Page 15 of Witches Be Damned

“You need water, Little Wolf.” Reluctantly, I shifted her from my lap and got up to fill a glass of filtered water for her.

She gulped it down and gave me back the glass. “Your turn.” My bossy mate marched me back for three glasses of my own.

I brought her back onto my lap, cuddling her and kissing everywhere I could reach, longing for her soft skin and silky hair.

Little Wolf stopped my affections to study the gashes on my face, putting on a brave face for me. “So Liv’s the Alpha? I like a bossbabe. I dig that idea.”

My fierce mate never let Knoxe beat her down, her strength and fortitude one of many reasons I admired and loved her. Bravery she shared with Liv and admired her for it. Though Little Wolf was happy to step back and let Knoxe lead our team.

“Knoxe is your Alpha.” I didn’t call her out on it when she didn’t like to show vulnerability after being bullied and teased as a teen. “And you’re the center of our harem.”

I checked the bruises and scratches on her. Blood dried over her skin and tattered clothes. I held my beast back from marching out of here and tracking down the remaining vampires to tear off their heads.

She tried pushing me away, more concerned with my wounds. “A girl can dream.” She adopted humor to cover her shaking hands, her body descending from an adrenal high.

I brushed a rusty, blood-crusted hand down her dirty face. “Stay there. I’ll be back.”

My wolf protested at leaving her alone to grab a wet hand towel from my bathroom cabinet. Instincts had him on high alert, resistant to the idea of anyone touching our mate, and by his reaction to Liv’s approach, he might refuse a healer getting close enough to treat her. I had to hold him in check long enough for them to do their duty. I hurried back to her and cleaned the grime and blood splatters from her face.

“I’ve missed you like crazy.” She stroked my naked belly, lowering my beast’s discomfort.

“Not like I have missed you,” I croaked.

Separation for wolf shifters was much harder than it was for humans when mates were connected by their souls.

“We’re together now.” Her fingers trailed along my bloodied face.

For how long? A few days at best? Soon she’d have to leave and report to the Guild in Bathurst, and they’d return her to the Guardians. Saying goodbye a second time would break my wolf and me, and I feared we wouldn’t be able to let her go again.

CHAPTER 6 - ASTRA

Raze shifted into his Lycan form at the knock on the door, a damn wolf defending his territory from intruders. At seven feet, he nearly took out a ceiling beam of the cabin in his storm to the entry.

Abuse at the hands of the vampires made my poor wolf more defensive than usual, scaling up his aggression and territorial nature. He was half-animal and only doing what was natural to protect his threatened mate. That said, I dreaded a repeat of earlier, where I met Liv and feared I’d have to pull three wolves apart with magick if he didn’t calm down.

“Raze, no!” I told him, crossing to him, settling my palm over his rapidly moving chest, hoping to lessen his alarm and prevent him from tearing the door off its hinges.

He growled and flashed teeth at me. Nope. Not having any of this Lycan business. He needed to get control of his wolf and change back.

“Who is it?” I assumed control of the situation before he got his Alpha more offside by doing damage to the cabin or commune’s members.

“It’s Liv,” the Alpha answered. “The healer’s here.”

Thank God!

Raze’s wounds looked nasty, and I wanted them tended to. Judging by his heavy brow, bared teeth, and the thunder in his chest, that wasn’t going to be easy or fun. I sure hoped the healer was experienced with difficult patients.

“You need to calm down,” I said slowly and evenly. “Please, Raze. I’m barely holding on.” A meltdown nudged at the back of my mind if he didn’t bring the chill.

He groaned and brushed my hair, his fangs receding, his bones cracking as they morphed into his human form. “I’m sorry for scaring you, Little Wolf.”

“It’s okay.” I motioned for him to move out of the way, and he did, allowing me to crank open the door. “Hi, come in.”

Massive forearms wrapped around my chest and middle, locking me to Raze’s front.

“I’ll wait out on the porch as the living room is cramped,” Liv said, pulling back, allowing a male and heavily pregnant female to enter. “This is Aaliyah and Castor.”

“Thanks, Liv.” Gold patches on Castor’s black leather jacket spelled Enforcer and Jackals’ Wrath MC.

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