Page 35 of Forbidden Wolf

His brow lowered. “I hadn’t considered that.”

“I would have been studied and drained and constantly bred until they could determine if it was a hereditary trait. Then my sister and Mum would be dragged into it. Eventually, I would have had to admit that I had sex with a lycan and killed a vampire to cover it up.”

He blanched at my words. “Sounds sordid when you put it like that.”

“As opposed to what?” I asked. “Levi, we were kids who were horny and at the age to experiment. You’ve already moved on, so can we forget it?”

His hand fisted at his side, and he stared off toward where we’d been attacked. “We need to get away from here for the night. That thing with the tentacles had legs and was either swimming or walking under the water. He had gills along the side of his neck.”

“I didn’t see them since he was busy biting me,” I said, blowing my hair away from my eyes. Wearily, I pushed myself to my feet and began moving in the direction of the mountain and the caves contained in it.

“Tasha.” Levi grabbed my arm and spun me to face him. “You need to stop fighting me. We’re all we have out here.”

He was all I’d ever had, the memories of him keeping me sane in the madness of this war. But I could never admit that. Every time Castus had touched me in passing over the years, I held onto the image of Levi to give me strength. Most would consider Castus’ innocent gestures, but they never felt that way to me.

I brought my gaze up to his and straightened my back. “I’m not fighting you, Levi. I just don’t have the strength to care anymore.”

I made it several steps before I stumbled toward the ground, my hands breaking my fall. My pride shattered, and my cheek pressed against the cool ground. It was only now, at my lowest point, as I lay emotionally and physically broken that I remembered the voices the last time I lay weak and alone with my ear pressed to the earth.

Levi moved forward to help me up, but I shook my hand to stop him. Pressing my ear tight to the ground, I closed my eyes and concentrated. The sounds were faint at first, nothing more than garbled whispers. My fingers dug into the earth, and I tried to focus and peel the layers of the ground back until I could reach the souls beneath. I didn’t recognise any of them, but I desperately wanted to hear what they were saying.

A bit at a time, the voices became clearer until I could hear them. “She is marked and has not succumbed to the toxin or changed form. Bring her to me.” The voice was familiar.

“Master, the man with her is strong. One of them was able to repel us as if we were nothing more than bugs.”

“She is vampire, and he is lycan,” another voice whined. “Why are they together, Master?”

“Is it not daylight outside?” the familiar rumble of the master replied. He was the voice I’d heard commanding his troops as I lay dying before Levi saved me.

“Yes, Master.”

“Then how can she be fucking out there? Bring both of them to me now! Bring the land dwelling hellspawn up to capture them if you need to.”

I didn’t wait to hear anymore.

I grabbed Levi’s hand to pull myself up. “We need to go. Right now!”

He looked confused and opened his mouth.

I pressed my fingers to his lips. “We don’t have time. Those things are hellspawn, and they’re coming to capture us.”

His eyes widened, but he never said a word. Instead, he pulled his mud-stained clothes off and handed them to me as he shook himself. His massive black wolf appeared, his head rubbing against my stomach.

“Hey.” I scratched his ears in greeting. He was always a part of Levi, but they possessed a different energy when his wolf was in charge.

He moved his head to indicate I climb on.

My skin tingled where I’d been bit, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood to attention.

“They’re coming,” I whispered, dread trickling down my spine.

I climbed on and grabbed handfuls of fur to keep me seated. His wolf took off like the hounds of hell were pursuing us.

A description that wasn’t too far off from the truth.

***

Tasha

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