Her wolfs demands a wolf.., p.10
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Her Wolf's Demands: A Wolf Shifter Paranormal Romance (The Witch's Pack Book 2), page 10

 

Her Wolf's Demands: A Wolf Shifter Paranormal Romance (The Witch's Pack Book 2)
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  Checking behind me, I froze when Malone dropped to all fours and shifted. As soon as Houndy smelt him, he charged, heading straight for the alpha.

  I dropped to my hands and knees, forcing the shift back to witch form. I barely noticed the cracking of my bones as I watched Malone pounce, his white fur a flash. Teeth snapped and growls grew louder as Malone dug his claws into Houndy’s nose.

  Breathing hard from the effort of my shift, I flicked my finger as I stood up on wobbly legs. A crop top and leggings appeared, covering my modesty.

  Manual slipped around the hellhound, dropping to the floor as his wolf took over, light brown fur breaking out all over his skin.

  Wasting no time, I held my hand towards my pack – shit, that sounded so right – and incited a growth spell. Both Malone and Manual expanded, their wolf forms doubling in size.

  “Take that!” I muttered, whooping when Malone swiped the hound’s nose so hard, half of it came flying off.

  The beast roared, swinging its paw at the alpha. Malone lost his grip, dropping to the ground. Manual bit Houndy’s butt, his teeth so strong, even I could hear the breaking of the skin. Another loud yelp made me jump as I moved to check on Rochelle.

  “Come on,” I said, stroking the fur on her neck. “Wake up.”

  Blood lined my fingertips when I pulled away. Ah, she had an injury.

  Malone growled on the other side of the room, sending my heart into a flutter. Trusting that he could handle himself, I placed my hands on Rochelle’s neck and whispered a healing spell. She instantly blinked awake, becoming alert when Manuel yelped.

  Although wolves could heal, it was quicker for me to use my magic on Rochelle. The men needed her help if they were to beat the hellhound.

  “Are you okay?” I asked her, sitting back as she stumbled to her paws.

  Inclining her head, she turned to the battle. I swallowed, debating whether to return to wolf form. No, the men were winning, their tactic of attacking, one at a time, working well.

  My heart reared into my throat as the beast lunged for Malone, catching him off guard. The long sharp claws on the end of Houndy’s paws sliced through Malone’s side. My gasp was drowned out by Malone’s whimper and Manual’s howl.

  I was about to run forward to tend to Malone when Rochelle slipped under the beast from behind, spun around just as she came out the front and buried her teeth right into his neck, ripping hard and fast.

  Blood spurted everywhere, splattering over the walls. Houndy collapsed on the floor, his head smacking the stones as air expelled from his smelly mouth. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and the dog was no more.

  I stumbled over to Malone, shaky on my feet as the fear gripped every part of me. He was lying on his side, facing towards the door. Now the beast was dead, we had to leave. Ertha would know that someone had defeated her protection spell.

  “Malone?” I squeaked, falling beside him.

  Dark red was spreading across his white fur, leaking from the gaping wounds in his side. His eyes were open, the chocolate brown almost black in the dim light. No, his eyes couldn’t turn all black, that happened when animals died.

  Gulping, I reached towards his wounds, hesitating when he growled at me in warning. What was wrong with him? Yes, it would be painful for a moment, and then he’d be healed.

  “You can’t heal him,” Manual said, bending down beside me to inspect his alpha’s wounds.

  I cleared my throat and reached for Malone again. Manual’s fingers closed around mine, gripping tightly and preventing me from healing the wounds. I glanced at him, regretting it instantly when my gaze was offended by his tanned naked skin. Looking away, I shook my head, my insides simmering.

  “He’s the alpha. He cannot be seen as weak. He will heal himself, don’t worry.”

  A rush of heated fury blasted through my veins. I wrenched my hand from Manual and bent closer to Malone’s head, looking into his pained eyes. Surely he’d want me to save him? What if his injuries were fatal? A wolf could heal, yes, but there was a limit to what the body could take. If I just left him, there was a chance he wouldn’t survive. And I would never let that happen. I’d just found him, I wouldn’t let him go.

  “Please,” I begged Malone, placing my hand on his head.

