Page 35 of Immortal Burden

I scrambled off her and leapt back quick, the force of it slamming me into the wall across the other side of the room.

I grunted as my back hit hard, taking a chunk out of it.

I landed in an unsteady crouch, looking up to see Mia’s eyes wide.

She didn’t just look shocked. She looked fucking scared.

That was when I realized my claws were out. I’d sprouted fur along my arms.

I was half wolfed-out!

Her reaction had my gut twisting. She was scared of me?

“You’ve gotta go,” I growled.

She jolted, but didn’t move. “Jaxon, just breathe. Calm yourself. Calm the wolf.”

Didn’t she get it? I couldn’t.

The wolf was wild and determined to make itself known to her. It wanted her, everything else be damned. It’d rip into her until it was sated. She wouldn’t be able to handle it. She was too soft and sweet. Too innocent and inexperienced.

I was wrong. Or the fates had been wrong.

Someone like her didn’t belong with an animal like me.

“Jaxon?” she called to me.

My eyes widened when I watched her coming toward me. No!

I held up my hand for her to stop.

“It’s okay,” she told me. “Something about what we just did, it’s boosted my magic. I’m at full strength again. I can help you to retract the beast. I need your permission, though. Okay?”

Beast?

That’s how she thought about the wolf? Figured it as a goddamn monster?

Sure, it was the animalistic part of me. But that just meant wild and intense, no-holds-barred primal need and desire. It wasn’t fucking evil.

Before I could get a word out and call her on it, a loud crash jolted me.

It had me jerking around to see the bedroom door exploding in a hail of silver light.

The winged warrior from earlier strode into the room.

The unwanted interruption and the aggression coming off him had the wolf roaring in fury, primed to attack.

“Go, Mia!” he commanded.

Her eyes shot wide, her cheeks reddening. “I… what are you—”

“Leave immediately!” the guy pushed.

She scrambled to fix her mussed-up clothes and hair. “But, I—”

“Immediately!” the guy bellowed. “The wolf’s control is lost.”

He twirled his hand, silver wisps erupting and forming what looked a lot like a miniature tornado.

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