Page 36 of Deadly Wolf Bite

If anything, I feel utterly protected under his scrutiny.

His eyes glow in the darkness, and he watches me patiently. Probably waiting to make sure I’m not going to freak out on him.

“Go,” I urge him. “I’m fine.”

He huffs then tilts his head back and howls. A moment later, the others echo the sound. Even Razor and Crow stop wrestling to join in.

The sound is mournful and seeps all the way into my bones, stirring me with a strange sort of yearning. Like my body wants something from me, though I have no idea how to give it. My breath catches. Is this it?

Is this the moment my wolf will finally come out?

Nothing happens.

The song finally ends, and the six wolves take off into the valley at a dead run. Grey leads, his massive paws eating up the ground at an impossible pace. Dutch falls in behind Grey and the others fan out around him.

I watch until long after they’re out of sight. When they’re gone, I stare up at the sky, noting the way the stars wink brightly across the canopy stretched above me. It’s beautiful in a way I’ve never experienced living in the city. Even Lakeland, a small town compared to Indigo Hills, didn’t offer me a moment like this. Then again, maybe it’s more about having found somewhere to belong than the sky itself.

A few minutes later, a single wolf reappears in the distance. Grey. He’s alone, leaving me to wonder if he’s that much faster than the others or if they’re content to run without him. His speed makes him nothing more than a blur until he comes to a stop not far from me, panting and watching me just as intently as before.

He takes a step forward.

My skin buzzes with a strange sensation.

He takes another step, and the buzzing gets stronger.

Excitement and anticipation rise inside me. I brace myself for the same transformation I saw in Grey’s body when he became a wolf.

But again, nothing happens.

Finally, I put my hand out. His wolf closes the distance, rubbing against my bare leg. Tentatively, I run a hand along his fur. It’s softer than I expected. I scratch his ear, which earns me a strange growling sound that makes me smile.

The others finally return with Mia in the lead. Razor is on her heels with Dutch and Crow shoulder to shoulder behind them. They race toward Grey before coming to a stop just behind him, standing much closer to me than they were before.

My blood pumps faster, adrenaline suddenly coursing through me. I glance from Grey to the others, my body tensing. My breath comes in shorter bursts and my hands fist at my sides as I study the distance between Grey and the others.

Too close.

My throat constricts as I fight the urge to scream at them to get away.

I don’t even realize my reaction is noticeable until the wolf whose fur I’d been clutching a moment ago is suddenly gone and Grey’s wrapping human arms around me. “It’s okay,” he says, his voice soothing.

I push him away, but that only makes it worse as my hands press against his bared skin. My head swims with dizziness and confusion. “I don’t feel good.”

Heat works its way up from my legs to my torso, flushing my face. I’m aware they’re all watching me as if they’re waiting for something. Maybe it’s my wolf.

The thought is both welcome and terrifying.

“Just breathe,” Grey says.

But I can’t. My jaw clenches until I’m gritting my teeth against the urge to attack Mia for standing way too close to Grey.

I don’t think this is my wolf.

“I think… I need them to leave.”

Grey’s brow lifts, but he nods. “Done.” He turns to the others. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

All five of them head for their cars.

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