Page 16 of Dead Wolf Falling (Bad Moon Academy 2)

Releasing control of myself to Joan, we shift, shredding our clothes and landing on four paws then race into the tree line as soon as we catch a whiff of Bea and Adler. Joan’s better at tracking than I am, so I sit back and watch the world race by.

Up ahead we see a flash of brown hair.

Don’t scare her,I say.

I’m not scary.Joan huffs.

Bea is already frightened, having a wolf jump out and surprise her probably isn’t the best plan.

We can let her know we are near,Joan says.

Lifting our head, we release a soft howl, sayingwe’re here, little one. Bea stops when she hears it, and we close the distance between us, slowing to a trot when we reach her. She’s holding Adler in his eagle form in her little arms and blinking back tears. Strands of brown hair stick out at odd angles, like she ran through brush and snagged them on small twigs.

“Raven?”

We chuff.

She cries. “It tried to take him, but I wouldn’t let it.” She holds Adler up. “I kept him safe like I promised.”

We nudge her hands with our nose and brush against her, trying to calm her down. When none of this works, we shift.

“Bea, it’s okay,” I say, dropping to my knees so she doesn’t feel threatened. She’s short for a fourteen-year-old, probably a few inches shorter than five feet. Maybe it’s why she seems so frail to me.

Her eyes widen at my sudden shift and nakedness. “I was trying to keep him safe.”

“You did a good job, Bea.” I squeeze her shoulders, and she blinks back more tears. I wipe away one that escapes her control and jerk my head toward the academy. “I got the others back. What do you say we go back inside so I can get dressed?”

“Okay,” she says with a nod.

“All right.” I shift, and we set off toward the academy at a slow walk, trotting next to Bea. For how terrified she is, she carries Adler like he’s made of porcelain.

“It’s okay. It’s okay,” she says. Bea’s nervous energy is making me wary of returning, but I do need clothes and there’s the matter of figuring out how to help everyone escape before someone else dies.

Something tells me we won’t escape unscathed. The demon spirit doesn’t strike me as someone who gives up easily.

Too bad for her I don’t either.

I’ll find a way to protect everyone. I have to.

---