Page 17 of Her Bossy Wolf Protector

With everything prepared, Mariya begins the complex and mystical process of the locator spell. Candles flicker as the incantation unfolds, their soft, wavering light casting shadows across the room. I watch, both in awe of her abilities and in anticipation of the spell’s outcome.

Finally, she turns to me, her expression etched with concern. “Gabriel, I found her.”

I lean forward, my heart pounding as I ask, “What is it?”

Mariya’s next words send a shiver down my spine. “She’s in the Carmans River Pine Barrens State Forest, but her lifeline is fading fast.”

I stiffen, the gravity of her words sinking in. I already know what this means, but I can’t help but ask, my voice edged with a sense of dread, “What does that mean?”

Mariya doesn’t mince words. “It means, Gabriel, that you need to find her quickly. Whoever that necklace belongs to is dying, and she doesn’t have much time left.”

The urgency of the situation hits me like a tidal wave.

Fuck! Why is everything that revolves around Jade so damn complicated?

“I will leave immediately.”

“Please be careful, Gabriel,” she says.

“I will, Mariya. I will.”

My first stop is my son’s bedroom, where I find Liam snuggled up, softly snoring in blissful slumber. Seeing his innocent form brings both comfort and a twinge of worry.

I reach out, gently petting his tousled hair and pressing a tender kiss to his forehead. “I will be back soon, buddy.”

He stirs once still deep in slumber.

Now that I have said my goodbye to Liam, I make my way to my bedroom to change. I take off my suit and tie and put on clothes for hiking: a black T-shirt, a pair of trusty blue jeans, and sturdy hiking boots. Then I grab my black leather jacket before exiting.

I head back to my office to get the sweater I need to track Alyssa. Mariya is still in the process of clearing the table. I pause to ask her, “When Liam wakes up, could you please tell him I’ll be working late?”

She nods in understanding. Then, in a rare move that takes me completely by surprise, Mariya puts down the candles she was carrying and pulls me into a hug. I wrap my arms around her. “What’s this?” I ask.

“Just be careful, Gabriel. I have a really bad feeling about this. Maybe you can reach out to—”

“No!” I cut her off, “I can’t reach out to them to help track a human, especially with everything else happening. I’ll be careful, I promise. Nothing is going to happen to me, Mariya.”

She reluctantly lets me go.

With one last glance, I bid her farewell and walk out of my office and out of the house.

I climb into my car, take a deep breath, and start the engine.

At around 5 PM, I arrive at the Carmans River Pine Barrens State Forest entrance. The forest is shrouded in the hues of early evening. The sun’s golden rays are filtering through the dense canopy of trees.

I park my car and get out, ready to begin my search for Alyssa.

As I pull the sweater to my nose, the connection to her strengthens, a metaphysical thread drawing me closer to her. I feel the essence of her presence, a beacon in the vast wilderness. The deeper I venture into the forest, the more pronounced the scent becomes.

However, as I draw nearer to her location, the scent becomes contaminated by something else, something dark and foreboding. Alyssa smells like jasmine and wildflowers, but now the air is polluted by a metallic scent.

It’s the scent of blood.

Mariya was right. Something was definitely wrong. The smell of blood overpowers her scent, meaning she has lost quite a bit of blood. I need to get to her and get to her fast.

There’s no time to waste, and I know what I need to do. I put the sweater on the ground and then quickly undress.

The transformation from man to wolf begins with a strange, tingling sensation. It’s like an electric current coursing through my body, awakening every nerve and muscle. A surge of energy, almost too powerful to contain, flows within me, and I can feel the change taking hold.

---