  His huff was accompanied by a low growl. No. Shit, the bastard was going to risk his life, even though I could save it. All to show that he was a man. Ugh. Fucking men.

  “Fine!” I spat. “See if I care.”

  Thrusting up, I stormed away from my mate, my heart tearing as I left him behind. As hard as it was not being beside him, I couldn’t just sit and wait to see if he would die. His wounds were deep, the muscle and skin shredded. If his organs were damaged… no, I couldn’t think of that. He would be fine, even without my help, the stubborn bastard.

  Ignoring Rochelle as she shifted, I went to Ertha’s office and tried to yank open the door. Of course, it was locked shut.

  Fury throbbed through me as I fought the tears that threatened, almost closing my throat. Fuck Malone and his pride, and fuck Ertha. I was getting into the office, one way or another.

  “Can’t spell it open,” I pushed through my teeth, resisting the urge to check over my shoulder. “I’ll blast the bloody thing down.”

  Spreading my fingers on the dark wooden door, I opened my mouth and forced my magic from me. “FUCKING OPEN SESAME, BITCH!”

  Hurricane force winds blew from behind, sending my hair flying around my head as my hands shunted the door. It blasted off its hinges, soaring into Ertha’s office, and leaving the way free as the winds dropped.

  A small meow echoed from the far corner of the room. My insides quivered as I rushed over to Bohdi, who was pacing in a small metal cage. Well, at least the elder had given him food and water. No doubt just to keep him alive to torture me.

  “Hey, boy,” I greeted, undoing the cage and taking him out.

  My eyes filled with tears when the little fellow nudged his head beneath my chin, ducking me gently before settling, almost glued to my chest. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, sucking back a sob.

  “You’re so sexy when you’re angry.” Malone’s voice made me shudder. “You say the funniest things.”

  Glancing over my shoulder, I hiccupped as my gaze traced over his naked body. I inhaled sharply, unable to resist the urge to trace his muscles down his stomach and lower…

  Swallowing, I blinked, sniffing when the tears plopped from my eyes.

  His chest rose and fell as he held his hand loosely on his injured side. “Thank you.”

  “For what?” I snapped, digging my face into Bohdi’s neck. “You wouldn’t let me heal you.”

  “For respecting my wish. I doubt I’d have that amount of self-control if it was you lying there injured.”

  Scoffing, I wiped my eyes and went to Ertha’s desk, searching it. I wasn’t looking for anything specific, just using it as an excuse to distract myself from my mate’s incredible body. If I looked at him, I’d melt and beg him to take me, right on the desk. Not appropriate, although it would be a little bit satisfying, knowing I had desecrated Ertha’s space that way.

  “I know you’re angry–”

  “No, I’m not. If you want to die because of your pride, go right ahead.”

  Stalking closer, Malone let go of his side and straightened. The red puckered welts on his skin were fast healing, releasing him of his discomfort.

  “We need to leave,” I said when he came around the desk.

  Bohdi purred, leaning his head towards Malone. Really? How could my familiar betray me? The age old myth of dogs and cats being at war was being tested by my own feline.

  Malone trod closer, his dark eyes devouring me in a way that made my cheeks blush. I licked my lips as I reversed, avoiding his prowl.

  “I mean it.” My sharp tone stopped him.

  His eyes hooded as he nibbled his bottom lip. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “Your power might have turned me on, just a bit. Knowing that you’re mine, under my control, makes me even more excited.”

  “I’m a modern woman, I’ll have you know,” I breathed, heat flushing my cheeks. “And we don’t have time to stand around here. We have to leave.”

  Narrowing his gaze on me, he inclined his head and moved out of the way, gesturing for me to come around the desk.

  As I did, he smacked my arse, sending a thrill straight to the sweet spot between my legs. He wanted to dominate me. Okay, I could be down with that in some areas of our life, but not all of them.

  Instead of playing his game, I strode back through the office door and into the hall, glancing at him over my shoulder. His eyes were still heavy with lust, and yet, there was a hint of something else. Was it good or bad?

  “We have to go,” I shouted to the others as they walked around, stark naked.

  If any of the witches arrived, they’d think I’d had an erotic orgy after slaughtering their dog. Oh, and taken the cat after the act.

