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He lifted her to her feet and made her walk with him.

It embarrassed her. She hadn't been led like this since the time she'd gone running off after her first change and her brother Drustan had come after her. He'd been angry like this wolf, but not half as gentle when he'd led her back to the pack. When they'd returned to human form, he'd lectured her until she was in tears. And for the first time in memory, when she'd gone to her mother for comfort, she'd gotten a scolding instead.

Risking discovery by humans during the hunt was a punishable offense and according to her mother, Susannah was lucky the pack leader had allowed her brother to see to her discipline. If he had handled it, it could have been much worse.

So, she knew the big were leading her away from the humans was doing the right thing. That she had been in the wrong to run in unfamiliar territory like she had was not in question. But she was still mortified by her present Run With the Moon © 2006 Lucy Monroe - 11

situation and because if that, she was angry. She did not want this wolf to see her as a child needing tending.

She was a grown femwolf...in heat.

And he smelled like her mate.

Magnus could smell the beautiful little femwolf's embarrassment and her anger. He looked forward to comforting the first and overcoming the second. Ahh...the lass smelled good. Not just the fragrance of her heat, but the unique perfume that was hers alone. He'd never scented anything so tantalizing. When the others had caught her scent, he'd immediately known he was willing to fight for the right to mate this femwolf. He'd never chased to mate before, but this was
his
femwolf and by the end of the night, his pack and she would know it.

He led her to a clearing where he knew the others would wait. They hadn't run with him when she'd veered toward the humans. She could have been leading them into a trap and it made sense that only one wolf should follow her...if any. He hadn't even paused in his flight.

He'd sensed that she was being guided by her instinct to flee danger. He didn't know what pack she was from, though he had his suspicions.

He could only think of one pack whose females might not realize this was Sinclair hunting ground. Because said Run With the Moon © 2006 Lucy Monroe - 12

females were so carefully guarded. Her presence made little sense, but whatever accounted for it - after tonight, she'd never run alone again.

Sure enough when they reached the clearing, there were four other wolves waiting. The laird's next in command, Kenneth, and two other soldiers. The other wolf was the only other male in his clan besides Magnus that was not primarily a soldier but commanded the respect of the other wolves despite that. That wolf was their clan's healer. It was an unusual role for a male, but the Chrechte had always been different than their human counterparts and recognized that healing arts were as necessary as warriors to a pack's survival. And each clan always had at least one male healer as well as one female.

The Chrechte also understood the need for weapons with which to fight in their human form, which was why they respected Magnus. He was the clan's blacksmith.

The king himself used a sword forged in Magnus's fire.

He felt no fear as he faced the other wolves with his prize. He was not primarily a soldier, but that did not mean he could not fight. He was one of the biggest wolves in the pack and he'd been fighting in wolf form since his first change and he'd faced a challenge from another pack's werewolf when he did what his precious burden had just done.

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He'd run without knowing where he was going and had trespassed another pack's territory. He'd been barely eleven summers when he experienced his first change. A lot smaller than he was now. But he'd still managed to survive that challenge with his life. He hadn't bested the adult werewolf, but he'd given such a good accounting of himself that the wolf had let him go.

They were still friends.

He let go of his soon-to-be mate and barked a command for her to stay put.

She seemed to understand because she snarled and backed up to sit on her haunches. Then she dipped her head, as if embarrassed by her behavior. So, she wasn't usually so mouthy. Good. He was a quiet were himself, though he never backed down from a fight. But the way her lip had curled over her sharp canine teeth was too damned cute and his sex had swelled in instant reaction despite the fight ahead. He bent forward and kissed her again, this time licking her whiskers, her nose and along her mouth.

A sound came from her throat that was not a growl, nor was it another snarl. If he didn't know better he'd think it was a canine purr, but she was too feisty of the moment to consider herself mated...yet. Still, he took that Run With the Moon © 2006 Lucy Monroe - 14

sense of rightness into his heart as he turned to face his challengers.

She's mine!
he barked.

One by one, the other wolves snarled back. All except one. The youngest of the soldiers shook his head and trotted away to take a position that declared him a spectator rather than a participant. He was too young to be taking a mate in Magnus's opinion. A man needed some maturity before he made a good husband and family protector.

However, he know that the wolf backing away now did not mean that if Magnus lost the fight he wouldn't challenge the winner, but he didn't want the little femwolf enough to face Magnus first for her.

Shaking his big wolf's head, he dismissed the retreat and faced the remaining three wolves. Kenneth was the first to step forward. He was about Magnus's age, but a hard man. Magnus could not remember if he'd ever seen the soldier smile. He'd taken the position next in command to the laird when the laird's former second and brother-in-law was killed in battle not so long ago.

