Free Ties (Running With Alphas Book 6) by Viola Rivard Page B

relentless hammering of his heart.
     
    He had snapped out of one stupor, only to be claimed by another. The scent of her blood seemed to be everywhere. He didn’t know which way to go and all he could think was that his mate was dead.
     
    It had gone on a lot longer than Hale would ever admit. By the time he had finally collected his senses, Taylor had been found. She was wounded, but alive.
     
    Although he knew he wasn’t deserving, Hale wanted nothing more than to take her to his bed and bury himself inside of her until he forgot everything. Her wounds made that impossible, and when they found out that Snow was taken, even resting fallen to the wayside.
     
    Hale had many nieces, all of whom he liked to a certain degree, but he had always held a certain fondness for Snow. It was probably instinct. Although she was Alder’s, she smelled and looked like she could belong to Hale and it was something he had never been able to ignore.
     
    Sometimes, he thought he might love her, as a father loves a daughter. That had proved to be a naïve assumption.
     
    While they had scoured the territory between Halcyon and Whiteriver, Alder had been in a near-frenzy. Hale, too, had wanted nothing more than to find Snow, but for a much different reason: he wanted to go home and be with his mate.
     
    It was selfish, and perhaps even spoke to the fact that he wasn’t ready for fatherhood, but Hale needed to be with Taylor. He needed to smell her, to touch her skin, to hold her warm body close, and to make sure that she knew he was there for her.
     
    When they had finally determined that Whiteriver had taken Snow back to their den, it had been Hale who had convinced Alder to retire for the day. They needed to regroup and come up with a plan of attack, he had told his brother. Alder had reluctantly agreed, but rather than sleeping, he had gathered their weary pack mates into a meeting. Hale hadn’t waited around to add his input. At the first opportunity, he had slipped away to be with his mate.
     
    Tired as he was, he had still wanted to fuck her, maybe even more than before. Fortunately, he was starting to recognize the desire for what it was. A coping mechanism. He let her be and tried to rest. Sleep came with surprising ease, as his wolf seemed to finally be placated by the presence of its mate.
     
    Now, this day had hardly begun and already there was more bullshit than he cared to deal with. He wanted to go back to sleep. Maybe he’d wake up and Whiteriver will have returned Snow, his brother would stop being an asshole, and he’d have an excuse to stay in bed and fuck for a few solid hours.
     
    As if he could be so lucky.
     
    Hale arrived at his chamber and made his way to the pallet of furs. He set Taylor down and moved to the edge of the bedding, using his last match to light a dim lamp. Part of him had hoped that Taylor might wake, but she remained in a placid sleep.
     
    The light illuminated the side of her face where a deep gash had been drawn. The stitches had done little to minimize the shock of it and Hale knew she would never look the same. Her scar would be a constant reminder of this long, shitty day.
 
     

CHAPTER TWO
     
     
    The air smelled of wet earth, decaying leaves, and sweat. Alder navigated the trees briskly, his gait just short of a run. He’d deliberately remained in his human form, as he found it easier to keep his calm when he didn’t have fangs and claws. He was already on the brink.
     
    “You can’t go charging in without a plan,” Holly warned. She flanked his left side, while Laurel flanked his right. They each sported dark circles under their eyes.
     
    Neither female had slept more than a few spare hours since Snow’s abduction. Unlike Hale, who seemed to be taking every opportunity to laze about in his chamber, they actually cared about the safe return of Alder’s daughter. It was because of that, that Alder was able to rein in his temper, issuing only a curt response.
     
    “I