  Swirling my free hand, I dressed the wolves, quickly averting my eyes when Manual called to me, half turning just as his pants and jeans materialised on him.

  Going to him, I held on tight to Bohdi, who hissed when I drew near. Manual was pointing down at the dead dog, a frown marring his forehead. He ignored my cat, not even daring to look him in the eye. It was wise.

  “Looks like he was protecting this.”

  Blinking, I bent to Houndy’s neck and untied the hefty leather collar. There was a pocket in the side of it, done up by a button. Undoing it, I tugged out the small canvas, gasping when I recognised the brush strokes. Drake.

  “We need to leave, there’s–”

  A cackle echoed around us, the sound flying across the hall. Ertha.

  Without hesitation, I grabbed Manual’s hand. “Hold on to me!” I ordered the others, readying myself when Malone took my waist and Rochelle gripped my shoulder.

  Thinking of Malone’s cabin, I whispered the teleportation spell, smirking when Ertha appeared in the doorway to the library. Her face contorted in rage when she saw what we’d done to her poor pooch. I didn’t have time to flip a middle finger up at her, instead preferring to get the fuck out of there.

  We landed in Malone’s cabin, all stumbling as the force of the spell pushed us.

  I instantly shrugged the others off and waved a hand around me, cleansing my magic so there was no trace of the coven’s headquarters left behind.

  “Here,” I said, handing Bohdi to Malone.

  He stiffened, holding his head back as the cat stared, wide-eyed, sizing up his wolfy captor. A soft sigh left Bohdi as he thrust his head against my man, burying it under his neck. If a wolf could tame my familiar, he was for keeps.

  “I need to cleanse you all,” I muttered, rushing around them and waving a hand.

  Manual shuddered, his eyes blinking rapidly as he rubbed away a patch of blood on his cheek. “Why?”

  A solemn mood descended on me as I hurried, hoping to goddess that I’d been quick enough. We might have slayed the hellhound, but Ertha wasn’t stupid. She would’ve tried to read my magic or hitch a trace on it.

  “Well,” I said, placing the painting onto the dining table and gesturing for Malone to put Bohdi next to it, “if I leave any trace of magic on you or these items, Ertha might be able to track us here. And I’d hate to think what she’d do to everyone if she found us.”

  Chapter Ten

  “What is it?” Malone asked.

  I leant on the dining table, grateful that the others had left. The painting in front of me was small, only the size of a portrait. Drake’s brush strokes were distinguishable to me, instantly recognisable.

  “It’s full of Drake’s magic,” I said, frowning as I shook my head, “I don’t understand why.”

  “It’s the standing stones again. He was rather cryptic about it when we visited him,” Malone added.

  Sighing, I nodded, slumping as the remainder of my energy left me. No doubt I’d get a lecture about how reckless it was going to the coven’s headquarters without him. Was there a nice way to tell the mate who had rescued me to F off? I just needed sleep.

  “Thank you,” I muttered instead, resigning myself to the berating I was about to receive. “For being my wolf in shining armour.”

  Stepping close to me, he ran a finger down the back of my arm. It was the simplest of gestures, and yet, a shudder slipped through me. Just his presence was enough to fire up my insides. Ah, sleep was underrated.

  “Why didn’t you trust me enough to ask me to come?” Frowning, he fiddled with a strand of my hair. “And Rochelle? How was she there with you?”

  Bohdi stretched by the fire, clearly knowing that we were talking about his rescue. He had settled in quickly, ignoring the wolves as he’d explored his new home, apparently unfazed by his catnapping… nope, that didn’t work.

  Turning my head to look up at Malone, I smiled. “We’re BFFs now. And I knew you wouldn’t let me go. Ertha wants me dead, you want me alive. I couldn’t see my request being granted. Plus, I had mentioned it to you. You weren’t keen.”

  Opening his mouth to protest, he froze, unable to deny my accusation. Instead, he rolled his eyes and put an arm over my shoulder, inspecting the painting. The standing stones were painted cream with dirt marks and a – shit, wait, was that a pentagram on it?

