Page 24 of The Alpha's Shattered Bonds

My cheeks heated as I considered again that it was a good thing Logan was here with me and Tyler; when one couldn’t even shift without getting all hot and bothered, there was a definite need for a buffer. With surprise, I noticed that Logan had turned away from me, too. I’d expected him to make me feel as uncomfortable as possible, but he’d been decent and given me privacy to dress.

“I’m decent,” I announced to them both as I squatted down to pack away the precious herb in my hand in its box.

When Logan turned around, his entire demeanor had altered, and respect shone in his eyes. “This past week, I’ve been watching you,” he said, his expression intense.

“I hadn’t noticed,” I deadpanned.

I thought I detected the minutest smile, but it was gone so quickly I might have imagined it.

I picked up the box with the jedra, carefully putting it away in my bag.

“You’ve dedicated yourself to treating the sick,” Logan continued, “even those who have treated you poorly. Now, you’ve risked your life to get that herb. I respect that.”

I looked up at him with surprise. A strange prickling sensation washed over me from the crown of my head right down to my spine. Logan’s brown eyes, ordinarily so hostile, were centered on me with complete earnestness. For a moment, I felt more bare than I had when I’d been naked. Even Tyler’s expression, etched with frustration from my dangerous climb, seemed to fade into the background as Logan seemed to be extending this wholly unexpected olive branch.

But clearly, I’d read too much into his words as he added, “Don’t for a second think I trust you fully. I’ll be keeping a close eye on you when we get back.”

My lips twitched. Logan was back to being himself.

Before I could respond, a guttural growl sliced through the air, freezing my blood. Black wolves emerged from the shadows of the trees, their onyx fur glinting ominously in the muted light. Eyes burning with malevolence, they stalked toward us, primal rage etched into their features.

My heart hammered. All six Alaskan packs had different colored fur, and the wolves with the ebony coats belonged to the Black Moon Pack.

“Fire the flare, Logan!” Tyler ordered before shifting into his majestic silver wolf, his glinting coat like that of all of us Silver Moons.

From the side of his pack, Logan drew out a flare gun. Without hesitation, he pointed the gun skyward. The rocket spiraled up in a blazing arc, illuminating our surroundings as it exploded like a fiery star.

Yet, the black wolves advanced, their growls rumbling through the forest as they circled us, slowly surrounding us. I held my breath, anticipation crackling around us like static. My magic pooled in my veins, a hidden power awakening.

The black wolves lunged, snarls echoing and their teeth gleaming in the low light.

I raised my hands, and a protective barrier sprang to life, shimmering like liquid light, encasing Tyler, Logan, and myself.

In a moment, Logan had shifted into his silver wolf, too. My shield allowed both him and Tyler exit and entry, a fluid curtain of protective energy, but it was as impenetrable as the mountain rock to the enemy wolves.

Both silver wolves locked onto the invading wolves. When the first black wolf lunged, Tyler launched himself through the barrier, a silver streak colliding with the ebony shadow, the two spinning in a whirl of claws and teeth.

But then, the weight of dark magic pressed against my shield, a force that took all of my focus. Shock ricocheted through me. Where had that come from?

Logan launched himself through the barrier, his movements fierce and swift as he brought down two black wolves before returning to the safety of our circle. Both he and Tyler fought with calculated coordination, their attacks brutal and efficient. The clash of black wolves as they threw themselves against my shield crackled with energy, but they couldn’t penetrate it.

But then something shifted; a figure emerged from the trees—someone in human form. He boasted rippling muscles, and his arms were adorned with tattoos that coiled around them likeshadows. But it wasn’t his figure alone that was intimidating. It was what he held—an artifact, some sort of medallion studded with different ores.

Dread stole through me as I sensed the power pulsing around this relic. The hint of dark magic that had assaulted my shield earlier came from this man and relic. The familiar oily residue I felt from the Black Moons’ dark magic thickened against my skin. My heart raced as I realized this was no ordinary group of wolves. This man, wielding this relic, reeked of powerful dark magic. The object he wielded was one steeped in the darkest kind of magic, and those crystals were instilled with cursed magic.

In a moment, the Black wolves fell back toward him, and Tyler and Logan moved back into my protective circle. Tyler shifted once more into his human form, his muscled, powerful body taut with tension as he fixed his attention on the newcomer.

The tattooed man had longish dark hair and a silvery scar across his cheek, giving him a roguish look. He pinned his dark stare on Tyler.

The man’s gaze settled on Tyler, his eyes gleaming with a malevolent intensity. “Alpha Tyler, what a fine thing to happen upon you.” His words were laced with sarcasm.

Tyler’s face remained impassive, but a hint of anger simmered beneath the surface. “Alpha Marcus, I presume?” His voice dripped with disdain.

Marcus chuckled, his grin twisting into a snarl. “My reputation precedes me,” he sneered, his eyes glinting with amusement.

Tyler’s gaze fell to the dark relic in Alpha Marcus’s hands. “You know using dark magic to spread illness is a coward’s way of fighting?”

A flash of anger crossed Marcus’s face, and he took a deliberate step closer, his voice lowering to a cold whisper. “Let’s see if you dare call me coward when you and your witch are on your knees.”

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