Page 22 of Hunted By Wolves and Shadow
This insane claim that Grandma was a witch. That I was, too.
Wolf was so sure that was what protected me from the Mist’s effects, but it made no sense. I would know if my family were witches. I couldn’t have reached twenty-one annums of age without knowing. So what was the truth?
Was Wolf pure evil and lies, or was he so deluded he believed all this?
A steady pounding had taken up residence behind my temples, and I rubbed them as I tried to get comfortable on the couch. I needed sleep so I could think properly. I was going to have to hope that Wolf wouldn’t choose to kill me if I slept. He hadn’t so far. This wasn’t trust, but I had to be practical.
I set up beside the door like Wolf had shown me and tried to control my pulse. When the doorknob began to turn, I held my breath. He would be expecting me this time. I would have to be fast.
“Faster. Harder.”Wolf’s rough words echoed in my brain and brought an unwelcome flush to my skin at the memory of his body pressed against mine.
Another heartbeat. I flattened my back to the wall, watching the doorknob from the corner of my eye. One more heartbeat.
The door eased open, and I waited until I heard the spot where it rubbed against that one warped floorboard I kept meaning to sand down for Grandma. Today, I was glad I hadn’t.
The softshhhhwas my warning. One last heartbeat.
As hard and fast as I could, I punched out and back, just like he’d shown me. Now he would learn the price for his mistake. The knife flashed across its arc, catching a glint of firelight that reflected with the scarlet red of fresh blood.
Sudden fear closed my throat.
I was attacking a dangerous man. I was aiming to kill a person. What was I doing? Who was I?
A loud thunk preceded sharp and sudden pain reverberating through my elbow as the knife slammed to a stop. The shock wave rocked my arm.Blue skies! I didn’t realize it would be that hard. Had I hit bone?
In the span of less than a single heartbeat, my elbow screamed from the impact, my head spun. I’d attacked another human being. I would be a killer now. But this wasjustice. It wasdeserved. A life for a life.
Shimmering sunbeams, I was going to be sick.
I wasn’t prepared to bury a body!
“Much better,” came a familiar rough tone.
What?
I didn’t realize I’d closed my eyes until they flew open to find Wolf, not clutching the knife in his heart or gurgling his last breaths, but whole and hale and grinning at me. The knife was embedded in the wood back of the rocking chair he held up like a shield and it pulled from my shocked grasp as he jerked the chair away.
“Look at you, you’re learning.”
I swore a hint of pride tinged his voice. Did he not understand that I tried to kill him? That I wanted him dead? And why was I dizzy with relief?
Tremors started up my legs, and Wolf reached out to catch me by the arm.
“Whoops, easy there, witchling. First time trying to kill anyone? I should have warned you about the adrenaline drop.” He deposited me on the couch and took a seat on the low table in front of me. His elbows rested on his knees, bringing our faces close together. “Do you want a debrief? Your position and grip were both better. Speed and force, too. But—and this is a really advanced tip, so listen up—you might want to keep your eyes open next time.”
The sound that came out of me was half growl, half scream, and maybe just a tiny bit gasping relief, but I wouldn’t admit to that part. Whatever it was, Wolf laughed.
I didn’t. “I hate you.”
“Yeah, but you’re still cute.” He had the nerve to tap the end of my nose and then reach for a dark red lock of my hair to curl around his finger.
I slapped his hand away. “I’m going to kill you.”
“Correction,” he said. “You’re going totryto kill me. Unlucky for you, I’m not that easy to kill, so I have a proposal for you instead. A trade, of sorts.”
“What could I possibly want from you?”
“You just said it. You want me dead.”