  “Look,” I said, “this is the mark the witches use to channel power. We know that the Brighton Coven visit the stones for their rituals, but I think…” Frowning, I traced the star within the circle, cringing when a spark of sharp magic pricked my skin.

  “Tell me.” Malone’s voice was tight as he squeezed my shoulder.

  The standing stones were on Malone’s pack lands. It was no wonder they had been miffed that the witches refused to obey the treaty. The wolves could change at any time, but on the full moon, they had less control of their senses and were always forced to shift against their will.

  “What was it like…” I asked, curiosity taking over, “…when you found out that you could turn into a wolf? I mean, it was hard enough for me to learn that I was different from those in school. That I had the gift of magic. I was never very good at it, but hiding it from people, and having the power to hurt others in a way that couldn’t be understood by humans always made me feel afraid.”

  Huffing, Malone pulled out an intricately carved chair and sat, indicating that I do the same. Reluctantly ignoring the call of the bed, I lowered myself, staring at the painting again.

  “It first happens when you’re sixteen. It’s a coming of age process, the shift being your key to adulthood. If you survive it well, you are respected. Others struggle with it, taking several goes before it becomes natural.”

  “I bet you were a pro straight away,” I quipped, laughing gently.

  His jaw tightened and his gaze dipped to the wooden surface of the table. “Actually, I wasn’t. It took me five times to get the hang of it. My father had thrown a first shift party for me, in the hope of proving that I was a worthy heir.”

  “Oh, bloody hell. Don’t tell me, the pressure was too much? I would’ve crumbled, not able to perform my magic if anyone wanted to show me off.”

  Tilting his head to the side, he regarded me. “It’s like you know me already. I probably don’t need to tell you the story.”

  I took his hand and held it between mine, squeezing gently. “I want to hear.”

  “Alright.” His shoulders straightened as he looked at me, his eyes glazing over. “The whole pack were there, including my sister and her boyfriend, who was one of the boys about to go through the shift with me. My father shouted at everyone, inviting them to watch the first ever shift by the future alpha.”

  I didn’t need to roll my eyes, the former alpha had been a prick. I wouldn’t say that to Malone, although I had no doubt he would agree. Were there any good fathers out there?

  “Of course, most people gathered around me, sending me good wishes. My father silenced them and forced me to get on my hands and knees to wait. I was there for thirty minutes, my muscles straining, before the shift started. I hold my hands up,” he said, doing just that, “I cried at the pain. I couldn’t handle it. Rather than let the shift lead, I tried to control it, which prolonged the agony.”

  His cringe made me stay quiet. I didn’t want to interrupt him, especially when he was telling a particularly sensitive story about his life. One that made me want to snuggle his gruff head into my chest, just to soothe him.

  “He was so embarrassed by how long it took me that when I finally finished my shift into a wolf, he kicked me repeatedly, shouting that I was weak. The onlookers slowly moved away, marvelling at the speed of my sister’s boyfriend’s shift.” Shaking his head, he blinked slowly. “He took to it like a dog to fox shit.”

  “Ew, you don’t roll in shit, do you?”

  The corner of his lip lifted into his cheek, amusement breaking the tension that held his muscles firm. “No, I can’t say I do.”

  “Go on,” I urged.

  “Manual – yes, he was the son-of-a-bitch who showed me up – became my beta. My father insisted that he break up with my sister and work with me to perfect my shift.”

  Shaking my head, I frowned. “Your poor sister.”

  “Poor sister?” he almost spat, a blast of laughter shooting from him. “She wasn’t the one who was humiliated by both our father and my now best friend.”

  His hilarity doused, leaving him with a dour expression. I stifled my own chuckle, stuffing it deep down. It was amazing how self-occupied these alphas were, with their puffed chests and woe is me attitude. Maybe it was time for a change.

  “Anyway…” He huffed. “Every time I failed at shifting swiftly, my father burnt an F into my arm, branding me a failure.”

  “Fuck.”

  Shrugging, he sat back, taking his hands out of mine. “You know what?” He glanced over to the flickering flames in the hearth. “I need to let it go.” Looking back at me, he smiled woefully. “So, to answer your question, it was a fucking nightmare to find out that I had no choice but to change into a wolf.”

 
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