Wolf Marked (Magic Side: Wolf Bound Book 1)

by Veronica Douglas

  “I’m not a LaSalle,” I said. “I’m a Caine. And I don’t want anything to do with whatever feud you’ve got going. I assure you, I want nothing more than to get the hell out of here.”

  The sooner we tracked down whoever was hunting me, the sooner I could put these werewolves and their bullshit behind me.

  The man slid off his seat and stepped up to me, towering over my head. His signature stormed around me. He was extremely powerful, reeked of vodka, and spoke with unstrained venom. “Blood is blood. You’re a LaSalle, whether you like it or not. Consider this your warning, little witch. Next time, there won’t be one.” With that, he marched to the door and left.

  I bared my teeth as he walked away—which was ridiculous, because I didn’t have fangs—but it felt right. Tears of frustration threatened to creep out, so I clenched my fists.

  What, exactly, had I done to be treated like this? To have drunks getting in my face and threatening me? I wasn’t part of whatever shitty history they were caught up in, just collateral damage.

  A glass of ice water slid across the granite bar top toward me, and I turned back. Sam had a sad expression on her face, but her voice had warmed a little. “Not many people stand up to Billy.”

  “He seems like a real jerk.”

  “He has good reasons for hating your family, but he won’t cause you any trouble. Not with Jaxson as the alpha. He won’t let any harm come to you.”

  The other werewolves in the bar turned away, as if even the sound of Jaxson’s name could make them submit. There was so much I didn’t understand about him or his position as the alpha. He held sway over his pack even when he wasn’t around.

  I considered the power he seemed to hold over me and shivered.

  Every time I was around him, my mind fogged. He frustrated me to no end, and a part of me yearned to rage against him. But there was always a subversive undercurrent flowing through my thoughts, the desire to submit, to please, to obey. And when he was close, it was like I wanted to submit with my whole body. Judging from the heat between us, I was fairly certain he’d be amazing in the bedroom. God, why was I thinking about that?

  Sam grinned widely and stacked several glasses that were still damp from the dishwasher.

  “Is something funny?” I took a sip of the drink she’d given me.

  “Oh, nothing. Just wondering how your thoughts went from Billy—the scariest wolf in our pack—to sex with Jaxson.”

  28

  Savannah

  I choked, and water sprayed from my mouth. I leaned forward, my cheeks burning like a Roman candle. She knew I was thinking about Jaxson? Sexually? “How…?”

  Sam shook her head. “Honey, I’m a wolf. I can smell emotions. And FYI, arousal on you smells like a rare steak to a male wolf.”

  She winked at me, and I gasped, covering my mouth. “No, no, no.”

  One of the wolves who’d been setting up the stage for tonight appeared at the end of the bar. His eyes burned yellow, and he waggled his eyebrows at me. I planted my elbows on the bar and dropped my head into my hands, dying a little inside.

  Jaxson, you son of a bitch.

  That would have been good to know from the start. Possibly a good lesson number one about werewolves. Had he known every time I was angry or scared or turned on? I recalled the other night when he’d chased me down the alley. I’d been so frightened I’d nearly pissed myself, but something about having him close had lit a fire in me. Had I smelled like a rare steak to him then?

  I wanted to crawl under the bar and die.

  Sam’s eyes sparkled. The goddamned wolves could probably all smell my humiliation, too, for all I knew. She certainly seemed to be in a better mood.

  “Don’t be too embarrassed. We’re used to sensing emotions. It’s how we communicate. While scenting feelings might seem odd to you, it’s second nature to us and not surprising. Plus”— she handed me a napkin—“most women feel what you feel toward Jaxson, so we’re used to it.”

  “I don’t have feelings for Jaxson. He’s good to look at, that’s all.”

  Sure, he was gorgeous, powerful, and probably a good lay. But he was also a domineering monster who’d casually murdered a man—werewolf—in front of me the night before.

  Then again, I’d killed a werewolf, too. Jaxson was just protecting me.

