Page 62 of Wolf Tamer

Every dangerous bit of anger slips out of me by the time I manage to get him on his back. My fingers press to the side of his neck, and even though I fumble, I can make out a pulse. Erratic, the same as his breathing. He’s alive.

I haven’t done either of us any favors by losing my cool. “No, no, no.” With my hands on either side of his face, I stare at him. At the paleness of his skin standing out in such stark contrast to the line of crimson along his cheek.

He’s breathing, his heart is beating—I go over these things in my head.He’s got advanced healing, right? So he’ll be fine. He has to be fine.

“I’m so—”

I don’t have a chance to finish that statement. Strong arms wrap around my torso and yank me away from Reid. Suddenly, I’m yowling like a cat and whirling around to see if I can wound another Holden wolf.

Julius, this time, judging by the scents of liquor and earth clinging to him.

My lethal instincts have turned on me once today, and I’m keenly aware of that. So instead of fighting back, even when I feel like I should, I go limp. I’m suddenly aware of the sweat slickening my skin and each breath that seems to ravage my throat. My arms and legs shake so badly that even if I wanted to stand up on my own, I might not have been able to do so.

“What the hell are you doing?” Julius whispers in my ear.

He drags me out of the room and across the hall, the wards on the alpha’s door activating once we’re out. Julius not only wanted the distance between us but a spell as well.

The one designed to keep out any who wish the alpha harm.

Right now, he thinks that’s me.

And he’s not wrong.

I’m furious with myself and how unhinged I’d become. I acted out of spite and bitterness; I was so blinded by my pain, I refused to listen to him. He’d never tried to hurt me, only protect himself from my unyielding rage, while I went head-first off the deep end and hurt him.

My wrists ache where he had to hold me to keep me from slicing him open like the belly of a fish. We should have never gotten to that point.

What’s wrong with me?

The adrenaline leaves me drip by drip until I’m aware of every ache, every misstep and poorly thought-out action I took.

Julius finally releases his hold on me and steps back, frowning. He’s not moving too far, his attention completely focused in case I decide to erupt on him next. I’m just surprised he hasn’t killed me already for what I did.

More fucked up still, I don’t think I’d fight back if he did.

“Did you seriously think you could attack the Redcliff Alpha and live?” Julius asks.

I shake my head, gritting my teeth against a deep ache. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

I clamp my lips shut, guilt twisted my stomach into a tight knot.

“The only reason you’re not dead right now is because of how it’d look for my brother,” he snaps. “The alpha decides the punishments, and once he wakes up, you’ll have to answer to him. Again.”

I wince at the wordpunishmentfor obvious reasons, but for once in my life, I’m thankful for wolf politics and Julius following the rules. Although, I do find it weird that he isn’t in the next room with Reid to check on him, but I guess it’s an image thing too. Can’t make the alpha look weak by running to his aid after getting knocked out by a witch.

Yet Julius isn’t using this opportunity to take Reid out and take the Alpha role from him either. Instead, he’s protecting him from looking bad to the rest of the pack.

Odd…

When I manage to look up at him fully, he seems less angry. More confused than anything else.

“I don’t understand why he’s so attached to you,” he says with a shake of his head.

“Me neither, honestly.”

“What was all that about anyway?”

I’m notreadyto give up my secrets to him yet, especially when I can’t figure him out. “It’s none of your business.”

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