Page 48 of Cosmic Power

Anger soared through her and she glared at the brown werewolf as he crouched, spreading his claws out wide on the ground. His golden eyes narrowed and then she felt it, a ripple of his dominance sailing towards her.

He should have known better.

She sent a current of her own dominance back and it smashed straight through his, obliterating it like a piece of glass, and hit the brown werewolf head on, throwing him to the ground. Even injured, she was still stronger.

She dropped to all fours and stalked forward, her silver eyes burning with anger. Excitement and adrenaline pumped through her veins, the thrill of the hunt making her lick her lips with anticipation.

Stop toying with him and end it!, Zamorra snapped in her mind, and she huffed.

She didn’t want to end the fight too quickly. Despite the pain throbbing in her body, she was having fun.

Zamorra rolled her eyes and sent a fluttering of the disappointment she felt through her body.

I have been locked away for days, let me have some fun, she pouted.

Fine, Zamorra sighed.

Zamorra sent a burst of her own strength through their bond and she pulled the power close, letting it simmer just beneath the surface, ready to unleash when she wanted.

The brown werewolf picked himself up and shook out his body. He snarled at her approaching him like a predator, like he was insulted she was trying to make him prey.

He obviously didn’t know it yet, but he was her prey. And she was going to feast.

With a thud, he dropped on all fours and ran at her. He leapt into the air, claws outstretched and aiming for her throat. She rolled onto her back and slashed her claws through the soft skin on his exposed stomach as he sailed over the top of her.

The brown werewolf screeched and dropped to the ground. It was a sound that sent her into a frenzy. She wanted to hear it again, preferably as she tore into his chest and feasted on his heart.

She sprang to her feet and charged him, knocking him down when he tried to get back on his clawed feet. She locked her jaw on his throat and—

“Cease!” a powerful deep voice roared, and she froze.

Confusion rippled through her. Why did she stop? She bit harder, drawing more of the brown werewolf’s blood into her mouth, making him whimper. But no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t tear out his throat like she planned. It was like there was some magical force stopping her, like she was physically incapable of following through.

Footsteps thudded in her ears but she didn’t let go of her prize. She kept her jaw locked tight around his throat. She flicked her silver eyes up and saw Barnabas standing a few feet away.

The courtyard was quiet. Everyone stood by and watched in silence as the Alpha shifter glared down at her.

“You do not have permission to kill him, youngin. Release him.”

The command was powerful. So powerful that she almost obeyed. And that angered her. Enraged her. She snarled and dug in deeper. The brown werewolf howled. Blood gurgled out of his mouth, but he didn’t dare move a muscle. He knew all it would take was one movement for her to rip his throat out.

A torrent of dominance hit her hard. “Now, youngin,” Barnabas snapped, power in every word. It rolled over her like a tidal wave and before she could even think about defying him, her teeth unlatched from his skin and her mouth opened, almost of its own accord, like she had no control over it whatsoever.

The brown werewolf below her shimmered out of existence and in its place was Elijah. His green eyes locked on her and a myriad of emotions flashed across his face. Anger, surprise, pain…and fear. That last one made her smile. She wanted his fear.

“Step back,” the Alpha shifter commanded, and she gritted her teeth, fighting the strange, powerful effect he seemed to have on her.

Why did she feel this overwhelming need to obey him? It didn’t make any sense to her. He was not her Alpha; he should hold no control over her. And yet, he did.

Barnabas narrowed his eyes and they flashed silver. Pure Alpha energy smacked into her with a force so powerful that it physically shoved her backwards. She growled and pushed back with a wave of her own Alpha energy; it hit Barnabas in the chest, making him stumble back a step.

Gasps echoed around her, and she sensed bewilderment from the shifters watching. But that’s all she felt before a roar filled with so much power, so much dominance, left Barnabas’ mouth and made her drop to her knees in an instant. It pushed against her skin, trying to force her to submit entirely, to lower her chin to the ground, but she refused.

She would never submit, no matter how much dominance he threw at her. Unlike last time, she was prepared for him, ready to fight against him.

Anger flashed across the Alpha shifter’s face and she caught a glimpse of the silver werewolf in his eyes. It was enraged.

She had defied him in front of his own men, made him look weak, and that was something the creature could not allow.

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