. Her neck was craned as she peered up at the rocky spire that rose up over the den.
    “There was a whale,” she said absently. “Is Boaz here, too?”
    “He’s resting in Tallow’s room,” Breeze said.
    Zane began trudging forward, and the rest fell into step alongside him. Ginnifer kept close, almost shoulder-to-shoulder with him, and it took some effort not to slip his hand around her waist.
    “Is Coral awake?” he asked, as they neared the towering entrance to the den.
    Tallow guffawed. “Oh, yes. She’s been pacing up and down the tunnels for hours, ever since we came back without you.”
    Even Breeze appeared amused. “Especially once she heard that you were personally escorting a human female—don’t look at us like that, it was all Indigo.”
    “I’m sure neither of you had anything to do with it,” Zane said flatly.
    “Well,” Tallow said, grinning as she plucked at a lock of Ginnifer’s hair, “I may have mentioned how beautiful Ginnifer was.”
    Grimacing, Ginnifer swatted at Tallow’s hand. In a voice that was impressively neutral, she asked, “I take it Coral is your soon-to-be mate?”
    “Yes,” Zane said tightly.
    Breeze inserted herself between them, taking Ginnifer by the hand. “Why don’t you come with me, Ginnifer? I can take you to wash up and get you some clean clothes.”
    Zane shot Breeze an appreciative look. She gave him a quick nod before pulling Ginnifer ahead and into the den. He hadn’t realized he’d stopped until Tallow stepped in front of him, hands on her hips.
    “Breeze may be able to clean her up, but there’s no helping your scent,” she said. “And I doubt Coral’s going to wait until you take a bath.”
    Zane almost said that he didn’t care what Coral thought, but the words stuck in his throat. He did care, not as much as he probably should have, but he did care.

CHAPTER SIX
     
    Ginnifer heard a loud buzzing of activity up ahead, but Breeze guided her away from the central passageway, down a small tunnel that was just wide enough for them to walk side by side.
    “This is a bit of a walk, but it will get us to the lower chambers without going through the main room.”
    Ginnifer took a deep, calming breath before saying, “We didn’t sleep together.”
    As soon as she said it, she wondered if the werewolf would be familiar with the phrase. She didn’t usually deal in euphemisms, but it was already hard enough to say aloud. Still, it needed to be said. Breeze was keeping up a pleasant façade, but her sidelong glances spoke volumes. Somehow, she knew that something had happened.
    “I know,” Breeze said. “But you are covered in his scent. I would be surprised to find that he didn’t mark you somewhere.”
    Was their sense of smell really that good?
    “Mark me?”
    “A bite, or even a scratch. They’re possessive brands,” Breeze explained. “It happens, less often than you’d think, though. Males and females both tend to get overzealous and eager to mark their territory when they find something they really like. It makes their scent hold for longer and serves as a reminder of the claim.”
    While she spoke, Ginnifer’s hand went to her neck. She remembered Zane pressing his fangs to her, almost biting her. Breeze eyed her hand speculatively, and Ginnifer dropped it to her side.
    “He didn’t bite