The Alpha and The Vigilante novel Chapter 52

I nodded. It was much nicer, a completely black fur that was much thicker than the last one. It's nice, I muttered appreciatively.

His eyes brightened at the compliment, and he looked pleased by my appreciation of the quality. "Well you were, um, indisposed, I went hunting and came across a large black bear. The biggest one I've ever seen, actually."

I nodded again. The fur truly was extremely high quality. I was sure that it was worth a lot. Not many wolves have the fortitude to kill such a large bear. Judging by the size of the pelt, I estimated that it had to have been around a thousand pounds.

Alpha Cain carried me through the hospital, nodding at a man in a white coat as we left. The doctor showed him his neck in submission. Now, I understood why his pack members did that when he walked by. He was truly dominating, born to be an Alpha.

As he stepped outside, I was extremely grateful for the pelt, as the air was freezing. I even noticed that there were small patches of snow scattered throughout his land as we walked to the pack house.

"It's nearly winter, little mate. Have you ever been in a land so cold?" He nuzzled into my neck, and I appreciated the extra warmth. His skin always running a little hot came in handy in this wintery land.

I shook my head no. Even though my old pack wasn't necessarily in a warmer climate, it only very rarely snowed. I wondered how much colder it would get when it was actually winter. Is that why you let your hair and beard grow? I asked.

He smiled against my neck, his beard slightly tickling my skin. "Very good observation, mate. Blood Lake male and female bodies change in preparation for winter, a gift from the Moon Goddess. The males' facial and head hair grow thicker and longer, and they also bulk up in muscle easier." It was true. His dark, curly hair hung nearly past his shoulders; his beard was thick; and, now that he mentioned it, I could tell that he had put on even more muscle, which I would have thought was impossible, considering his mountainous stature not during wintertime.

Unintentionally, I let out a purr, curtesy of my wolf, in appreciation for her large mate, and reached out to trace his large chest. Though it was very primal, she was incredibly attracted to how built he was, knowing that it meant he was suitable protection for her and potential pups.

At the sound of my purr, Alpha Cain made a guttural noise in the back of his throat. "I'm warning you now, little mate. If you make that sound again, intentional or not, I won't be able to hold my wolf back from sinking his teeth into you again. He has become rather fond of it, in fact. He is much less civilized than I."

I ignored the desire I felt from him through the mate bond. He lightly rubbed the cream on my back, careful not to push too hard. He was right. It was incredibly cooling, and took the heat right out of the tender flesh. I wondered what the scars would look like when it healed. They no doubt would be extremely prominent.

He finished, and put one of his oversized shirts on top of me when the ointment dried. "Rest, mate. I imagine you'll have quite the adventurous day tomorrow, experimenting with your recent liberation. I have pack matters to attend to, but Delta Carter and another wolf will escort you around the territory, wherever you'd like to go."

I grinned happily, already imagining the kinds of trouble I was sure to get into tomorrow.

Huge thank you to reader @jross03 for the support throughout the story. You were one of the first to comment, and you consistently support the story by liking and commenting on nearly every chapter.