by LeAnn Mason
The moment I let go, let the fire truly have me, I began to feel myself split at the seams. Ebony was nowhere to be found now, but the growl that emanated from my throat told me she was still very much with me. “Your turn,” I whispered to my new other half as I let my eyes fall closed, my skin splitting to make way for Ebony.
A growl interrupted my last wish. It wasn’t Ebony. Her growl was very much inside my head. This one I definitely heard with my ears. Deep and menacing. A sound I’d never want aimed in my direction. My eyes flew open, expecting to see Seth or another coven wolf gloating at my helpless and soon-to-be-dead body.
I opened my eyes just in time to see the new wolf fly over where I still lay helpless in the dirt to latch on to Colin’s throat. A death hold if I’d ever seen one. The aggressive move made me take a closer look at the new wolf. He was larger than most, a pretty gray with brown points. I knew this animal…
My stalker. The animal who’d tailed me through the woods after my plight. The wolf who’d watched over me as I slept on the damp, leaf-riddled forest floor. The first wolf to make me feel safe and protected. He proved what I’d gleaned from him that night as he came to my rescue: he was a protector.
CHAPTER 12
C olin couldn't transform into his wolf quickly enough to even think about using the animal to save himself as he writhed next to me in the dirt. With his focus no longer on me, his immobility spell lost its effect, and I finally scrambled backward through the leaves.
The gray wolf's attack drove Colin to the ground but didn't make him harmless. He once again resorted to his shadow-whip, the tendril searing across the muzzle of my rescuer, causing the wolf to yelp and loosen his grip. The change in pressure was enough for Colin to gain the upper hand, throwing the animal away from him. The wolf landed neatly and shook out his body, possibly to remove focus from his wound… except there was no wound.
The canine's muzzle was free from any blood or striping, which should have been impossible with the proximity and vehemence of the strike. But there he stood, hackles raised like porcupine quills, legs braced and head lowered to stare down the wispy Warlock. Absolute murder shone from his golden eyes, and blood-tinged saliva dripped from exposed fangs.
Ebony was just as enthralled with the newcomer as I, and she seemed to let go of my body a little bit as her attention shifted. I no longer felt like I was going to be boiled alive like a lobster, my meat wanting to tear through my skin. I panted with relief from the pain even as I winced. My back screamed at me from where I’d taken my own lashes from that magic whip.
Colin wasn’t going to wait to see if the wolf charged. He unfurled the insubstantial inky-black whip, mirroring the wolf's aggressive stance, and lashed out with the reaching tendril. The time since the arrival of the grey wolf couldn't have been more than thirty seconds, but I felt as if it had slowed to a crawl as I lurched forward from my knees in a clumsy attempt to right myself.
“No!” My eyes were so wide that they physically stung. I reached an arm to intercept the whip, my movements slow and disjointed. My body still recovered from whatever it had been going through just moments ago. I was too far away, the wolf's distraction too complete to be of any use. I couldn't stop the impact, and I couldn't look away. Colin's too-bright eyes conveyed the malice that his growl attempted, his hand extending toward the wolf in a smooth, practiced strike. Colin’s own wolf’s spirit pushed against the control that he kept, a ruddy-colored head enveloping the corporeal one. Both sets of lips curled away from their teeth, a mirror of the other’s malice.
The air whooshed from my lungs as the whip connected with a crack that echoed through the trees, causing several birds to take flight with alarmed screeches. I couldn't help my flinch at the sound. I'd been on the receiving end of that lash just minutes ago and knew how badly it hurt. The wolf, though, didn't make a sound. He didn't flinch or fall back an inch. Instead he stalked forward, a menacing growl leaving his lips.
“How is that possible?” Colin bellowed before he struck out again and again. Each time the lash connected with the wolf, its body tensed, but nothing like I expected. The animal almost seemed to absorb the strikes into himself, but I did see some red stripes in his coat, the lash leaving its mark even if the wolf didn’t act like it.
Finally, the ineffective Warlock seemed to realize that his tactic wasn't working and tried another. “Non potent videre!”
