Filed to story: Mated and Hated by My Brother’s Best Friend Book PDF Free by Anna Campbell
Oh.
He wasn’t remembering my flexibility from childhood. He was remembering it at a completely different time.
Heat rushed to my cheeks as I quickly cleared my throat.
“We should get to the cave. It’s almost dark.”
Nate blinked, his grip tightening slightly on my leg before he finally nodded.
“Can I carry you?”
I huffed. “I’d rather not. You can hold my waist and I’ll hop on one foot.”
“Jiselle.” He shot me a flat look. “That’s ridiculous. I’ll move faster carrying you, trust me.”
“Fine. Just… wrap my ankle first,” I sighed.
I dug an extra shirt from my bag and handed it to him. He wordlessly took it, his fingers brushing over mine for just a second too long.
The air grew thick.
He worked quickly, but the moment he tied the last knot, his hands didn’t move.
Slowly, his palms slid up my legs, his arms bracketing me against the boulder.
I sucked in a breath as the space between us vanished.
His chest brushed against mine, his nose almost grazing my check as he dipped his head to the crook of my neck. His breath was hot against my skin, causing me to fight to hold back a shiver.
He was scenting me. For his wolf, maybe, but it did something to me-more than I wanted to acknowledge or admit.
Blue eyes met mine with an intensity that I didn’t dare match, and the need in them was as plain as day, even as the night came in. I could feel the warmth of his breath against my nose, and the uneven rise and fall of his chest against min
No doubt my entire being mirrored his, but….
If he kissed me, I wasn’t sure I would stop him.
WENENGA
And maybe he knew that.
I tilted my chin, staring him down, my voice barely a whisper.
“If you kiss me, Nate… that’s it. You have to go all the way. You have to claim me. You have to tell Ethan the truth.”
He exhaled sharply, like he was in physical pain.
Then, finally, he pulled away-only an inch, but I noticed. He squeezed his eyes shut.
“I can’t,” he murmured and I shattered. So much for never letting him hurt me again.
Something inside me snapped. Anger roared through my veins.
“Then don’t kiss me, Nathaniel!” I shoved him back, pushing past him. “I can walk on my own.”
I stormed ahead, ignoring the ache in my ankle and the ache in my chest.
Then, the bushes rustled.
And then they appeared.
Two men stepped into the clearing, their eyes gleaming with hunger and murderous intent.
*Jiselle*
The moment I locked eyes with them, I knew they weren’t here to negotiate.
One was massive, and I recognized him easily as a fourth-year, his biceps straining against his training gear. The other was smaller, wiry but quick-looking, maybe a second-year. They eyed me like I was prey, their gazes flickering from my face to the claw gripped tightly in my palm.
I swallowed, gripping it harder. They wanted it.
Behind me, a low, warning growl rumbled through the air from Nate, and for some stupid reason, a bit of my apprehension lifted at the reminder that he was here.
As if I needed a protector.
He stepped beside me, his body brushing mine briefly before he gently nudged me back. Protective. Possessive. I allowed it.
The two wolves hesitated for a fraction of a second, eyes widening. They knew him. Of course they did. Everyone did from what I’ve realized.
Then, the bulky one scoffed and smirked. “I hardly see how that’s fair. You both have claws.” His voice was gravelly, deep. “Just give us one, and we’ll be on our way.”
Nate laughed. A sharp, humorless sound. A shiver ran down my spine at the sound of it. His amusement was laced with something else-a promise..
He tilted his head. “You know the rules. You want a claw? You find one or fight for one.” He cracked his knuckles. “Now, you either leave now or fight me. I don’t have time to waste.”
The smaller wolf shifted uneasily. “You know I’m just an Enhanced. I can’t take Nathaniel freaking Morningstar.”
J didn’t have time to register what he meant before Nate snorted, and the bulkier one turned to him, sneering.
“We don’t walk away from a fight.” His eyes flicked to me. “You take the skimpy twin girl, I’ll take Morningstar.”
The smaller one smirked and his eyes flickered in what seemed like relief-perhaps for thinking he would fight me and not Nate. His gaze raked over me with something else apart from malice, and my throat bittered. Nate noticed too it seemed, as he completely blocked me with his body.
Nate clicked his tongue, exhaling sharply.
“No one is fighting her.” His voice was deadly calm. “You both fight me.”
