Page 48 of Her Wolf's Demands

“That’s true,” Emiliah said with a sigh. “I, for one, have fallen under her charms. She’ll make an amazing co-alpha.”

As she strode away, I gritted my teeth against the onslaught of emotions that pounded through my veins. Although my feelings for Della had intensified, I wasn’t ready to share power. Of course, Della didn’t want to be alpha, I could feel that. And yet, her spirit wolf had the DNA of an alpha.

Shaking myself as the others started to strip and stretch, I jogged down to meet them. They turned to me, waiting for their orders.

“Brighton Pack,” I shouted, instantly quietening the chatter. “Della is with her brother, making sure that he can handle whatever the witches throw his way.”

Clearing my throat, I stood tall. “The witches have broken our pact. We promised to allow them to use the standing stones as long as they respected our request to not gather during a full moon. Not only have they held rituals there, they’re planning on doing something big tonight. Something sinister. We must find out what they’re doing in order to defend ourselves and our land.”

I was only reiterating what they already knew. Manual, Henry and Lionel had briefed everyone, telling them what they had to do.

“Make sure to stay back and allow us to do our jobs. The only time you’ll intervene is if the witches attack.”

Nodding, I threw my hand in the air and pointed at the full moon, just as the cloud moved to reveal it. The bright orb had reached its apex.

The wolves dropped to their knees in unison. I went with them, not bothering to remove my clothes. The process started straight away, breaking my bones first. The pain was intense but brief, almost squeezing me as my fur burst from my skin and my snout elongated.

A bark shot from my throat as the others reared up and pushed forward, ready to follow my lead. Spinning, I set off, allowing the feel of the soft grass under my paws to propel me forward. The air, which smelt of damp and mud, rushed against my face, making me feel alive.

Adrenaline pumped through my veins, giving me the energy I needed to lead my pack to the Devil’s Dyke standing stones. They were only three miles away, which we covered in just minutes.

As we ducked through trees and pounded over fields, we hardly made a sound. The rustling of leaves and chomping of teeth grew silent as we drew closer, scaring the animals away.

Making our way over the hill, we moved in unison, each knowing where the other wolves were. We had a system, one we’d practiced for hundreds of years. Normal wolves did the same, with the alpha at the front, the beta behind, followed by the main pack, and the omega bringing up the rear.

I cringed at the thought of our weaker wolves trailing at the back of the pack. My father had been sure to use them to his advantage.

In the three years since I’d been alpha, I’d tried to avoid having any one person as the omega. I’d been so busy living in Brighton, carving my creations, I’d lost track of who was currently at the back. Bad alpha.

Shaking myself of regret, I slunk over the hill and ducked into a cluster of trees. The standing stones were on the other side, deep in the cavern of the Dyke. There were five of them, dotted in a circle. I understood why the witches valued the stones, considering they were ancient and harboured strong magic.

However, they were on our lands. The treaty to allow the witches to practice around the stones had lasted for millennia. Until now.

Spreading out, we crept to the edge of the treeline and peered down into the valley. Blood rushed in my ears as my panting slowed.

There. Flames flickered on tall spikes, interspersed around the stones. Witches, around fifteen of them, formed a circle. Wait, that wasn’t a circle. From my position, I could see the pentagram symbol, formed from the way they stood.

Manual drew up alongside me, nudging me with his nose. I glanced at him, frowning as I looked into his brown eyes. He knew the plan, why was he worried?

A snort below caught my attention. Looking beyond the circle of light, I froze, my wolf form turning ice cold. On the open grass around the stones, stood around a hundred wolves.

What the fuck?

I now understood why Manual was puffing beside me. Turning my head, I nudged him, trying to get him to calm down. We would have to retreat – as soon as we saw what the bloody hell was going on between the witches and wolves.

“The full moon has hit.” Ertha’s voice rose higher, amplified by magic. “It is time.”

Two wolves and a man walked into the circle, flinching when they passed the witches. The wolves bowed their heads and stayed there, waiting for whatever was going to come next.

When the man turned towards the elder, I almost howled as anger gripped me. Kieran.

“On this day,” Ertha went on, swinging her long flowy red skirt, “we shall use the ancient power radiating through the stones to create a new kind of bond.”

Kieran bowed his head also, allowing Ertha to place a hand on his head. “This man here has spoken on behalf of the Crawley Pack, confirming that a pact has been made. You will have greater abilities, power beyond your wildest dreams.”

My heart thundered loudly, almost drowning her out. What the fuck had Kieran gone and done? And where was the alpha of the Crawley Pack?

Leaves rustled nearby so I turned and bared my teeth without making a sound. Several members of my pack were nearby, watching me with a question in their eyes.

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