Kenneth was a natural choice for the position, but he would make a difficult mate. War, clan and the Chrechte would always come first with him.

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A mate would be someone to bear his children, not someone he would share his daily living with. Magnus, on the other hand, could appreciate a beautiful femwolf just fine.

He faced the wolf. They squared off, both

recognizing the fight to come could end in one of their deaths. If one of the wolves did not give up and concede to the other,
only
death would end the challenge. Magnus knew it would be over his dead body that the other were would possess the sweet smelling femwolf watching them so intently. Kenneth was both hard and stubborn, not the kind to give up either.

The other challengers backed off to give the two werewolves room to fight. Magnus barked at them and indicated the femwolf watching them all with wary eyes.

The soldiers guessed he didn't want her running during the fight and all three, including the one who had backed off from the challenge, surrounded her.

She barked at them when they got too close.

He growled at her. The message should be clear even though he did have the ability to speak in this form.

Stay there
.

Her snout lifted as if she was dismissing him, but she did not move from where she sat on her haunches watching him.

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He barked at the other wolves and they each moved a little distance from her, protecting and watching her, but not so close she her eyes were wide with distress.

Magnus nodded and turned from her, once again squared off with his challenger. He and Kenneth circled each other warily, Magnus concentrating wholly on watching for the first move by his opponent. It came without warning, but he was ready anyway.

The other wolf sprang through the air and Magnus leapt to the side, spinning in almost the same motion to launch his own attack.

He landed against the other wolf and knocked him into a roll. With another opponent that would have been enough to give Magnus the upper hand, at least for a Run With the Moon © 2006 Lucy Monroe - 17

second, but the laird's second was a hell of a fighter. He came up from his roll, jaws open and body tensed to jump.

They met midair, locking onto each other with sharp fore-claws and even sharper teeth. They turned in a circle in the air before landing on the ground with a mighty thump, but neither broke their hold on the other.

Susannah yelped as the fighting wolves landed so hard they shook the ground. What if her wolf was seriously hurt, or killed? Her heated wolf's blood ran cold.

She could not imagine living the rest of her life without that scent surrounding her, giving her comfort.

It did not have to make sense. Her mother had told her it could be that way...especially with sacred bond mates. Her wolf said her mate was strong enough to take all comers. Her human mind filled with terror at the prospect that he wouldn't. Instinctively, she knew he would never back away from the challenge. He would fight for her to death or passing out from loss of blood or pain.

She jumped up and started pacing. The wolves around her snapped, but she ignored them. She wasn't running, she just could not stay still.

The two huge wolves in the center of the clearing were still fighting. She could smell blood and sweat. Fury and determination. Whose blood? She stopped to sniff Run With the Moon © 2006 Lucy Monroe - 18

the air, concentrating. Both of them. Her body trembled.

Please...
Her prayer could go no further as she watched her wolf get pinned. But he refused to show throat.

He did something with his body, twisting and getting away. He ran.

Had she been wrong? Was he abandoning the

challenge? She looked to the left and right. She didn't want these wolves. She would fight them herself before she would lie on her side for one of them.

But her wolf hadn't left. He'd only run far enough to give him momentum as he ran back toward the other wolf, going airborne just before reaching the challenger. He rolled the other wolf again, but this time, he got on top before the other wolf could get up. He snapped lethal canines at the other were in obvious warning.

Show throat or die
.

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The other wolf showed throat.

She could smell the shock coming off of the wolves around her. Apparently the were who had just shown throat was not known for backing down. Magnus backed up and allowed the other wolf to get up. He did not help, but he waited respectfully for the other wolf to stand.

The two huge wolves nodded to each other then turned to face the wolves surrounding her. They both snarled in challenge and she realized the vanquished wolf was now warning the others that while he'd shown throat Run With the Moon © 2006 Lucy Monroe - 20

to her wolf, he stood ready to fight should one of the others beat him.

Fear scented the air and resignation. The other wolves backed up, declining the challenge.

Her wolf pawed the ground in front of the wolf he'd fought. They bowed to each other again and the other wolf turned and ran.

The others followed him.

Her wolf turned to her. He waited. She knew what he wanted. If she refused, would he fight her for the chance to mate her? She would never know because everything inside of her demanded she drop to her forelegs, roll on her back and show belly.

He gave a pleasure filled rumble and swiped his tongue along her exposed belly. Then he barked once and trotted off. She got up and followed him to a small loch.

He dove in the water and after a second's hesitation she did too. She helped him clean his wounds and wash the scent of the fight from his fur.