Marked (Pacific Northwest Shifters #3) - Reese Knightley Page 0,2

about the mages. Perhaps Rafe and Anton, the remaining Alpha leaders, had taken care of that in his absence. With the loss of Franklin, the leader of the East, their leadership was forever changed. Even though Franklin had betrayed Cage to the hunters, his leadership prior to then had been a huge part of the wolf shifters’ success.

With the onset of war between the hunter / mages and shifters / warlocks, the shifter leadership didn’t have time to elect another leader for the East. Getting word out worldwide was another thing that needed to happen, and he hoped like hell that both Rafe and Anton had done that as well. Word traveled fast in the shifter world.

Shoving away his worry, he made his way deeper into the wooded area of northern Utah and built a fire. His stomach growled at the smell of cooking fish and when it was ready, he tore off chunks, eating with his hands.

He hoped like hell Range had taken the pack north and headed for Cage and not come after him. His enforcer could be hardheaded, but he thought he had gotten his point across.

The Alpha leaders and Cage were probably going crazy with worry about him. Hopefully, Range could ease their minds.

And Alister?

He studied the fish in his fingers and plucked out a piece of bone before taking another bite.

He’d met the warlock five years earlier, and from the start, desire had sizzled between them.

Alister…sweet hell. He hadn’t seen the man in over a year. And twelve months hadn’t made one damn bit of difference. When Alister showed up with Cage and Jace, Jonas felt his blood boil and it wasn’t with anger. Want and need had raced to the surface at the first glimpse of the sexy warlock. His cock had turned to granite, and his wolf had gone fucking crazy.

Not that he’d shown any of that to the others, but he knew Alister had sensed it. The fucker was pure sex on legs, all smooth and intense with a smug attitude that made Jonas want to kiss the look right off his face.

He sighed. They were so very different. Not only were they from different races, but a shifter and warlock had never been together to his knowledge.

Look what fucking happened with Cage and Jace. The hunters had started a war when they’d mated. Jonas could only imagine what Grand Wizard Pethious would think if he and Alister were to make a go of it.

Stop thinking crazy.

Snorting, he flicked the skin of the salmon into the dirt and took several more bites. It really wasn’t enough for his size, but it would need to do for now.

Putting out the fire, he stretched out on a bed of leaves and tossed and turned to get comfortable.

After a while, he shifted into wolf form and sprawled out in a way only a wolf could. He dozed, keeping one ear tuned for danger.

The stopping of the crickets was his first clue he wasn’t alone.

His nose twitched.

His ear perked, and then his eyes popped open.

Hands roamed through his fur and he groaned. It came out more like a growl, but he couldn’t help it.

“Is that an annoyed sound or are you happy to see me?”

Alister’s deep, honeyed voice coursed over him and Jonas shifted into human form beneath the man’s hands. Alister’s face was perfection, he had the most incredible green eyes Jonas had ever seen.

Resting on his side, he looked back over his shoulder, roaming his gaze hungrily over the warlock. The first time he’d laid eyes on Alister at one of the yearly summits came rushing back and his body heated.

Panting, he turned completely onto his back, his cock thrusting proudly just as Alister’s hand closed around it. He arched and gripped the man’s shoulders.

Dragging him close, Jonas brushed his mouth against Alister’s lips and then bit at them until the warlock’s lips parted and Jonas plunged his tongue inside. Alister gripped him in one hand and sank his fingers into the hair on his head with the other. The warlock clenched his fist around his cock, bringing a gasp that was swallowed by Alister’s mouth. The kiss went on way past their need for air until he yanked his head away.

“Oh fuck,” he growled, thrusting into Alister’s hand for a few more seconds before he jerked upright and shoved Alister to the ground beneath him.

Yanking at the warlock’s clothes, he found instead of dirt and rocks beneath his bare knees, softness. They were