The gray wolf suddenly stopped his slow advance, bringing a paw up to rub at his eyes. He shook his head, then whimpered low.
“Foolish beast. I have too many spells for you to defeat me.” Emboldened by the animal’s reaction, Colin stalked forward once again. “I am a Lupo, the perfect pairing of man and wolf. You? You are too much the animal.”
The wolf’s ears pinned forward, aimed directly at the cocky Warlock. Now reassured of the man’s location, he once again began moving forward.
Colin, realizing his blunder, inched backward much like I had at the start of this attempted kidnapping. Maybe in his wolf form, he'd be able to wound the magic-resistant beast, but his second form did not come quickly or without pain. I assumed that was due to the dark nature of the spell, but what did I know?
Colin's only open path was to try and escape, and even that seemed like a far-fetched idea as the wolf's attention didn’t waver. He made sure Colin's eyes were only for him and not me, or the lumbering beast coming up behind Colin with a surprising amount of stealth.
I’d never seen a bear in real life before. It was huge, easily rivaling the size of a small horse, with petite, rounded ears and a nubby tail. The brown bear rose onto its hind legs just a few feet from Colin, his inches-long claws glinting in the filtered sunlight. Another step forward and the bear raked a vicious paw across Colin's exposed back before the Warlock even turned around.
My former assailant cried out, arching his back in pain as blood sprayed the dirt in front of me. Colin fell forward, landing on his knees, barely catching himself by flinging out an arm before he could face-plant into the ground where he was completely defenseless. In his pain, he lost focus. The wolf regained its sight as Colin sent wild arcs of magic into his attackers. The beasts didn't recoil, didn't turn away and flee. They barely made a sound at all when the magic connected. A decision seemed to be made as the bear looked around Colin to the wolf, both lunging in a coordinated effort to end the threat that kneeled before them. The wolf again went for Colin's already-ravaged throat while the bear seemed to grab hold of Colin and prevent any attempts to escape.
A haunting scream escaped Colin when the wolf latched on. As the life drained from his eyes, blood pouring from the tear in his throat, he turned his focus to me. "He'll come for you," the bloodied Warlock gurgled.
I didn’t have time to gasp before his eyes dimmed, the color draining from his skin as his vital fluids pooled on his pants and the dirt around his knees. I couldn’t tear my eyes away as the blood was quickly soaked up by the earth like a rare delicacy. Colin fell forward in a lifeless heap, those dead eyes still looking at me where I stood back away from the carnage.
Now that the initial threat was neutralized, the killer mammals turned their attention, as well as their blood-soaked appendages, to where I stood knock-kneed. Shell-shocked and slow on the uptake, my brain didn't register the danger until they stepped my way. Finally, my brain fired up, shouting a warning to my feet. One word.
Run!
I heeded the alarm. It didn’t matter that they had saved me from a fate worse than death. Logic said that these animals were dangerous and—as witnessed—more than capable of killing. They had taken on an experienced Warlock and won without it seeming like a fight. A girl like me would have no chance. Maybe I’d been wrong. Just because the wolf hadn’t eaten me outright didn’t mean that he protected me. Maybe he played a long game, toyed with his meal.
I ran through some random section of forest with a menace hot on my heels… again. Was there even a point? How had this become my life? I didn’t want to run anymo
re. I wanted to stand my ground. Go down swinging.
I ground to a halt with new cuts and nicks to add to those I’d received on my last wild sprint through these very woods, my cloak whipping to wrap around my legs. Thankfully, I’d already stopped my momentum. Otherwise, I’d have been in trouble, most likely having this standoff at eye level with an animal that could eat off my face with very little effort. Quit the morbid thoughts, Ally! Now was the time to project strength. Bravado. Fake it ‘til you make it was going to be my motto.
I only had a moment to lament the current state of my previously pristine outfit before the wolf skid to a halt opposite me. Ebony was back, and strangely, not worried about the animal. But that wasn’t enough to put my mind at ease. We didn’t know each other well enough for me to just trust her.