  A perverse part of me found that pretty hot.

  I rubbed my temples and whispered, “Is there a way I can mask it?”

  Sam lowered her head and looked me straight in the eyes. “To mask when you’re horny for Jaxson?”

  My face turned as red as my hair, and I hissed, “Yes, but for God’s sake, don’t say that shit out loud!”

  “Maybe you could try to control your reactions?” She shrugged and began scooping ice into a large bucket. “Then again, as the alpha, Jaxson has the keenest senses of us all. He’ll know when a steak is on the grill. P.S., we also hear really well, so whispering in here isn’t actually going to do you any good. Jaxson can probably hear everything going on in the whole building.”

  He’d heard all of that.

  I dropped my head to the bar as my dignity died, and Sam gave my hair a soft, affectionate pat. She had to be loving this, and she actually started humming. Apparently, the best apology I could have offered was handing over my dignity like a dead, stinking rabbit.

  Essentially, I was screwed when it came to hiding anything from Jaxson. Maybe Casey had something that could help with masking emotions.

  Sam put her elbows on the bar and leaned close. “Jaxson wasn’t going to hurt you, you know? His wolf was trying to protect you. To meet you.”

  What the hell did that mean? I gave her a skeptical glare. “Right. He was just saying hello with his teeth bared and snarling.”

  She shook her head. “Actually, he was sniffing you, but then you challenged his wolf by threatening him. Pro tip: don’t challenge a wolf, let alone an alpha like Jaxson. It usually ends badly. When we’re in wolf form, our wolves are in the driver’s seat, so to speak, and can be unpredictable. You’re lucky Jaxson was able to get control of his wolf after you sprayed him.”

  What the fuck? I was lucky? What would have happened if he hadn’t gotten control of his wolf? A cold, creeping terror worked its way beneath my skin.

  “Good to know.” I took another sip of water with a shaky hand. “But I wasn’t challenging him. I was protecting myself.”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “You were aiming wolfsbane at the man. That shit is bad, but for Jaxson, it’s worse.”

  “Why worse?” He’d deserved what he’d gotten for wolfing out on me like that, but I couldn’t help but feel a little remorse. If that stuff had stung my skin, I couldn’t imagine what it was like for them.

  “It’s how his sister died.” Sam looked down and started stocking bottles in the cooler. I could practically smell the emotions coming off her.

  Guilt hit me like a ten-pound brick. No wonder Jaxson had been growling at me. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. Really, I didn’t even know what was in the canister.”

  “You’ll have to tell him that.” She headed to the side of the bar and lifted a full beer keg onto her shoulder like it was no heavier than a boombox, then nodded to a door at the back. “No time like the present.”

  The door had a Do Not Enter sign, which seemed particularly ominous in light of what I’d just learned. I forced myself to stand and slowly walk toward the door of doom, my cheeks still burning with a thousand emotions.

  “Down the hall. Second door on the left,” Sam suggested cheerfully as I pushed on through.

  I knocked on the heavy wooden door to his office.

  “Come in.”

  I opened the door and ventured inside. Jaxson was waiting with crossed arms and leaning against his large oak desk. Rather than a business suit, he wore jeans, biker boots, and a black T-shirt that showed off his rippling biceps.

  Incredibly hunky.

  He was framed by a large painting hanging on the wall, which depicted
the moon rising over a still, forest-ringed lake.

  I froze as Jaxson closed the door and stepped up behind me. Heat poured off him and mixed with my own. Shivers raked my skin, and I drew in an unsteady breath.

  Calm yourself, Savannah. He knows what you’re thinking.

  He slowly circled me, his pupils dilated as he inspected every inch of me—a predator stalking his prey. Jaxson’s power pressed against me, and his signature filled my senses. But there was something more than magic. Heat. Desire. An unseen force that drew me toward him like a magnet to its opposite pole.

  I couldn’t ignore the chemistry between us. Just being near him made the rivers of my body meet.

  He had to know.

