Page 38 of So I Won a Werelion

So I closed my eyes, and prepared myself for the moment that would change everything between us.

A growl startled me. I snapped my eyes open. Gabe pulled away from me, and those purrs from minutes before had turned into something much more sinister.

Because we were surrounded by wolves.

Chapter

Ten

Gabe

A half dozen wolves had closed in on us, surrounding us on all sides, and I’d been too lost in whatever the fuck spell these artifacts cast over me to notice.

I pulled Wendy against me. Her breaths were ragged, shallow.

“What’s up, pussycat?” the lead wolf asked, circling us. It had been a long time since I’d seen the main players in this forest in their animal forms—except for fighting off Pedro at the mating ceremony—but none of these wolves seemed familiar to me.“I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that you’re trespassing.”

“We were just leaving.”

The lead wolf stepped closer. “You might have nine lives, kitty, but your pretty human doesn’t.”

His gaze shifted from me to Wendy.

My animal was quickly coming to the surface. I was used to being a leader on my team. Making sure we had each other’s backs.

Until you broke your own rule, my animal reminded me.

He’d been coming more often. Especially since I’d come back to Colorado. Behavior unpredictable.

“Run,” I whispered in Wendy’s ear.

“Should I call Bibi?” she asked.

My animal was coming too fast for me to answer. Wendy screamed as my bones cracked. I went down to my knees as the heat melted my skin. The transitions were faster now. Like I’d lost control of them.

Wendy backed away from me and took off running. Two of the wolves followed her.

The mouthy one cut me off at the pass.“I don’t know you, pussy cat.”

“Don’t know you, either.”

He had the nerve to snicker.“Let me catch you up to speed on what happens around here.”

“This ought to be good.”I had my eye on him, but I was more concerned with Wendy. Instinct said these wolves were trying to scare us. My mate spent enough time around shifters that she should know what to do. These wolves were the wildcard. I had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

“Yeah, it is. We’re guarding this land for the owners. Which means everything here belongs to us. Including your lady friend.”

They would have to pry her from my cold, dead claws before they ever touched her. I stalked toward him.“If one of your dogs lays a paw on her—”

Wendy screamed and fell to the ground.

I was done playing nice with this wolf. I was faster than him, nimbler, and it was about time he paid me some fucking respect. I wasn’t the newcomer around here.

But fuck if I didn’t feel like it.

Wendy rose to her hands and knees. The wolves that had followed her circled her, taunting her and laughing at her, which was really fucking brave since all she would hear was a bunch of barking. But I was about to make these bastards howl.

I dove for one of their legs and they toppled on top of me. His friend came to his rescue, trying to take me on.

---