I braced, shifting my weight onto my rear foot in case I needed to push back against the animal’s weight. A very valid concern, considering he’d launched himself at Colin’s jugular. Ebony inched closer, her nose in the air.
“Ebony, what—?” But I couldn’t worry about what she was up to. I needed to keep my eyes on the wolf physically in front of me. As I watched—because I couldn’t tear my gaze away—a shimmer overtook the animal. Like a poof of pixie dust or something, a cloud of glittery stuff gave way to a very large, crouched figure. As the body unfurled, I realized it was a man, a very manly male, who seemed to be taller, wider, and so much more sculpted than any I’d ever laid eyes upon.
A prudish squeak escaped when I realized that he was completely bare. As he came to his full height, I skipped my eyes upward to a safe place. I chose his eyes as I dumbly attempted to process what I’d just witnessed. Yes, I’d seen men transform from man to beast and back, but never like that. It had always taken time, effort, and a lot of pain for the coven to transform, or so I’d gathered from the anguished cries and sickening sound of breaking bones.
Hell, the fire igniting my veins before told me I would be no different. But this man, he’d just poofed! Gone from wolf to man. And not just any man. Of course, it would be Jason, the Hunter. With that realization, all my bitchiness seemed to rage to the fore. I threw my hands in the air before stalking toward the seriously suped-up dude, my tongue beginning before I had a chance to filter my words.
“What the hell, Hunter? You couldn’t have told me that you were my sleep buddy? Didn’t think I could handle it? Didn’t want me to know? Whatever. Why are you an ass?” My hands slapped against his chest, feeling the taut muscle only thinly veiled by expansive golden skin, oddly hairless for a guy who turned into a fur-clad animal.
“You’re rubbing me,” he rumbled, the vibration from his words drumming underneath my fingertips, fingertips that still gripped the warm flesh of the confusing man. I pulled my hands away from his skin as if burned, heat rising to my cheeks as mortification set in.
“I, uh, I’m sorry. My hands, they just ran away from me there for a minute.” I laughed nervously, coughing to cover the catch in my throat. “What are you doing out here?” I thought about his timing and asked, “Why are you following me? And what happened to that freaking bear?” With rapid steps, I retreated out of arm’s reach. He was too pretty, and I was afraid that if able, I’d do what I’d fantasized about yesterday and pinch that perfect bum…
The thought had my eyes roving again, only to jerk away when I remembered why they’d done it the first time. With my head turned toward a grouping of thinner trees off to my left, I waved an accusatory hand at Jason. “Why are you naked?” I really hated blushing. I did it way too much around this guy.
“Shifting destroys clothes. I have a spare set around here somewhere, but what can I say? I didn’t want to take the time to take off my pants when I saw the position you were in with… that guy.” His voice was gravel. At least now he covered his junk. That was one… thing that wouldn't distract me.
Except that my eyes kept drifting south…
“And as for the bear, he is relaying the situation to our superiors. Why were you outside the wards?” he shot back, apparently equally frustrated with me.
“Are you seriously going to blame me for what just happened?” The nerve! “And what are you doing, Ebony?” I stamped my foot at the errant animal who circled this giant, infuriating man like she wanted to rub all over him. What was that about?
“Who's Ebony?” the giant puzzled, looking around as if he'd missed something. His nakedness made any attempt at conversation infinitely more difficult. That needed to change.
“Put on some clothes, damn it! I can't think with all of… this going on!” I fluttered my hands to encompass, well, all of him. Looking above his head was safe, so that's where I focused. A bright blue bird curiously sat on a branch and watched our bickering.
“Now that we're back on Grimm Hollow territory, I can leave you alone if you promise not to move from this spot. I don't trust you not to get yourself killed,” he muttered the last bit under his breath as he moved silently through the trees and out of sight. “I'll be back,” carried back to me on the wind even though Jason had moved away.
