Page 14 of The Wolf's Bullied Pregnant Mate
Fear me,I thought, growling.
Then Adalyn bolted.
And I gave chase.
She launched herself into the woods blindly—another foolish mistake. Azure Cove was her home, but I knew these woods better than her. My wolf senses gave me a high advantage over her. Together, we disappeared into the thick of the trees.Darkness enveloped me, and I relished in it. I languished in the fear spilling from her body in waves. She ran fast—but I was faster.
My paws pounded the forest floor. I wasn’t pushing myself to my full speed—no, I wanted this chase. I wanted to give her the misbelief that she might actually escape. She never would. I didn’t care if I spilled witch blood on this damn island—not when it was my kill to make.
My brother’s death flashed through my eyes.
Adalyn mixed with that witch who had killed Zane. Lindell witches were all the same, anyway, in my eyes. All vile, disgusting plagues. I had killed enough of her coven, enough witches across states, off-duty from missions, but this one… Oh, Adalyn’s death would be sweet.
I pursued her. The woods closed in around me, guiding me through its wending paths easily. It was as if it called to me, and assisted me in my goal. I launched over fallen tree trunks, ducked beneath low-hanging branches, snarled in delight as I cleared a ravine, and gained closer.
Adalyn cried out as she ran, trying to zigzag her route to throw me off track. I was a hunter. A man and a wolf trained for this exact thing. Her scent was intoxicating, and I knew that even when I killed her, I’d never get a reprieve from it. I would carry it forever, her death mine to claim. Alex had called it fate that he was meant to arrive at Azure Cove to protect Harper.
I called it fate that I was here to kill Adalyn Lindell.
Adalyn let out a shout as she stripped over a root twisted up from the forest floor, crashing down to the ground. She grunted as she fell hard on her shoulder, immediately rolling as if to stand up, but I was faster. I leaped the last ten feet of distance between us, pinning her.
Her thin black dress pierced beneath my claws, revealing pale collarbones, a tattoo that wound around her upper arm. I stared down at her—the dark pits of her eyes, swirling black, so dark I could see my own reflection in them. Her mouth parted, frantic gasps punching out of her. A drip of my saliva dropped from my open maw and slid down her neck.
“What did I ever do to you?” she hissed. “What did I do to deserve your hatred, Zephyr?”
I hated how her voice dropped from a hiss to a softer coaxing, as if talking me down. I didn’t need to be talked down—I needed to tear her heart from her chest, render her head from her body. I needed Adalyn Lindell destroyed. I wanted my claws and teeth for this, but I couldn’t help myself. I wanted her to look into the eyes of a man when she died.
Shifting on top of her, I kept my claws digging into her. They became fingers that wrapped into her hair, pulling her head back. Her pulse flickered wildly in her neck.
“Hello, witchling,” I purred. I licked a stripe up that pulse. I would tear her throat out.
She flinched. “Get off me.”
“Did you think I was there to protect you?” I asked, pulling back. I was aware of my lack of clothes, of her struggling beneath my body. “When I tore that demon apart, did you think I’d walk away?” I shook my head, laughing at her. “I did it soIcan kill you.”
“You won’t kill me,” she whispered, her eyes meeting mine. Fear pooled in them, as well as her stubborn determination.
“Oh, I will.”
“I’m Harper’s best friend. Alex—Alex won’t forgive you if you kill me.”
“Alex knows blood feuds run deeper than anything,” I snarled. “He wouldn’t deny me this.”
“Even if it hurt his mate?”
I snorted. “Don’t flatter yourself, witch.”
“Where’s your honor?” she asked breathlessly. “Do you have none? Is that what they taught you in your pack?”
I pinned her harder. Her words cut off in a gasp. “Shut up.”
My fingers wrapped around her throat. She was right—I should have had more honor, but my hatred burned through me, hot and undeniable, and I was done resisting the urge to end this little witch’s life.
“How does it feel?” I asked. “To know that your life means so little, that it will end at the hands of a wolf?”
“Zephyr—please.”
Oh, her begging for her life was intoxicating. I grinned at her. “What is it you want?” I taunted. I wanted her to say it. I wanted her to say that her pitiful life was worth wanting.
