Page 34 of Her Wolf's Demands

“So, what does kill it?” Rochelle’s voice was tight and squeaky.

Swallowing down my rising panic with a gulp, I ignored the trickle of perspiration that slipped down my back. The heady smell of rot and dog breath wafted around my head as the beast pawed the floor, readying for an attack. What had Drake told me about hellhounds? Oh yeah. Run. Fast.

Spinning, I shoved Rochelle towards the door. She squealed as a roaring howl rent the air.

“Brute strength,” I shouted, grabbing the handle of the door and yanking hard.

It stuck, trapping us inside. Of course, Ertha would’ve made sure that if someone did manage to get in, they couldn’t escape. Maybe she’d left the hellhound as an ironic middle finger to me. The hybrid wolf-witch gets ripped to shreds by a dog twice the size of her.

“Shift!” Rochelle called, stepping away from me.

Turning, I threw up my arm, casting a barrier spell that stopped the oaf of a beast from ploughing into us. His head smashed into an invisible wall, the knock startling him for a second.

We were trapped in the tiny entranceway, between the spelled door and a great huffing evil creature who wanted to chomp on our bones.

“I thought you said magic didn’t work on it?” Rochelle tugged off her pretty cami top and threw it on the floor.

Shaking my head, I clasped my vibrating chest, trying to calm my racing heart. “It doesn’t, but a powerful barrier spell might keep him at bay for a little while. What are you doing?”

Her clothes were now shoved in the corner, leaving her completely naked. She glanced over at the hound, who thrust himself against the invisible wall, snapping and snarling.

“We’re wolves, we need to play the dog at his own game. The only difference is that we have pack mentality, so we can work together.” Tying up her gorgeous red locks, she shrugged.

“Are you fucking kidding me? You want to fight him?”

“Have you got any better ideas? Release the barrier spell, let me distract handsome doggy while you shift. We’ll run around him, tiring him out before I go for his neck. It’s time for you to get dirty.”

A wicked grin crossed her lips as she dropped to her knees and instantly started to shift. Her face elongated at the same time as her body did, bones crunching and cracking. Within seconds, she was a wolf, her bright red fur more like a fox.

The crazed beast hesitated, drawing back from my wall. He sniffed the air, his red eyes following Rochelle as she stretched, looking like she had all the time in the world.

Maybe she loved the adrenaline that came with a fight. Me, on the other hand, I was the girl who ran away when conflict was brewing.

Looking up at me, Rochelle grunted, thrusting her muzzle towards the beast, who pawed the stone flag tiles again.

Getting to my knees, I opened my palm, releasing the barrier spell. As soon as it was down, Rochelle shot through, ducking to the left of the beast and disappearing.

My muscles tensed as I willed my shift, my teeth clenching as my bones cracked and fur pushed from my skin. My eyes were closed tight shut, just in case the hellhound came after me. I didn’t want to see his slobbery mouth descend on my head, ready to crunch it in its jaws.

The shift was over in seconds, the speed of it making my stomach roll. Shaking myself, I swallowed down the bile that rose in my throat, determined not to attract the hound’s attention.

Rochelle was running around the hall, past the coffee booths. Houndy turned in her direction, his hulking frame pushing off the floor and giving chase.

My wolf heart pounded as I set off after them, my paws whacking against the stones. My pads were calloused, giving me purchase on the slippery surface.

I didn’t really know what Rochelle wanted me to do, and yet, instinct kicked in. My teeth bared as I opened my mouth to pant. Houndy pounded the floor, getting a lollopy momentum. Just as Rochelle reached the end of the hall, she ducked behind the coffee counter. Houndy carried on, his huge frame too heavy to turn quickly. He slammed straight into the far wall, knocking a shit-load of books off the shelves.

My heart hurt for the books, but an excited yelp burst from me as the beast shook himself before turning. His red eyes stared straight at me. Oh, my witchy days, he was fierce and scary and… I should’ve been moving by now.

Spinning, I flicked out my tail and surged forward. My paws trotted, propelling me on as Houndy came for me. I didn’t dare look around, I knew I would drop to the floor and wolf cry, like a bitch. Just the thought of the hairy black creature with red eyes and a gawping drooling mouth made me shudder, let alone seeing him bearing down on me.

As I approached the end of the room, I panicked. What if Houndy was a little more intelligent than I’d imagined? What if he’d caught on to our game?

I still had to try.

Slowing down slightly, I huffed, waiting until the last moment before shooting to the left. The loud crash behind me caught my attention, making me look around at our nemesis. He was on the ground, his head wobbling from side to side as he stumbled up. The wall behind him had a smear of blood and fur spread across it. Bloody hellhound, this was going to take forever.

A flash of red launched from the railing above Houndy’s head. Rochelle landed on top of him, her paws slashing and her teeth snapping.

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