Page 6 of Wolf Touched

“Say one thing, and I swear, you’ll wish you had shot me back there,” Raffe whispered into Octavia’s ear. “One wrong move and I won’t hesitate to kill you.”

Octavia scoffed, and she marched past Lucy and me toward the couple.

My stomach clenched.

Raffe followed close on her heels. She cleared her throat rather loudly.

The couple froze before jerking apart.

“What are you two doing out here?” Octavia placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot, looking every inch like a mom. “This isn’t the place for you two to be mauling each other. No one wants to see that, especiallyme.”

The guy’s jaw dropped, and Lucy and I used the opportunity to continue past the couple. Raffe remained beside Octavia, and Lucy and I got Josie into our apartment before the altercation ended.

I didn’t know why Octavia had covered for us, but I was glad she had.

Leaving our front door open, we placed Josie on the couch. I heard a door down the outside hall shut and then a threatening growl. Raffe murmured, “Don’t do anything stupid.”

With my wolf ears, I could hear the exchange. If I’d still been human, it would’ve been a different story.

Lucy dropped onto the couch next to Josie, holdingher torso up, and I hurried into the kitchen to the refrigerator. Though we didn’t have orange juice, I had a twenty-ounce Dr Pepper I hadn’t opened yet.

Snatching it and a pack of peanut butter crackers off the four-seat table, I rushed back to Josie. Raffe and Octavia walked in as I handed the items off to Lucy, who worked on getting Josie conscious again.

I removed my phone from my back pocket. I had a missed text from Slade from two hours ago.

Slade: Hey, you coming to the bonfire? Hecate, Zella, and a few more coven members are here, wanting to hang out.

Such a simple question but one that held so much significance. The wolf shifters, coven members, and vampires didn’t get along. Even though most species kept to themselves, the coven members and vampires were more likely to hang out together because both groups had a common enemy—wolf shifters. And I was caught between species. I was a wolf shifter, but before, I’d been accepted as part of the coven because my blood worked similarly to that of the witches.

I’d planned on asking Slade to help us, but if he learned about Octavia, he’d probably want to alter her mind. I couldn’t risk it, but I still had to reply to him.

I sighed and typed a reply.

Me: Sorry, just now seeing this. I’m tied up.

My phone dinged within seconds.

Slade: Thank goddess you replied. I was worried. Okay, see you soon.

I put my phone back into my pocket and looked up to find Raffe scowling at me with his arms crossed. Hisunhappiness radiated so intensely that I didn’t have to feel it in my chest to sense it.

“Let me guess… you texted Slade, and he’s rushing here to help.” Raffe grimaced.

Octavia lifted a brow and glanced between the two of us.

“Stop. You’re my mate. He knows it. We’re just friends.” Even though Raffe was being silly, I couldn’t blame him. Slade had tried to kiss me and had wanted to date me. “He never stood a chance even before that, and he helped me escape the underground bunker and trained me with my power. And no, I didn’t ask him to come over, though I thought about it.” I walked over to my mate and placed soothing hands on his chest.

Some of his tension eased as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him. His chest rumbled with a growl. “Yet, if you did, he’d run here without a second thought. Anytime you ask, he’s like a dog at your heels. Son of the supreme priestess or not, I’ll kill him if I suspect he’s up to something.”

“Wait. You’re close to a coven member?” Octavia tensed. “Why?”

“He helped me when no one else would. He saved my life.” I hated how even the stranger didn’t like the fact that I was close to supernaturals. “What did you expect? For me to remain alone and misunderstood all my life?”

She averted her gaze to the laminate wood-like flooring, avoiding mine.

Not wanting to analyze her reaction, I watched Josie sip the Dr Pepper. Her movements were still sluggish, and Lucy had to help her, but she was getting sugar and caffeine in her. That should help.

Octavia shook her head, her voice cracking. “We were so wrong to leave you.”

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