Page 141 of Shadow City: Silver Wolf

Silver Moon

CHAPTER ONE

The man—whocould pass as my brother—stood over Griffin and me as my mate held me in my wolf form. The joy of having Griffin beside me eased some of the aches that racked my body, despite his concern wafting through our bond.

I loved him so damn much.

The full moon was high in the sky, shining as if informing me we’d been in battle longer than I realized. It had to be just after midnight, and there was still a chill in the late spring air that felt good on my hot skin.

Because of the full moon, my wolf body was twice the size of a normal wolf, which made me a larger target; that was partially why I’d almost been shot in the first place. Julius had just pushed me out of the path of a bullet fired by one of my enemies, but the reason why was worse than death.

In fact, he was the worst enemy here. A man from my own race, working to hand me over to someone who wanted to use me as his personal breeder.

Someone who wanted to take me from my fated mate and hold me hostage for personal gain.

Who wanted to rule over my race—the rare silver wolf—because we had ties to the moon and were stronger than other wolf shifters.

Who wanted to breed his own personal army.

It was a future that I refused to accept. I’d rather die than submit to someone like that.

The only person whose children I’d ever bear was my mate, Griffin’s.

You’re hurting.Griffin’s deep, sexy voice rang in my head.We have to get Rosemary to heal you.

I’m okay.The words were bitter despite them not being spoken aloud.Julius…knocked me out of the way.I’d almost saidsaved me, but that wasn’t what he'd done at all. He wasn’t saving me from evil—he was just making sure that I survived long enough to fulfill the evil plan that would benefit him.

I bared my teeth at Julius, allowing my wolf to surge even more. We were in some sort of stare-down, and this asshole wouldn’t win. Whether he realized it or not, I was more dominant—my brighter silver hair told us everything.

He’d also mind-linked with me, which shouldn’t have been possible.

I lay in the grass only a few yards away from three fighters dressed in all black. Two of them were still shooting at Killian and Sierra, while the third held a phone to his ear. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, though, because I was in some sort of stunned state when Ishouldhave been ripping out Julius’s throat. It would be so easy while he was in human form and I was still a wolf. It would eliminate yet another threat—but I couldn’t get myself to do it. The bond that had formed between us was causing both of us issues.

His silver eyes had darkened to a gunmetal gray, and his smoke-colored hair was disheveled from all the fighting. Onlyalphas and their bloodlines had silver hair, with the true alphas having the lightest shade, like mine.

“I’d heard you caused problems, but I didn’t believe it until now.” Disgust wafted off him and into me through whatever demented bond we shared as he clenched his hands at his sides. His scent—a mix of Mom’s and Dad’s—made my eyes burn. “But the world revolves around you, so I shouldn’t be surprised.”She must have done something to me.

Griffin growled, “If you say one more word about her, I’ll kill you even slower than I’d already planned.”

Wait...

Julius thoughtI’ddone something tohim. The idea was laughable. I’d been minding my own business—trying to live my life and move on from the slaughter of my pack—and he’d kidnapped me. Now he blamedmefor something happening tohim? Annoyance flared through me, calming some of the inner turmoil.I haven’t done a damn thing to you.

Eyes widening, Julius stepped back like I’d slapped him. “Stop doing that.”

“Like hell I will.” Griffin‘s hazel eyes glowed with his own alpha wolf.

My mate thought Julius was talking to him, but it was me.

Before I could intervene, black wings whooshed past me, and someone slammed into Julius, forcing him past me. Rosemary screamed with unbridled rage as she punched him in the jaw and kept swinging. “There’s more where these came from if you don’t get in line.” Her long mahogany hair fell over her shoulders, and her large angel wings stretched behind her. She turned her head, and her purplish twilight eyes scanned me for signs of injury.

Watching her punch Julius bothered me way more than it should have. After all, she’d refused to kill him earlier because she’d been raised to protect silver wolves. However, she wasn’t using fatal blows, so he wasn’t at any risk of dying.

The ski-masked gunman dressed in all black, who had just fired at me, must have been in shock because he suddenly yelled, “What the hell, Julius? We were told to kill her if things got out of hand.”

Of course they’d be more upset over Julius knocking me out of the way of the bullet than care that he was getting the shit beat out of him by the angel. And the idiot just stood there like he expected an answer.

Gunfire hadn’t ceased, even if it felt like time had stopped for those few moments. Bass Guitar and the other gunmen continued to fire at Killian and Sierra, ensuring they couldn’t advance here to help us, while the gunman Julius had thwarted continued to gape at him.

---