Page 47 of Julian

She froze behind a tree, listening, every sense on alert. She inhaled the scent of the musky swamp, the scent of forest animals still lingering in the air. Hmmm. The wolves.

Kitten. The Alpha called to her, sensing her presence.

Her spirit smiled. She’d already divulged she was partial to cats.

Come little kitten, he called to her once again.

Cassia ran, her heart pumping, weaving in and out of the trees. She stumbled upon bloodstained dirt. Only the scent and a few random bones of a rabbit remained.

On a hunt, the wolves would waste no food. The craving. The hunger. It must be sated.

Twigs crunched under her paws, yet she was careful not to draw attention to herself. Light flickered in the distance.

Little kitten, where are you?

No matter how many times the Alpha called to her, she refused to simply come. No, the cat would play tonight. She’d stalk her prey, readying to kill.

Never at a loss for control, Cassia had always chosen her beasts with care. But she’d relied on the lioness in times of difficulty. And if there ever was a time for an appearance of dominance, it was now. The pack would judge her, so it was best they learned from the start who she was.

A low growl rumbled in her throat as she quietly approached the wolves. She glanced toward the light, aware that you didn’t approach a pack of wolves without a plan. She glanced to the ravine on the right; a path led up to an outlook. Nearly thirty wolves meandered about inside of a clearing. Though the moon hadn’t quite reached its peak, its light shone bright.

Her heart pounded in her chest, beating like a drum. As the large black wolf came into view, she watched in fascination as he commanded a circle of wolves. Alpha. She crouched down as his head whipped around, his focus solely honed in on her.

Here kitty, kitty, she heard him call to her mind.

Pack. She’d rarely seen an entire pack transformed as their beasts. A spectacular sight, the power of the pack, both its energy and pure physical strength was no match for most supernaturals. To other paranormals, it’d be nothing short of overwhelming.

But Cassia was not just any supernatural. And tonight she was no wolf. But Julian? The Alpha belonged to her.

Several smaller wolves nipped at the Alpha. Females. The Alpha warned them off with a low growl. One rubbed her snout against his fur and he growled louder, sending her scampering off into the woods..

With her hackles raised, Cassia readied for attack. Her pulse sped and she attempted to reason with her beast. Mine. As the thought settled in her mind, she attempted to shake it away. No, no, no. The realization settled in in the moment. He really is my mate … but how could this have happened?

Another female leaned towards Julian, breaking her contemplation. I think not, bitch.

Easy. The Alpha padded toward her and brushed off the other wolves. Come, Cassia.

She glanced at the larger male wolf and hesitated. Logan. Power emanated off the Alpha.

Come, Julian commanded.

Well shit. I guess we’re doing this.

* * *

A low rumble emanated from Logan, his unspoken power calming the pack as the large cat approached. The wolves stood frozen watching the lioness stride through the trees.

The forest went silent, the world standing still as Cassia approached. Fearless, she stepped into the clearing. She roared as she approached Julian. Her Alpha stood firm waiting on his mate. Cassia’s focus honed in on three female wolves, who instead of moving away from Julian, had stepped closer. The larger wolf bared her fangs.

Her beast roared and rushed the wolf, her growl reverberating throughout the swamp. Her energy exploded as she charged at it. Within seconds Cassia had pinned the wolf to the ground. With the wolf’s neck in her mouth, she exercised mercy, simply holding it down to the earth, resisting the urge to tear the female to shreds.

Aware of the Alpha, the entire pack watching, she released the wolf as it whimpered underneath her command. As she leapt off it and released it, she turned to the Alpha and roared once again. The wolves scattered from his side and her beast smiled.

Mine. The great lion averted her gaze in submission to the Alpha, rubbing her head against his chest in submission. A low purr emanated from her throat.

The sound of a branch breaking broke the spell. Several wolves began howling and the Alpha took off running.

Cassia looked to Julian. He growled as he glanced back to the wolves who began to take off into the woods. Cassia would never hold him back from his nature, but she wasn’t ready to join a pack. She’d make the choice for him and let the magick flow.

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