Taken by the Pack (Werewolf Romantic Erotica) by Soichiro Irons

 
    It didn’t take me long to track her down.
    The female hadn’t been by the tent with the other one; she’d wandered down to the river to clean some water for their breakfast. It was something she had done every day since she’d arrived, so it didn’t surprise me to find her there. She didn’t know that she was being tracked, of course – she would have avoided the river like death had she noticed my gray hide stalking her every move.
    The rustle of leaves in the underbrush to my flank gave away Kelso’s presence before he spoke. “So, this is the one you’ve chosen, Colt?” he growled, the deep-throated tones rumbling like a distant thunderstorm.
    I tried to suppress my sudden shock. He shouldn’t have been able to get so close without me noticing. My obsessive fascination with the girl at the river had left me exposed and vulnerable. I would need to be more careful about that in the future.
    “Perhaps,” I said, growling back in response. I wasn’t afraid of being discovered; human ears weren’t strong enough to hear our conversation. Even if she could, though, we sounded no different than any other animal in the forest. “I’ve been keeping tabs on her, anyways. She seems promising.”
    Kelso grunted. His eyes were neutral as he appraised my target, who was filling the second bucket with water. “She’s attractive, yes. Full-figured and healthy, though a bit too fragile to be a mate. Have you thought it all through yet, or are you only interested in her looks?”
    “Human babies are much larger than our pups,” I argued. “Surely her body would adjust…”
    “I’m not talking about her ability to give birth, Colt.”
    Point taken, I thought bitterly. The woman at the brook was young for her kind, probably in her early-twenties. She had long, straight blonde hair and piercing green eyes. Her ample bosom was covered by the yellow sundress that ran down to her ankles. Only a sun-bleached pair of sandals protected her feet from the rough forest floor.
    She was, by all accounts, gorgeous – but Kelso’s words were undeniable. She was so much more slender than any of the humans that had been snatched by the tribe before. Most of the humans that had been stupid enough to venture into their forest had been the strong, burly hiker-types. Kelso’s own mate was almost as large as he was, and that was saying something.
    “They are adaptable,” I said, craning my head sideways at Kelso. “The mother of our tribe, after all-”
    “I’m not arguing with you, pup,” Kelso growled. His tone was laced with the amusement of an older wolf admonishing a younger one. “You’re more than welcome to choose whichever woman you wish. I only advise that you not make a mistake. The tribe will not look kindly on any inadvertent…accidents.”
    I didn’t know exactly what he meant by that, but I didn’t dare ask. I was already thought of as the puppy in the clan – asking mating questions would only reinforce my own ignorance in their eyes.
    “The tribe will just have to trust my judgment, won’t they?”
    Kelso didn’t answer for a long moment. His pale yellow eyes were trained on my prey, watching her every move as she ran the stream water through the cleaning machine. “She is an attractive one. If you fail to capture her, perhaps I’ll have a go.”
    “You already have a mate. Leave some for the rest of us.”
    Kelso’s muzzle morphed in a crooked sort of grin. “If Boss can have his females and that male slave of his, what harm is there in my taking two females?”
    “This one’s mine. Find your own.”
    Kelso’s eyes flashed with sudden intensity, and my muscles clenched. For a tense moment, I was certain that we’d have some sort of duel right there and then for the chance to mate.
    He reached forward and, in a move so quick that I barely felt it, Kelso nipped my nose with a gentle bite. “Of course she is, Colt. Go fetch and mate with her already. I was only playing with you.”
    I