Page 26 of Empowering the Wolf's Heart

His brow furrowed. “Pardon?”

“You—you—you’re being akindwerewolf.”

“Excuse me, was that a compliment?”

“Nope. It’s infuriating.”

“Ahhh. So your brainwashed mind is having trouble understanding that werewolves can be somewhatkind, correct?”

I gritted my teeth. How could he so nonchalantly pinpoint the echoes of my soul? “You’ve returned the favor, done your duty, whatever. Your debt is paid. I’ll just go home, you go home, and we can forget all about this.”

“I should be offended you think so low of my kind, but some of us are, in fact, exactly as you think. And I have a feeling you have encountered more of the rotten-to-the-core murderers who have given themselves to their animalistic sides than those who are peaceful, yes?”

I think of the rabid werewolf we put down last month. He had taken to hunting children in the woods outside of the city. The scent of ten dead children decomposing still haunted my nightmares and my soul. Shen nodded, as if my face had givenaway my thoughts. I clenched my fists. I had to stop giving him that edge when I could read nothing on him.

“If you’re so good, why not stop those who are evil?”

His eyes shuttered, malice filtering into that look. Fear traced an icy path up my spine, causing the hairs on my neck to stand on end. I was reminded of all the times he’d nearly killed me in that single look, of all the times I was prey and he was hunter. “I am not good, little one. I am merely one who will not harm you.”

“Why? Because you can’t?” I quipped, trying to lighten the mood, but he shook his head.

“Because the only one who can protect you from me is myself, and I will die before I harm you.”

I saw the animal hiding in the depths of his eyes—one which hungered for blood and freedom—and I realized then and there that this man wasn’t good. But he wasn’t evil, either. He had bathed in darkness and came out a monster. Yet he didn’t allow that creature to harm others.

His self-control was what protected me. And while a part of me was terrified, another part was exhilarated. As if I were jumping off a cliff. And trust me, I knew exactly how that felt.

“Why? Why the change in wanting to kill me? Just yesterday we were enemies. And today—” I didn’t know what to call us, but it wasn’t enemies. Nor was it friends.

He stared at me as if he were just as lost on what to call this as I was. He clenched his fists and turned away. “Because that is my freedom, Little Red. You mean me no harm any longer. You went so far as to free me to save a wolf pup, and I can choose not to harm those who cross my paths in these times. So I will not.” The last words came out a low growl, echoing in the cavern.

Hisneedpulsed, craving freedom and taking it wherever he could. He could have chosen to hurt others as a form of control over his life. Instead, he took his power by controlling himselfand the circumstances he could hold. He chose honor over himself.

Never before did I think I would actually respect a werewolf.

Yet here I was.

Again, hisneedwashed over me, and I felt another, secondaryneed. One to be around a pack, to be close to another soul. I dug deeper, trying to determine the meaning. Ahug? This big bad werewolf needed a hug?

Whelp at this point, why not?

I jolted forward. He stepped back, eyeing me as if I were a kitten about to bite his toe, and he actually jumped when I wrapped my arms around his waist. It was awkward as heck.

CHAPTER 9

Scent of Freedom

SHEN & ALIA

Shen

The smell. Originally, I thought it was sunshine and freedom mixed with lavender, but not any longer. Beneath it was a hint of something which reminded me of a memory I had long since suppressed. A happy memory, one where I was… free.

Papa grinned down at me. I had just completed my first shift, my gangly legs tripping me until I landed on my nose. Papa bent down, ruffling the fur on my head.

“A mighty fine werewolf you’ll be, little one. Black as night and just as swift.”

I lapped at his face with my tongue, my tail slapping against my flank. He picked me up, his arms strong and warm. A smell erupted from the mix of our joining.

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