Page 44 of Forbidden Wolf

“Tasha is mine,” Levi hissed.

“Ah, this one is Tasha, I remember her as a child. We almost found her, but when we arrived at the house it was empty. My spies watched it for a while, but no one ever returned.” His eyes bored into me, sucking all my strength from my body. “You used to project so clearly in your dreams.”

I didn’t understand what he was saying. Nothing made sense anymore.

Levi snarled, and fur emerged on the tips of his ears. His eyes flashed bright amber.

“I collect dogs like you,” the man said. “They make obedient pets when you break them. If she was yours, then she would be able to resist me. If she belonged to you and not me then she would bear your mark.”

“She doesn’t bear your mark,” Levi said in a deep husky voice. His stance changed and the bones in his shoulders moved as he started to transition into his wolf.

He would never win this fight. The image of his dead wolf lying on the ground at the feet of this dark stranger filled my mind. My hands were so hot the pain was unbearable. I remembered the creatures following us in the swamp, and golden energy projecting from my hands to repel them. As much as this man drew me to him, Levi was part of my soul. His presence tonight gave me strength to rebel against the demand on my blood.

“Levi, please,” I whispered, stepping forward to put my hand on his arm. Right now, I needed to trust that he still knew me well enough to read me like he used to. “No more fighting.”

The man smiled, showing long deadly fangs, his eyes glowing softly in the pale light of the moon. “My child, I have searched for so long. You shall have pride of place in my court.”

His words tempted and horrified me at the same time. My entire life, all I’d wanted was to fit in and have somewhere I could call home.

“Tasha.” Levi’s claws dug into my arm, his eyes boring into mine as he brought his head down a few inches. “Stay with me, baby.”

I blinked a few times at him.

“Step aside, boy.” The master grabbed Levi’s arm and flung him across the clearing as if he weighed nothing. His red eyes hypnotised me, my body swaying toward him, even as my mind screamed a warning.

His cold fingers trailed down my cheek, scorching me with sensation.

“You will be my greatest prize, Tasha. A queen among my people. You will gift me many heirs.”

A tiny voice in my head screamed to run, that I needed to escape. The burning in my hands caused agony to ripple up my arms, summoning me from the spell he cast over me. Levi crawled to his feet, shaking himself, blood trickling from his mouth.

The master followed my gaze to Levi, and his upper lip lifted in a sneer. “You should learn to stay down and keep your hands off what belongs to me. She reeks of you.”

He launched himself at Levi, huge talons lowering from his fingertips.

His deadly beauty emerged when his face sharpened into a predator, fangs and talons released as weapons. His long hair trailed behind him. Levi contorted to move out of his way, but the hellspawn pinned him to the ground with his talons, his fangs bared at Levi’s neck.

For one moment, Levi’s eyes met mine and I felt our connection deep in my chest.You’re mine, Tasha.His husky voice sounded in my head, and I knew the truth of it. He was mine alone to protect, mine to claim.

My hands heated to an unbearable level, my feet moving toward Levi even as the master’s fangs sunk into his neck. The master hellspawn reared back, blood spilling from his mouth to stare down at Levi in horror.

“What are you?” he snarled before launching himself toward Levi with his talons aimed at his heart.

Stumbling over the rough terrain, I staggered toward them, my hands landing on either side of his head, golden energy radiating out in sparks. The master yelped, his head turning toward me with disbelief in his glare.

“Levi’s mine,” I said, clamping my hands together until there was a golden explosion.

Smoke surrounded us. I grabbed Levi’s hand, dragging him behind me as I lurched away from the creature that compelled me.

I’d always sensed Levi’s emotions in the past, and for the first time since I found him again, his pain and panic sunk into me. I felt the cacophony erupt and flutter through him at what happened since his blood flowed in my veins. Shame was a powerful sentiment and now that his shields were down, it crept into me.

A howl of rage sounded from the direction we came. Levi tugged me to a stop, then hauled off his clothes and handed them to me. He creaked his head from side to side, irises glowing amber as his transformation occurred. There was no popping of bones or tearing of flesh, some of his features still remaining in his wolf face. Fur sprouted, canines descended, ears grew pointed, and claws emerged. Levi fell forward onto four legs, his head jerk indicating I get onto his back.

He was injured, but still faster than us on foot, his paws digging into the ground to spirit us away from this horrendous place. My hands dug into his fur, flooding him with golden energy. His body absorbed it instead of being repelled by it, his powerful legs pounding mile after mile to take us away from the danger and that cave.

Levi never stopped, even as the hours disappeared and the sky lightened in the east. He put miles between us and the danger. Now that the master hellspawn knew who I was, a voice whispered in my head that he wouldn’t stop until he found me again. His presence still lingered over me, his touch leaving tingles on my skin. I felt his power reach out to search for me even as we ran from him.

He looked like a vampire, but his aura was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. He was a fathomless black that absorbed the light and drained everything in his path of free will. Whereas Castus made me cringe and want to run, that creature made me want to give myself to him as a willing sacrifice. If Levi hadn’t been there, I would have gone with him to his court.

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