Page 23 of Wolf Roulette

The woman grinned. “So I’ve heard. I won’t trouble you long. While you and Leroy were gone, your friend dropped this off.”

Peeking over the bench, I stared at the saxophone case in her hand.

For fuck’s sake.

She blanched. “It’s yours, isn’t it? He said you forgot it.”

I released Axel and took the saxophone. “It’s mine.”

Her nostrils flared. “I can put it somewhere else if you like?”

“It’s fine. I’ve just gone off music. Thanks for bringing it.”

Axel placed a paw on the case and whined.

“There’s an instrument inside, little pup,” I said.

He growled.

My brows shot up. “I meanbigpup.”

That earned me a tail wag.

Paw on the case, he whined again.

Jemma patted his ear. “If you want to open the case, Axel, you know what to do. You’ll need human hands.”

Axel ran off without another word.

Jemma gazed after him.

“He doesn’t like two-legged form?” I asked.

She sat. “It’s not unusual for babies to shift and remain as wolves for a time. It’s an instinctual survival thing. Usually, they shift back and remain in two-legged form until the start of puberty when they go through their first official shift. Axel has been a wolf for nearly two years.”

“Is that dangerous for him?”

“There’s a lure to the power of wolf form that must be balanced by our human mind. Sometimes, Luthers fall prey to their wolves and turn feral. They remain in their four-legged form forever.”

Axel was the only pup in the pack. There must be huge pressure on herandhim. “Then we can only continue to give him prompts and wait for him to do the rest.”

She released a breath. “I hope it’s enough.”

What a massive burden to carry. Smelling that she was near tears, I changed the subject. “Mothers don’t fight in the grid, I gather?”

“Mums with dependent pups stay back, and some of the older, unmated wolves too. Just over fifty remain behind right now.”

This place was so quiet when most of the pack was gone. I liked the noise. It reminded me of the manor’s bustle.

A male wolf’s howl shattered the calm—Greyson.Even in this form, I almost partially shifted to answer him.

What does that howl mean?I asked Booker.

Victory,she answered.

Jemma glanced my way. “We won.”

My heart sank. How thehelldid that happen?

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