Page 48 of Empowering the Wolf's Heart

I would beg to differ,my internal conscience said. Talking to yourself is hard when you have something that’ll respond. Did that make me insane?

“What are we doing?” I had to trot to keep up with his long legs. Why’d he have to be born so tall, anyhow?

“You will know when we get there.”

“Need to know. Got it. Why’d I need my remedy satchel?”

“Are you going to chatter the entire way?”

“Are you going to be an ungracious lump of fur?”

He stopped. I nearly rammed into his back. He turned to stare at me. Then his lip twitched. “Ungracious lump of fur?”

I huffed, stepping back so I wouldn’t have to cram my neck so far to look at the cur. Did I mention he was freakin’ tall? “It’s what you are, ain’t it?”

His lip twitch turned into a tiny smile. And once more, I was slightly awestruck. The guy should smile more. He still looked dangerous as heck, but he also looked handsome. Why’d supernaturals get all the looks?

Grandma said it was to lure unsuspecting humans to their deaths. Thanks, Grandma, for that little tidbit of paranoia.

“I suppose it is,” he said, slowly dropping the smile.

“Also, why the heck did you do a complete three-sixty? You were talkative and nearly friendly when I left after—” I paused, unsure if I wanted to remind him.

“Stabbing and kidnapping me? This is the real me. Get used to it.” He turned and strode forward. I cursed his blasted long legs.

Shen

She wasuntouched by the amount of darkness that was my world, and it was my task to ensure it remained so. But my mission to keep her at arm’s length did not get along with Alia herself. She was intuitive and direct.

Blasted Doc and his schemes. I asked him to send Fen. My cousin could use some practice after all the training I’d put into the kid.

“Stay beside me,” I said. As if it were not obvious she should do so.

“Are you going to gimme any hints?” Her voice still held a wheeze. Was she not well yet? It’d been a week since her sickness. Then again, I had not been around humans enough to know how long sickness stayed. My kind would be well in a day or two from what she went through—if we even got a cold to begin with.

I took a breath before I replied, “Someone of importance was kidnapped. We do not know what shape he or she will be in when we find them.”

She stopped. “Wait, this isn’t a poisoning mission?”

I could not help the tiny huff of laughter that escaped me. “You really have me pegged as the big bad wolf.”

She scrunched up her nose. I booped it. She wiggled it.

A sharp clap of leather pierced my ears a split second before a buzzing filled the air. I grabbed Alia and brought her to my chest, enfolding her in my arms. I turned, and the arrow thudded into my back.

Alia froze. I was surprised I did not have a knife at my kidney or in my stomach for such a move.

“Forgive me. Are you alright?”

“Did you just get shot protecting meagain?” Her voice held a hint of whine laced with what sounded like concern. “Get your furry butt down so you don’t get another?—”

Another thud hit my back. “Too late,” I said.

Alia’s entire face scrunched up, and I was unsure whether she would stab me or cry.

“Get down, idiot,” she seethed, grabbing my arm and dragging me behind cover. Another arrow grazed my hood, but did not nick my skin. I was unconcerned about the arrows, unlike Alia.

She stuck her head around the corner at knee level. I grabbed her by the hood and reeled her back behind cover. She squawked and huffed and glared, her hood and hair askew. “Do not dare get yourself killed after I worked so hard to ensure you lived,” I growled.

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