  Did he enjoy his effect on me, or did I disgust him? His pack hated me and my family, and I had a sneaking suspicion they probably had many reasons to.

  Finally, I couldn’t take the awkward silence anymore, or his attention boring into me. “I’m sorry I sprayed you with wolfsbane yesterday,” I blurted. “I was terrified, and I didn’t know what was in the bottle.”

  His eyes blazed. “Wolfsbane is a chemical manufactured specifically to hurt our kind. Never use it again.”

  I shook my head. “I’m really sorry about everything. The wolfsbane, your sister, the fair. Everything.”

  He tensed. “We’re not going to talk about my sister.”

  Obviously, that was the wrong thing to say. I looked at the ground. “Look, I’m not great at apologizing, and I’m not familiar with the rules here or your history with the LaSalles. But I’m here, and I want to help. So can we get past what happened last night?”

  He narrowed his eyes and stepped closer so that I had to look up to meet his gaze. “I appreciate that, but you’ll have to work for the pack’s forgiveness before you get mine.”

  “Fine.” I never backed down from a challenge.

  The air vibrated between us for just a moment before he stepped away. “I’m sorry I scared you. Our meet shouldn’t have happened like that. I shifted so I could protect you, but then my wolf took over and demanded to meet you.”

  Meet me? Sam had said the same thing. An unsettling fear crept into my chest. “Do you understand how creepy and weird that sounds? Is your wolf different than you? Like, is it something that lives in you, or a split personality?”

  There was so much I didn’t know about werewolves—about any of this world, for that matter. I was so in over my head, it was scary.

  “We don’t really talk about it with outsiders. Suffice it to say we’re two sides of the same coin. When I’m in wolf form, I think differently, and different aspects of my personality are heightened. We’re one, but it’s easier to talk about that part of me as my wolf. We all speak that way.”

  Sam had talked about his wolf being in control when he’d shifted, but what did that even mean? “Why would your wolf want to meet me? You’ve already met me.”

  “Its senses are stronger than mine, and scenting you would yield deep insights into what you are, your character, and what you need. That would be enough, but my wolf is also drawn to you, for some reason—it’s intrigued. Always has been.” Jaxson’s voice was low, almost a growl. Was that his wolf talking to me?

  Something tugged in my breast, and heat began to pool in my center. My skin flushed, and I could suddenly feel every movement of my clothing across my skin. I had the overwhelming urge to sweep my hands over Jaxson’s strong chest. What the hell was happening to me?

  I took an uncertain step forward, and Jaxson’s expression hardened. Anger? Distrust? But also something else—desire.

  His heightened signature made me lightheaded, and I faltered a little. He stepped closer so that he was just a breath away, like we’d stood in the alley two nights before. Then, I’d been trembling, too scared to run, but now I wanted to be trapped between him and the wall.

  Why was he looking at me like he wanted to taste me?

  Everything about this was wrong.

  I tore my gaze from his and slipped around him, suddenly desperate to get control of the situation. Stopping in front of the couch, I hugged myself. “Look, I know you have heightened senses and can read my emotions. Don’t make assumptions. I don’t understand these feelings I have around you, and I’m not comfortable with them. So please give me a little space, no matter how intrigued you…or your wolf…are.”

  Jaxson tensed, and the honey color left his eyes. He regarded me for a long moment. “I can respect that.”

  My heartbeat slowed, returning to normal. “We want the same thing—to track down those bastards—and that’s why I’m agreeing to work with you. This is a business arrangement and nothing more. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, I understand.”

  “And one more thing, Jaxson. I appreciate your wolf saving me, but don’t you ever let him try to sniff me or meet me without my permission.”

  That was definitely on my list as one of the weirdest requests I’d ever had to ask a man before.

  His jaw twitched, and something flashed in his eyes, but he nodded.

  “Good. Now that that’s settled, what’s the plan?” I asked, feeling a modicum of control return.

  “You need to learn how to get away the next time you get jumped.” He grabbed a set of keys from his desk and opened the door.