I bristled. “I can-“
“No.” His command cut through me like a blade. He didn’t even look at me. “Stay behind me, Jiselle.”
His voice left no room for argument.
The two wolves exchanged glances before the taller one said, “Fine. Two against one. We can take him.”
They had no idea what they were getting into, and Nate’s chuckle proved that even more. Idiots.
The moment they lunged, Nate moved.
I had seen him fight before. In the ring, he was ruthless, calculated. But this? This was something else entirely.
He ducked under the first punch so fast the bulky wolf’s knuckles barely grazed his hair. Nate twisted, slamming an elbow into his ribs with such force that I swore I heard something crack.
The smaller one barely had time to react before Nate spun on his heel and drove a boot straight into his gut. The impact lifted him off the ground.
They stumbled, coughing, but Nate didn’t give them a second to recover. He was relentless. simply blinked.
He was faster than I thought possible as he dodged, struck, twisted, and hit with pinpoint precision.
The sheer speed, strength, and control he had over his body was almost… unnatural.
I knew he was good. But this? This was something else.
From the corner of my e, I spotted movement and grew alert, until I blew out a
Sau breath of relief as I finally who it was.
Eva and her partner were a few yards away, seeming to have been passing by when they heard the fight. She caught my gaze, her eyes widening in concern as she took in what was happening. She moved like she was going to intervene.
I shook my head quickly. As Instructor Bastain clearly indicated, interfering, helping or aiding another team meant…, consequences. Just as showing up without a claw at sunrise. I didn’t want to test/what those consequences entailed, and I sure as hell didn’ t want Eva facing them for trying to help me.
She hesitated, looking torn. But I noticed something else-they didn’t have a claw.
The sun had completely set. Things were about to get messy. Claws were about to become even scarcer and harder to spot and reach.
I looked at the second claw in my hand-the one Nate had handed me before the fight began.
The rule said we couldn’t help other teams.
But it never said anything about misplacing a claw, right?
I closed my eyes, spun a few times, knowing I looked ridiculous, and then hurled it, not knowing what direction it went.
When I opened my eyes, Eva looked confused. I waved the second claw I still held, and hoped that wasn’t considered helping.
I misplaced it and they found it. No one could prove otherwise.
Her lips parted slightly before she grinned, and her partner retrieved the claw, having the gall to look like she had just been cheated out of something. What? Death?
The moment was short-lived.
A vicious growl ripped through the air.
I whipped my head around just in time to see the bulkier guy latch onto Nate’s neck. I wasn’t trying to be cocky or biased, but I had a feeling that if Nate wanted to end this, he would have a long time ago. He didn’t want to actually hurt them too much. He probably just wanted to tire them out so we could leave.
But the bulky guy grinned in victory as he pointed my way.
“Go get the girl!”
The smaller wolf charged me.
I threw up my arms, bracing for impact. But he was fast-too fast.
His foot swept under my legs, and I hit the ground hard.
Pain exploded in my skull as my head hit the dirt. My vision doubled.
Then, he was on top of me, pressing his forearm against my throat, crushing my windpipe.
I struggled, clawing at his arms, but he was stronger. He was winning. He reached for the claw still clutched in my hand, but I refused to let it go, which only resulted in him crushing my neck even harder.
I saw doubles and black dots as I gasped for air. The sickening bastard even had the audacity to be grinding himself against me. I almost puked.
From my tilted view, I saw Nate standing over the bulkier wolf, his boot pressing against his throat.
Then, with a sickening crack, he snapped his neck.
The smaller wolf above me faltered, his grip loosening for a fraction of a second. It was all I needed to fill my lungs with air again.
“Get… off me!” I managed through a gurgle as something inside of me surged.
His eyes widened only a fraction, and his hand moved completely from my neck, his knees bending as if he was actually doing as I said, which was both confusing and terrifying. But a growl caught our attention, and I swung my blurry gaze across the clearing, seeing that Nate had finally noticed the position I was in.
Then he disappeared.
One second, he was across the clearing. The next, a breeze and a shadow, and he was right in front of me.
How the hell did he move that fast?
Nate ripped the second wolf off me as if he weighed nothing. A second later, another sickening crack echoed through the night.
Silence.
Nate knelt in front of me, his hands on my face, his thumbs tracing over my cheekbones.
“Are you okay?” His voice was low, strained. Desperate.
Everything was ringing. I could barely see. But I could feel him. His warmth. His breath. His hands shaking.
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