Page 65 of Wolf Touched

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Raffe snarled.

Priestess Caroline didn’t even look at him. Instead, she said, “Make the apple explode, or you’ll have to fight us.”

I laughed. Was this how she expected to train me? “Uh … shouldn’t we do something more conventional and less extreme?” I moved away from Raffe, not wanting him to get stuck in the cross fire of whatever Priestess Caroline had in store for me.

“Then you’ll never learn because your power has become too strong for you to control, even in small doses.” Priestess Caroline shot flames at me again, but this time, I didn’t move, letting the flames engulf me. Just like at the house, they didn’t bother me at all.

If she was trying to get a rise out of me, she’d be disappointed. Instead, I found her tactic funny.

Faith and Avalon materialized beside Raffe. Faith had a dagger in one hand, and she lifted her other hand, causing the ground to shake hard underneath him.

He crashed to the ground, and I’d moved to help him when Avalon forced Raffe onto his back and Faith jumped on him, placing a dagger to his neck.

My power went from dormant to a hum. No one threatened my mate like that.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Power hummed throughout my body, in tune with the heated blood pounding through my veins. My attention turned to the two women on top of Raffe, ready to eliminate them in the most efficient way possible.

“If you want him safe, make the apple explode.” Priestess Caroline stepped from the house. “Otherwise, you can’t help him.”

Fuck all that.

When I realized the real dilemma, I froze. They were on top of Raffe, so if I didn’t control my power, he could be injured. A lump formed in my throat as my power pulsed outward.

My wolf surged forward, wanting to join the battle to protect our mate, but I didn’t have time to shift.

Raffe tried to fight, fur sprouting on his arms, but Avalon stood over him and lifted her hands. The wind she created was holding him in place. This was a group attack.

These weren’t our friends. They had to be secretly working with the Veiled Circle.

The ground shook all over, my power funneling out.Something needed to happen, but we weren’t sure what. My focus turned to Priestess Caroline. If I killed her, the others might listen.

“If you make this apple explode, we’ll release Raffe. We don’t want to hurt him.” Priestess Caroline lowered the hand that had shot flames to her side while placing the apple in front of her face. “Just blow it up, and we’ll release him.”

Raffe’s panic flowed into me, constricting my chest painfully and increasing the strength of my power.

I … I can’t shift. The wind is preventing me from doing anything,he linked.Sky, go back to the house. Get away from here.

There’s no way in hell I’m leaving you.If he thought I would, he didn’t know me at all. I took a step toward Avalon and Faith, but Faith dug the blade into Raffe’s neck a little more.

“The closer you come, the harder I’ll press the edge into his neck,” Faith said in a strangled voice. “Don’t make me do it. We’re just trying to help you.”

Blood trickled down Raffe’s neck, the copper scent carrying on the breeze. My blood sang, and the ground quaked harder until the trees along the property swayed.

“Helpme?” If they believed this was help, I’d hate to see what being malicious was like. “That’s my fated mate, the other half of my soul you’re threatening.” Branches fell from the trees, and my power felt like a riptide within me—all-consuming and with nowhere to go because everywhere it wanted to go would only harm my mate more.

Adam, get your ass down here and protect Skylar,Raffe commanded into the pack link.The coven has betrayed us. Keith, Josie, and Lucy, how far away are you? We need you here now.

“Listen, just concentrate on the apple before you kill us all.” Priestess Caroline lifted the apple higher like she thought it hadn’t been visible before. “Blow it up, and your mate is safe. That’s all you have to do.”

My power became unstable. A crack shot up through the siding of the priestess’s house, the foundation no longer able to absorb the shock.

It reminded me of when Slade and I had escaped from the underground bunker and I’d made the rock crumble down almost on top of us. My power hadn’t been as strong then as it was now. For some reason, I believed her. I just needed to blow up that damn apple. If that’s what it took to save my mate, I’d fucking do it.

Pushing away my frustration, I locked my gaze on the apple, refusing to even blink. I needed that apple to explode—now.

We’re leaving the store, about twenty minutes away, dammit,Keith replied, his frustration strong.I’ll run there if that’s what it takes.

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