  I set my jaw as heat rushed to my face. “I’d say I handled myself pretty well, all things considered.”

  “You got lucky. There’s a difference. You’re too weak to fight wolves and demons, and too slow to run away. We need to fix that.”

  My neck hair bristled as I stepped into the hall. Weak? Slow? I’d always prided myself on being able to hold my own.

  Maybe I should have blasted Jaxson with more wolfsbane.

  29

  Jaxson

  We left Eclipse through the back. My rental truck was parked in the alley, and I didn’t want Regina or Billy or Sam wondering where we were going. My inner circle had been asking too many questions lately, and it was getting to the point that I would have to shut them down.

  It was better to be discreet. Tensions throughout the pack were high, and parading around with the LaSalle woman wasn’t helping matters.

  Savannah was a crucial asset. She could scry, she could draw, and there was a possibility I could exploit her connections with her family. She’d already procured a scrying potion, after all. But she was also in far more danger than I’d originally thought and become a major liability. It was on me to rectify that.

  I probably couldn’t teach her to fight well enough to save her life, but I could help her run. A pair of enchanted boots would give her the speed she needed to get away.

  Savannah climbed into the front seat. My gaze gravitated downward, and I couldn’t help but notice her legs in those high-cut shorts. She had legs for days and was fast for a human. The boots I had in mind would enhance her natural abilities—heck, she might even be able to keep up with me.

  I wanted to chase her. To hunt her.

  Something about that image sent heat through me, and I scowled. To her, I was a monster, no different than the demon we’d killed. She wouldn’t understand the chase.

  Savannah was scrutinizing me closely, mildly annoyed. “Listen, if you’re too busy to take me wherever it is we’re going, don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine. I’ve handled myself well enough so far.”

  “You can’t count on luck,” I replied, putting the truck in gear. “This trip won’t take long.”

  She huffed, and I sensed her disbelief as I pulled onto the main street that fronted Eclipse. Sometimes, she was intolerable.

  As we passed my auto body shop, a slight smile tugged at her lips, and I suspected she was pleased with herself after her raid the other night.

  For all her protests, she liked to play games, too.

  My wolf liked that.

  Savannah glanced at the signposts as we drove through the intersection. “So, the LaSalles are forbidden from entering your territory. Where, exactly, does your pa
ck land begin?”

  “Now you’re interested in where you should and shouldn’t go? Good. We generally claim everything up to 73rd. After that, you’re in the Indies and on your own.”

  “Great. Just trying to figure out where I don’t belong.”

  I looked over. “Billy got under your skin after all, huh?”

  She shrugged.

  “You handled yourself well. He has good reasons for hating your family, as Sam mentioned, but he’ll keep his claws in check.”

  Savannah’s cheeks flushed red, and she averted her eyes.

  I grinned. If she’d had any doubts that I’d overheard everything in the bar, those were now gone. The next part of that conversation had been particularly interesting…and Savannah, whose thoughts had apparently drifted in that direction as well, was quite embarrassed but a little aroused nonetheless. That was gratifying after the hell she’d put me through last night.

  The scents of her desire and mortification were intoxicating, and it was easy to imagine her fucking me. I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. She was a LaSalle. Besides, in her eyes, I was just another murderous monster.

  Time to shift the subject.

  “Over that way is Avery’s Point.” I gestured to the wooded area on the right. “That’s one of the few forests on the island where we can shift and run our wolves.” Slowing, I turned into the Flats. “The largest wooded area in Magic Side stretches south from Exposition Park and crosses into the Indies, your family’s territory. It’s not ideal, but it’s been that way since the island was founded.”

  And yet another source of conflict between the pack and the LaSalles.

  Savannah nodded but said nothing as we pulled onto the main drag of Market Street. I watched with curiosity as she took in the dozen or so storefronts, all specializing in different things—D’s Witchcraft and Wizardry, Pure Potions, and a store called Updos with fancy wigs floating in the window. Her eyes rounded, and I could smell her excitement. “What is this place?” she asked.