Page 73 of Entering a New World

That gave me an angle.

Careful not to draw attention to myself, I slowly rose to my feet. I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I wanted to be ready.

The professor caught my eye. The trembling had stopped. If anything, he looked less terrified than a few minutes ago. Hello? He was still being held at knifepoint and there was a giant, snarling wolf mere feet away from him, but for some reason, he looked almost… happy?

No.

I was misinterpreting something.

The wolf—I’d put my money on it being Mave—snarled once again and lowered its upper body as if it were preparing for an attack.

“Take him!” Alistair screamed, shoving the professor away, right at the wolf.

I didn’t think. I lunged.

A scream tore from my throat as I threw myself at my former manager, tackling him to the ground.

He was bigger than me; he easily outweighing me by forty pounds, but I had the element of surprise on my side. We hit the wooden patio with a dull thud, and I grappled for the knife.

White hot pain seared my palm as my hand closed around the blade, but this was my one chance. My one chance to get the upper hand before Alistair’s brain caught up with what was happening.

So instead of letting go of the blade, I clenched my teeth, ignored the pain and pulled.

The knife flew through the air, hitting the patio with a clattering sound. I didn’t dare look for where it’d landed. No. Alistair wasn’t armed any longer, but he was still dangerous.

I wouldn’t let him hurt anyone.

Drawing my hand back, I balled it into a fist and rammed it into Alistair’s face.

He screamed.

Blood gushed from his nose.

He squirmed beneath me, bucking his hips like a bull trying to throw off his rider.

I punched him again. And again, and…

“Levi!”

Rhett’s voice filtered through my haze, and then there were strong arms pulling me back.

A cacophony of screeches, growls and snarls filled the air, combined with quiet sobs and sniffles. Above it all, Paul’s voice rang clear as he told Alistair that he was under arrest.

It took me way too long to realize I had my eyes closed.

I opened them and my gaze immediately fell on a giant black wolf standing next to Paul, his teeth bared, eyes blazing with fury while one growl after the other rumbled out of the depths of his throat. He was the biggest wolf I’d ever seen in my life, even bigger and broader than Rhett.

The raised hairs on his neck almost gave the impression of a mane, making the wolf look kind of… regal. Like a king. Not the king of the jungle or the king of the savannah, but the king of this land. King of the forest. An Alpha.

“Holy shit, that’s Gray?” I whispered as I took the black wolf in.

Rhett snorted, his arms tightly wrapped around my waist. “Impressive, right?” He dropped his head and buried his face in the crook of my neck, a tremor running through his body.

“I’m fine,” I said while awkwardly trying to turn in his arms.

“You’re bleeding,” Rhett answered. A second later, his whole body tensed and he sprang into action. “Oh goddess. You’re bleeding. We need to get you to the hospital. No, we need to get Jasper here.”

“It’s just a cut,” I said. “It doesn’t even hurt that much.”

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