CHAPTER 13
I thought about moving just to spite the asshat but decided against any rash decisions at this point in my day. I'd leave the shenanigans to when I knew my way around better. Wait. Didn't I want to leave Grimm Hollow? Why was my mind making plans for anything involving this place and the future?
Ebony was back at my side now that Hunter had moved away. Funny, I still thought of him as “Hunter.” I felt like it suited him. A Hunter in every important sense of the word, which was most likely what earned him the moniker, assuming anyone else actually called him that. I hadn't heard anyone else use it yet…
My musings were interrupted when Jason reemerged, thankfully clad in a worn pair of khakis that hung low on his hips, low enough to expose the lines of his V. Drool. He'd been utterly silent in his approach, and had Ebony not tuned in to his location, I'd have been none the wiser until the man was already upon me. You're going to die if you don't wise up, Al.
“You need to get back to town. The woods are no place for a newbie to be wandering around, especially when you're completely oblivious,” he admonished, hands to hips.
“I'm only oblivious because no one has shown me around!” I shot back. Man, this dude had an uncanny knack for pissing me off. Something about him just dove in and grabbed my inner bitch. Ebony cocked an ear at me as if she knew exactly what I thought… and understood.
I raised an eyebrow at her, sidetracked. Could she understand me? Hear my thoughts? I guessed it would make sense if we were to ever be in tune. Maybe it was more of an emotional threshold? She could feel what I did, what I wanted? I had no idea, and it was definitely not the time to dwell.
“And who is Ebony? There have been multiple times now that you’ve seemed to be talking to, or looking for, someone.” He made a show of looking around, arms outstretched to illustrate just how alone we were. A condescending smirk plastered his face as he brought his more-sexy-than-I-wanted-to-admit torso back around to face me, and just like that, the ire returned to my blood.
“Shut up. I guess I need to head back to town. Figure out my next move. Lead the way, oh-wolfie-man," I said sweetly, bowing deep and sweeping my arm in an “after you” motion. He didn’t move.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Do you need my help?” He blinked innocently, a hand pointing to his glorious chest. My mouth wanted to water—it tried to—but I snapped my teeth together and clenched. Resisting the urge was paramount. I could not give this guy the satisfaction.
“Whatever. I don’t know what your problem with me is, but I’m over it. I’ll find my own way back. Thanks for your assistance with Colin,” I fired as I turned and stomped back toward the direction I’d been headed, hoping like hell it was the right way back. I was done asking him for help, though. He may have protected me, but he made sure that I knew he didn’t want to.
“You’ll only get lost again. Then the Sentinels will need to kill another Warlock.” He said it
so matter-of-factly, like a foregone conclusion that I would be on the verge of death if out of his sight for even a moment.
“I’ll find a way to protect myself. I won’t be a burden anymore,” I mumbled, pushing through the undergrowth and hopefully back toward the stream. I knew I could follow the water to the town. “You may be rid of me soon, wolf-boy,” I barked between breaths. My anger and the constant pushing of foliage wore me out. Not to mention the pain in my back from the magic lashes. It’d been a long, what? Hour?
A tug at my cloak had me growling as I reached back to disentangle myself from whatever limb I’d caught myself on this time. I wanted to own the thing, to rock the look of the badass chick in the scarlet cloak, but damn it, the thing was a liability. Jason’s masculine chuckle met my ears just as my hand slapped at his bunched fingers. It hadn’t been sticks that had caught me. I had been once again stopped by a wolf.
“What did you mean about being rid of you?” He almost sounded concerned, but that couldn’t be right.
I puffed out my chest and straightened my spine. I knew my five-foot-eight frame was no match for his. He was well over six feet and completely dwarfed me, but I wanted as much presence as I could muster to stare up at those bright hazel eyes. The little crinkle between his brows something I didn’t even think he realized was there. It made him look worried, which I knew had to be a mistake. This man did not care one whit about me.
“I’ll most likely be moving on. I need to find my place in this world. And so far, this isn’t much better than where I just came from. Yeah, the clothes and the food may be better, but I’m not wanting to be in anyone’s debt, either. Who knows what they’ll ask for?”
