Page 52 of Craved By a Wolf

And she didn’t even know anything about him.

Most females in his life had wanted him only after discovering he was an alpha. His status had made him more appealing, and oftentimes he believed it was all that made him appealing. Plenty of females had seduced him purely because of his position, hoping to secure a place at his side and gaining power as his female.

Kin had despised them for it.

But now he had a beautiful witch looking at him with desire in her emerald eyes, with need only he could satisfy, and he wanted her.

Would give up everything he had fought for in life if he could only have her.

He leashed that desire and reined it in, because no good would come of allowing his instincts to colour his judgement and his actions. He needed to break this curse. Once it was broken, he would know if Hella was his mate and then he could work towards claiming the forever he wanted with her.

If she wanted him.

He groaned and it became a growl as he imagined how furious and hurt she would be if he handed her over to the witch. She wouldn’t listen to him if he tried to explain his reasons. She would probably kill him.

His thoughts circled back around. But what if he didn’t hand her over to the witch to break his curse? What if Hella could break it for him somehow?

Then he would stand a chance with her.

Wouldn’t he?

He opened his mouth to call for Hella.

Snapped it closed when a knock sounded.

Kin strained, sharpening his senses and locking them onto the floor below him. At the edges of the room, things felt fuzzy. Because of a spell? Had Hella cast a barrier to protect them from the nymphs? He didn’t like the way it dampened his senses, making it difficult to discern who was outside.

He also didn’t like the fact that Hella was tense, unmoving, and her heartbeat was off the scale.

His fated female feared and he needed to reach her, needed to wrap her in his arms and hold her so she knew she was safe. He would never allow anyone to hurt her. He tugged at the chains holding him in place, growing agitated when they refused to give, keeping him from obeying his desire to take care of his mate.

Another knock.

This time, a muffled voice joined it. Masculine. That was all Kin could tell. The spell made it sound wobbly and disjointed. Or maybe that was the panic setting in again now he had remembered he was chained. He breathed deep and sagged against the mattress, calming his mind again and focusing on Hella.

She moved and he tracked her with his senses.

Big mistake.

A riot started in his skull as he felt her moving towards the door and his wolf side grew wild, the need to protect her seizing him in sharp talons that pierced his soul and spread vile poisonous words through his mind. His mate was in danger. He growled and wrestled with his bonds, his rage mounting as they refused to break and the wooden posts remained in one piece. There was another way out of these shackles. Black fur swept over his body and his bones ached, and agony tore through him like white-hot fire when his shift failed to happen. He clenched his teeth and bit back the cry that rolled up his throat as he tried to stop the shift instead. Impossible. Sweat beaded his brow and soaked his chest as he breathed harder and faster, battling the agony that churned inside him, threatening to steal consciousness from him. He couldn’t pass out.

He cursed his shackles.

He cursed Hella.

The foolish witch had done something to them that prevented him from shifting.

He struggled to focus, desperately trying to calm himself now, choking back another bellow as his body again tried to morph into his wolf form. He had never failed a shift before, wasn’t sure how many times his body would attempt it before it gave up, but each time lightning seared his bones and his muscles clamped down on them, and he grew weaker.

On the third attempt, he twisted left and vomited all over the bed, his entire body quaking as his muscles turned to liquid instead. He sagged with his head on his left arm, his right one bent at an awkward angle behind him, and fought for air. No more shifting. He didn’t want to shift. He kept telling himself that, trying to convince his body to give up and his wolf to calm.

Hella needed him sharp and focused, not weak.

She was in danger.

His wolf calmed in an instant, that part of him perking up to focus on her.

The sense of calm flowed from his soul and through his tired body too, easing his tension away and clearing his mind. He closed his eyes and flopped onto his back again, seizing that calm and clinging to it as he locked his senses back on Hella.

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