Page 36 of Empowering the Wolf's Heart

Regardless, it was time for us to say goodbye to the little human.

“Do not concern yourself with such trivial matters. Is your unicorn around?” I asked.

Doc stood upright from where he was searching his medicine cabinet in the corner. “Unicorn?” he mouthed.

Alia nodded, confirming my suspicion that she was, in fact, bonded to the wicked creature.

She tilted her head up to look at me, a puzzled frown on her face.

“If not because I saved you, then why?”

Doc snorted. As a warning, I glared at him, though it went unheeded. He dared towinkas he said, “The boy is a bleeding heart, that is why.”

Her head tilted, studying me. Then she nodded, as if it made sense. “Then, why do you ache so?” she whispered, so low I nearly missed it, even with my sensitive hearing.

She stuck out her hand. I slowly reached forward and was nearly jolted out of my skin when a gentle tingle ran up my arm. I tried to hide it. She seemed unaffected.

“Thanks… And if I see you again, I’ll try not to stab ya.”

My lips twitched. “Was that hard for you to utter?”

She looked like, should we be better acquainted, she would have been tempted to punch my shoulder. A part of me longed for that.

Down, boy,I whispered to Lycus.

He stretched in my soul, uncoiling from a nap.Hmm?he asked.

“Are you alright?” Alia asked.

My eyes cleared. I must have zoned out, a dangerous thing for one such as me.

That was when I smelled him.

“Pa, your youngest grandchild is needing?—”

A low growl erupted in my throat. Alia stepped back, turning to stare at the man who just waltzed in the door as if he owned the place. Sure, he was set to inherit the estate once his father passed, but dragon’s bane, he was not the owner yet!

“Oh dear, you must forgive my intrusion. Why is a lovely lady such as yourself so pale? Should I knock some sense into my pal, Shen, here?” I growled again, and mypalhad the audacity to grin. “Don’t worry about old grouchy pants over there. He’s all growl and no bite.”

Alia giggled.

Lycus came forward. My teeth grew, pressing against my lips and tongue. It was not a pleasant part of the shift, but it did not entirely hurt, either.

“Alright, that’s my ticket to get out of here. See ya later, dudes, dudette, and Pa!”

“No, it’s alright, I was just leaving,” Alia said, stepping forward. “I’m Alia.”

Fen’s smile dropped minutely. His eyes narrowed and he took a deep breath. Then his smile returned as if it had never left. “Pleasure is all mine, Miss Alia. I’m Fen,” Fen said.

I watched him, but he avoided my gaze. What was that about?

Alia bit her lip to contain her smile. Her eyes flew to the puppy currently sleeping, then back up to me. Something inside me uncoiled. Some long-dead piece of me awoke.

Her eyes crinkled and lips lifted in pure joy. My lips turned up to match hers without my permission.

“Has he ever smiled before?” Fen whispered out of the side of his mouth to a similarly discombobulated Doc, who shrugged.

“Fenbutt?” I said. Alia giggled, making my heart turn with something I could not quite determine.

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