Page 79 of Wolf Heart

"It's too late to resist," she says.

Inside of my wolf, I yell. However, my voice is unrecognizable. It sounds like I'm choking on blood and the metallic taste fills the back of my throat.

I fight throughthewitch's magictoregain control. But it's impossible. It feels like I'm trapped in a cage, unable to move, unable to do anything.

"I'll make you into what I want," she chortles. "A nice pet to wait at my feet and beg for scraps."

No! I can't let this happen. I'd rather die than be under a witch's power. Ipushmyhuman selftothe surfacebutsheistoostrong;her magic is too powerful. Acid sizzles along my skin and she lets out a raspy cackle of delight. I feel my human-self sinking lower and lower like I'm in quicksand that's pulling me down deeper and deeper. I'm being swallowed, buried alive inside my wolf.

"Yield. You have no choice."

I ignore the witch's words and force myself to transform back. My body burns as I push my human self forward.

The witch's power glows over me with renewed strength and I can only guess that she's having the others add to hers.

The world explodes around me as the magic smashes me back into my wolf. The blinding pain feels like my flesh is melting. Like soon there will be nothing left but my wolf.

Pain ripples along my spine and I bellow, struggling against the blinding agony.

"Yes." I hear the witch's voice in my head. "I'll break you; you'll learn to obey."

There's a ringing in my ears and I can't speak. Can't tell the bitch to go to hell. Can't do anything as my wolf bends under her magic, willing to do whatever she wants and there's not a damn thing I can do to stop her.

I open my wolf eyes, but it's not the same. It's like I'm watching myself in a dream, unable to control a damn thing. The air is too hot and the fire has turned everything into ash.

"I'll break all three of you, then we'll do the same for the girl."

"You'll never find her," I roar, but it comes out of my wolf muzzle like a long, low growl.

A burst of magic hits me and my wolf whimpers from the pain, snapping at me.

"Do you think I'm a fool? Of course, I'll find her just as I did you and Aspen."

I manage to shake my wolf's head in response.

Her power shoots into me, tearing through me like I touched a livewire. The pain consumes me, my muscles burn, and my skin cracks.

"Stop," one of the witches shouts. "You'll kill the wolf if you continue to attack. He's getting to you."

For a second, Marian pauses and I take a breath of relief.

"I won't let some dog tell me what to do." She whips her hand out and a jolt of magic hits me. A firestorm of magic pounds into me. It burns and tears at my bones. I try to fight back, but there's nothing I can do. I can't move. Can't shift. I'mpowerless.

My wolf yelps and curls into a ball as my muscles spasm. The tidal wave of magic keeps pounding into me and I want to bellow at the pain, but the wail only comes out as a strained, stuttered growl.

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