Page 46 of Dawn of the Pack

Jared

“You.” Lily’s voice is flat and furious.

“Me!” Azalea replies in a bright yet somehow threatening tone, her purple-coated lips curving into a devious smile like that damned cat from Alice in Wonderland. She even looks the part today, her hair electric purple with dark streaks. She leans against the doorway lazily. “Why are you so surprised to see me here, princess? This is my grannie’s house, after all.”

Adrenaline coursing through my system, I smash the send button on the text I’d already drafted to the security team and step directly between Lily and the witch.

“Get her out of here, now!” My command is directed at Landon and Milo, even though my eyes never leave Azalea’s face. I may not be the tallest of the three of us, but I can provide our mate the most cover while she makes her escape.

Plus, I have a sneaking suspicion there isn’t a spell for dodging a right hook.

“Azalea! No hurting people on my property, you agreed!” Shuya’s voice calls out from somewhere in the house. “You know what happens if you break the rules.” The verbal threat is surprisingly strong, and the witch visibly cringes in response, her smirk faltering slightly.

“I know, Grannie, don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten.” Her eyes roll and she calls over her shoulder in an annoyed tone. Heaving a dramatic sigh, she refocuses on me. “Grannie made me promise not to attack anyone on her property, so you have nothing to fear from me. Witch’s honor,” she adds sarcastically, drawing the shape of a star in the air with one purple-tipped finger.

The others were a few steps away already, but they paused when they heard Shuya’s ancient voice.

I, however, am not convinced. My feet remain planted, arms crossed, and my body physically blocking Azalea from sneaking past. “Awful nice of you, to keep promises to your granny,” I reply sarcastically. “I’m sure you’ve never lied in your life, either.”

“Ugh, wolves are so fucking dense. I promised her, dimwit. Magically. If I break that promise, there would be consequences. Dire ones. Are you following? Let me dumb it down for you: Promise, good. Break promise, bad. Got it?”

Everything about this witch sets my teeth on edge, and that’s before her infuriating condescension makes my blood boil. “Got it, witch. Your granny has you on a leash. That is the best way to train dogs, but I’ve always believed feral cats belong in a cage.”

“Ooh, so clever. You really hurt my feelings, mutt.”

“I don’t give a fuck about your feelings, witch. We’re not here to talk to you, we’re here to see Shuya, so if you wouldn’t mind…” I gesture to the doorway she’s blocking.

Just then, the security team comes tearing down the drive, gravel spraying as they hit the brakes and hop out of the SUV. In a matter of moments, they’ve pounded up the steps and surrounded Lily, weapons drawn.

Azalea’s eyes light up with delight, and she delicately presses her fingertips to her chest. “Aww, you’re not afraid of little ol’ me, are you? You have an entire team of dogs to protect your little princess, that’s so cute. Useless, but cute. Just so you know,” she leans around me to address Lily, who pushes through the group and steps up to my side, glaring, “if I wanted to kill you, no number of trained animals will stop me.”

“Good for you,” Lily responds cooly. “But we’re kind of on a schedule here, and as my mate said, we’re not here to see you. Shuya!” She calls through the doorway.

But despite having spoken earlier, the elderly witch doesn’t appear at the door and she doesn’t respond.

The infuriatingly superior grin has returned to Azalea’s narrow face. “Ah, well, you see, that’s going to be a problem. Because Grannie also made a promise to me, and she has to keep her bargain, too.”

A growl of annoyance rumbles in my chest. “What did she promise you, exactly? And what has it got to do with us?”

“Weeeelll…” she draws out the word, examining her nails lazily. “Grannie promised that she’d allow me to protect her as I see fit. There’s a lot of crime around these parts, you know. Can’t be too careful. So I’m afraid I can’t let you inside. Family is precious, you understand.”

“We’re not here to hurt your grandma, and you know it,” Lily snarls. “We’re here to ask for her help.”

“That’s the thing, princess. I’m firmly of the belief that helping you will be detrimental to Grannie’s well-being, so it’s gonna be a no from me, dog. You’re welcome to try, of course, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you want to keep breathing. I’m not allowed to attack anyone on her property, but I am allowed to defend her if I think she’s in danger.” She crosses her arms and smirks at us, the challenge we can’t accept hanging in the air.

“You’re despicable, you know that?” The double-timbre of the alpha voice is rumbling in Lily’s chest. “All I want is to free your cousin and reunite the packs. To put an end to the curse and all the hatred between us. Can’t you see how that would help you and your family? There’s far more of the Smoky Falls Pack than Montrose, and we don’t have a pack witch. You could be so much more, but you cling to these scraps.”

If Lily thought that speech was going to change Azalea’s mind, she’s definitely disappointed at the witch’s reaction.

Azalea tips her head back and releases a deep, throaty belly-laugh that rumbles her entire body. Lily stiffens beside me, infuriated.

“Now I know you’re crazy, if you think that’s so hilarious.”

The witch takes her time, ending her chuckles, wiping at her black-lined eyes like she was crying from laughing so hard. “You know what? I like your spirit, princess. I haven’t had a laugh like that in a long time. Really, thank you.”

Lily throws her hands up in frustration. “This is impossible! I don’t know why I’m wasting my time. You obviously don’t get it.”

“No, you don’t get it, princess,” Azalea’s reply is sharp as the crack of a whip. “These… boys…” she gestures dismissively in our direction, “are your mates, right? Your fated mates?”

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