Page 64 of The Warlock's Kiss

He sank into a crouch in front of her. There was fury on his face, but also a strange hint of wariness and uncertainty. He reached for her, but stopped before he touched her, lowering his hand. “Are you two all right?”

Adalynn launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck to embrace him tightly. Somehow, sheknewthe magic flowing around him, over him, and through him would never hurt her. That magic whispered over her and permeated her body as she touched him; itsangto her.

Merrick wrapped his arms around her and held her just as tightly. His magic made her skin tingle in the most delightful way; it brought her every nerve ending to life despite all that had just happened.

“Wow,” Danny said, his voice strained. “You obliterated him.”

Drawing back from Adalynn, Merrick flicked his gaze between her and her brother. “Are you okay? Are either of you hurt?”

Adalynn shook her head. “Just some bruises. It would have been worse, but you got here in time.”

He raised a hand, settled it on her cheek, and brushed his thumb across her skin. “It was too close. I should’ve just stayed with you.”

“You didn’t know.” She looked down at his body and gently touched the skin just below the glowing claw marks on his chest. “What about you? You’re…not bleeding, but you’re hurt.”

“I am fine, Adalynn. I will heal.” He took hold of her wrist and guided her hand away. “There are two more outside I have to deal with. Grab the shotgun and stick close to me.” His eyes flicked to Danny again. “Both of you.”

Knowing that there were still more werewolves nearby send a fresh jolt of fear up her spine, but Adalynn nodded and went to retrieve the gun. On her way, she pulled the sides of her robe together and tied it tight.

Once she had the shotgun in hand, Merrick led them into the hallway. His magic gave everything an ethereal blue glow as they walked along the silent corridor and descended the spiral stairs. Adalynn might’ve thought this place haunted had she seen a light like his when she’d first arrived.

Danny kept close to Adalynn’s side throughout, and she walked only a couple feet behind Merrick, unwilling to get any farther from him than that. They walked into the kitchen and through the back door, stepping onto the porch.

The devastation wrought by his magic was even more apparent from this closer vantage. A wide swath of the back lawn—at least ten yards across in all directions—was scorched to ash and dirt. Half of a tree had been in the blast zone, and was now a charred mess with faint blue energy glowing through the cracks, a harsh contrast to the other half that was, for now, still green and alive.

Merrick led them to the wide steps and down onto the lawn. As they walked forward, movement ahead—at ground level—caught Adalynn’s attention. Her eyes widened as she realized what she was staring at.

Two werewolves, both with brown fur, wereinthe ground, only their heads visible. They were buried up to their cheeks, their eyes wide with fear and their breaths shallow and ragged.

“Whoa…” Danny said.

Adalynn seconded that sentiment.

Merrick strode up to the wolves and crouched in front of them. “I found the last member of your group.” He slapped his hands on his pants, producing a small cloud of dust.

Not dust. Ash.

The smaller of the two werewolves sputtered and coughed as she breathed in the ash.

“I suppose that makes one woman he got inside tonight,” Merrick said.

Adalynn looked at Merrick. For all the hardness he’d shown her and her brother when they first arrived here, he’d never sounded so cold, so callous, so unforgiving as he did in that moment. She realized then that Merrick reallywasa monster. He was dangerous, and his power was terrifying. But he washermonster. She knew he’d never hurt her and Danny—because there was amanwithin that monster, and that man had given himself to her.

“So, who here feels the burning need to avenge their fallen comrades?” Merrick asked. The energy around his hands intensified, casting long shadows behind the wolves’ heads.

Their eyes widened farther, bright with reflections of his magic.

“We submit,” the male said, lowering his snout as far as possible and averting his gaze.

“Please,” the female replied. “We…we didn’t want this.”

The male nodded—at least as best as he could. “My sister and I joined this pack for protection, that’s all. To survive, not to kill people.”

Adalynn clutched the gun against her chest. Her eyes flicked to Danny. She understood the driving need to protect the ones you love, understood the need to doanythingto keep them safe.

Merrick glanced back at Adalynn over his shoulder, his brow low over the one glowing eye she could see. He turned back to the wolves.

“Please,” the female said, “Colin is gone, and we don’t have ties to any of the others. The pack is dissolved.”

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