We cowered and began to back away over the grass as my wolf’s fear
 
 entwined with my own.
 
 This was not Jaxson. It was a monster out of legend.
 
 We backpedaled, then darted left beneath the legs of the elephant statue
 
 with no destination in mind.
 
 Jaxson snarled and chased. He was past us in a second, and with a few
 
 deft moves, he cornered us against a giant statue of a seated goddess with an
 
 urn on her head.
 
 The silver wolf growled, and I understood the meaning, almost as if it
 
 was speaking in my mind: Submit.
 
 Screw that! my wolf and I thought at the same time.
 
 We jumped up onto the statue’s lap, and when Jaxson stalked forward, we
 
 leapt into the air and landed on the grass behind him. We ran blindly, pushed
 
 by fear and the desire to run.
 
 A strange, tilted shape loomed out of the darkness—a stone tower house
 
 that was listing to the side. Then Jaxson was on us, trapping us between the
 
 house and the terrace wall.
 
 Submit, Jaxson commanded as he prowled forward, his unmistakable
 
 presence washing over us.
 
 No! I said, but his power was a drug, compelling the wolf side of me to
 
 obey. Growling, she lowered her tail and sank down on all four paws. Then,
 
 with a noise somewhere between a snarl and whine, she bellied up.
 
 You’ve got to be kidding me! I protested.
 
 Jaxson lowered his massive head to sniff us, and then his bared teeth
 
 finally relaxed.
 
 Resentment stewed in my chest.
 
 I did not like wolf Jaxson. Not one bit.
 
 21
 
 Jaxson
 
 My heart raced as my eyes drank in Savannah Caine. She was beyond