Page 48 of Secret Wolf Baby

Hank. The man who had harassed me at the grocery store, who had only left when Jackson had intervened. Last time, it had been broad daylight, and I’d been only a street away from a bustling population. The man had crept me out, but there had been some level of safety during that encounter.

Now, we were on a deserted street, and it was nighttime with no one to witness anything.

I froze in place as panic gripped me. My chest tightened. My mind began to spin as my wolf snarled, bristling, ready to fight. But picking a fight with an angry drunk shifter seemed like the worst possible idea.

He took a step forward. Before he could get any closer, I turned and ran, shifting as I did. Behind me, I could hear Hank shift as well and start giving chase.

I kept racing through the streets, but I was still unfamiliar with them, and it was easy for me to lose my bearings and makewrong turns. But it wasn’t until I ran into an alley with a large brick wall at the end that I realized how much trouble I was in. I turned back around to see a wolf looming in the entrance of the alley, stalking toward me until my back pressed against the rough brick.

He had me cornered. I wasn’t a fighter; I was almost the exact opposite. Despite this, I wasn’t going to let him get anywhere near me without defending myself.

I snarled, swiping my paw out at him. I felt a savage satisfaction as my claws raked across his snout. He yowled in rage as he stumbled backward, blood pouring from the wound.

He snarled at me, eyes burning with rage, and stalked forward again. He lunged, preparing to strike.

A ferocious howl echoed from my left. Before I could even turn to see what was going on, a gray blur barreled into the wolf’s side.

Jackson’s wolf snarled, leaning over the other wolf, his paw pressing against his chest. He bent forward, his sharp teeth dangerously close to the prone wolf’s throat.

I let out a soft growl, causing both wolves to look at me. I shook my head at Jackson. The asshole wasn’t worth killing. Jackson’s wolf looked at me reluctantly, his tail swishing in anger. I could tell he would love to tear out the guy’s throat.

Eventually, he let out a reluctant grumble. He snapped at the air right above the wolf’s jugular in a clear warning. Then he stepped back.

Hank’s wolf scrambled to his feet and charged out of the alley, his tail between his legs.

Jackson stared after him long after he vanished, his fur bristling. He kept himself between me and where the attacker had run off.

I stared at Jackson, his gray fur glinting silver in the moonlight. He had come to protect me. He hadn’t abandoned me. My chest tightened, and I wondered, truly for the first time, if he had changed more than I thought.

Chapter 15 - Jackson

I waited until I knew the creep wasn’t going to come back. Once I was satisfied, I shifted back to human. When I turned, I saw Audrey had done the same. She was naked, her clothes torn to shreds when she’d shifted, but she looked all right. Still, I couldn’t help the panic rippling through me as I worried whether she was hurt.

“Are you okay?” I asked. I scanned her up and down, taking note of every scratch and bruise I could find. She seemed okay, though. Perhaps a little shell-shocked.

“I’m fine,” she said. “Are you?”

“Yes.”

I couldn’t stand it. Seeing her wasn’t enough. I needed to touch her, to feel that she wasn’t hurt. My hands went to her shoulders, fingers moving down her arms as I searched for injuries. She shivered at my touch, leaning into me instinctively.

Eventually, I was satisfied she wasn’t hurt. I sighed, relieved that she was okay. Just the thought of her being injured was too much. I wanted to keep her safe always, to protect her from everything.

Unable to express any of that, no matter how hard I tried, I pulled her into a hug, holding her tight, breathing in her scent. She stiffened in surprise, but only for a moment before she leaned into me, nuzzling her head against my chest.

“I’m all right,” she said, as if sensing my emotions. “He’s gone. Nothing bad happened.”

“It could have. I should go after him and tear him to shreds,” I snarled. I wished I had.

She rested her hand on my shoulder, dragging my attention back to her. “Don’t,” she said. “Please.”

Her pleading took me by surprise. Silently, I pulled her against me, resting my chin on her head. She leaned against me as I stroked her back.

After a moment, she stepped back. “I’m okay, Jackson,” she repeated.

I frowned. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. It isn’t like he did anything. All’s well that ends well.”

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