Page 64 of Cursed Wolf

And she was fucking furious.

I came at the vampire so fast, he didn’t have time to react. My head crashed into his sternum, sending him falling backwards. I didn’t give him a chance to stand, rushing him in the blink of an eye before clamping my jaws down on his side. My teeth sank into lean muscle and flesh and I shook violently, intent on tearing off a piece of this vampire like he’d torn into my mate.

Hands closed around my throat and squeezed, cutting off my air, but I still didn’t release him until my jaws went numb and I started to feel faint. The vampire must have thrown me, because I felt weightless for a moment before my whole body got slapped hard.

I coughed and wheezed, fighting for every precious breath as I rolled to all fours, then charged at the vampire again. He’d bought himself a few seconds, but he wasn’t as fast as before. His injuries and fatigue from fighting Tryn must have been catching up to him, slowing him down.

My wolf, on the other hand, brimmed with fresh, predatory vigor. This was her first time feeling the ground on her paws and the breeze in her fur. She had the energy of a puppy and the seething rage of a bull. She’d chase this vampire all night long if she had to.

I went for his ankles this time, tripping him up and making him stumble. Once he hit the ground again, I dove for his throat. He anticipated the move and kicked me square in the chest. I didn’t even feel it, I was so amped up on adrenaline and avenging my mate.

There was just no stopping my wolf, and the vampire was getting overwhelmed by my attacks. All the while, she roared in my head.

My mate’s blood is on your hands, vampire! Die, die with your blood on my teeth! May your last thoughts be your regrets of ever laying a filthy hand on him.

“Fuck!”

The vampire brought his forearms and massive hands up to protect himself, swinging them every so often to shove me away, but I just kept coming back again and again. He was able to scratch me a few times enough to draw blood, but they were surface wounds and nowhere near enough to slow down my assault.

I was in a complete frenzy, nothing but a vengeful force of nature with teeth and claws. I would not stop until this creature was dead and lifeless.

The vampire landed one good kick to my head that sent me sprawling. Get up. Find him. Kill him, my wolf insisted, but I was dizzy and disoriented. Precious seconds ticked by as I finally got to all fours and spotted the vampire running. He was bleeding heavily from his side, limping as ran, but was still inhumanely fast. I could catch up to him, if I just?—

Stop, female. Do not chase him.

A voice that definitely wasn’t my own or my wolf’s reverberated in my head like a loudspeaker. It seemed to lock all my limbs in place, forcing me to obey the command. I growled in frustration, watching the vampire get smaller in the distance.

The voice came again, gentler this time. This is Derric, Alpha of Howling Death. I’m giving you an Alpha command. Turn around and return to us. We will keep you safe.

My body moved as if manipulated by a giant hand instead of my own will. Surrounding Tryn’s body were four wolves, their ears pricked and eyes alert on me. Behind them, I recognized two of the men I’d met at Stout & Spirit sitting astride large motorcycles. One was heading toward Tryn with a large metal box, likely a first aid kit. The other stayed on his bike, eyes scanning the dark landscape as if on guard duty.

The biggest wolf, a massive beast covered in scars, stepped closer to me as he sniffed the air. You saved our packmate, and we owe you a great debt. But I don’t recognize you, female. Can you tell me who you are?

I tried projecting my thoughts toward him. It’s me, Emmaline. Tryn’s…mate.

The giant wolf startled and let out a soft whuff that sounded like surprise. He recovered quickly though, and his jaws parted in a canine smile. So, you’re one of us after all.

I guess so. I could move freely now, my front paws tapping nervously on the ground. How is Tryn? Will he make it?

We need your medical skills and human hands to tell us that, Derric said gravely. Do you have a set of clothes?

Oh, um…

I looked around, seeing only shapeless scraps of fabric scattered across the ground. My clothes must have gotten torn up during that first shift.

It’s alright, we should have something you can borrow. Do you need me to walk you through shifting back? We’ll turn around to give you privacy.

Shifting back was easier than I expected. My wolf simply retreated and allowed my human side to take over once again. It still hadn’t really sunk in that I was a shifter. I’d allow myself time to properly acknowledge it later. Right then, I had someone I desperately needed to save.

Chapter 23

Tryn

Inever expected to wake up. The first coherent thought that arose when I did was that I hoped Emmaline got to safety. That Thorne, that filthy piece of shit vampire, never touched another hair on her head.

When her sweet blackberry scent entered my nose, stronger than it had ever been before, I thought I must still be dreaming. I fought to stay in that world, that imaginary place where a vampire had never gotten his hands on her and I had never scared her away with my shift.

I could be a human. Maybe that was my fate all along and I’d epically fucked it up. I’d give up being a wolf in a heartbeat if it meant I could keep my human mate forever.

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