Page 13 of BeWolfed

"Power sources. Their natural magic channeled through blood magic corruption." Her eyes fixed on mine, suddenly intense. "Your aunt is still fighting them. She's weakened their hold somehow, disrupted the preparation rituals. That's why they've kept her isolated from the others."

My heart clenched. "Is she hurt?"

"Weakened, but alive." Elspeth's wings fluttered nervously. "They need her conscious and her will intact for the ritual to work. But after..." She didn't finish the sentence.

"The witches are at the southern quarry now?" Rudy asked, his body tense with urgent energy.

"Not all of them. They're gathering them for a preparation ritual tonight, but the main ceremony is at the full moon." Elspeth's gaze darted toward the main club area. "I have to go. If they see us talking—"

"One last thing," I interrupted. "Do you know who's really behind this? Is it just the alpha?"

“I don’t know,” she said and then she was gone.

"We need to leave," Rudy said, his hand finding mine with unexpected urgency. "If they're gathering witches tonight for a preparation ritual, the pack will be on high alert."

I nodded, but as we turned to go, I caught sight of a wolf I recognized from the Silver Flask—one of the enforcers who had confronted us there. He was speaking with Mr. Cash near the bar, his gaze scanning the crowd with predatory focus.

"Too late," I murmured. "We've been made."

Rudy followed my gaze, his body shifting subtly into a protective stance. "Back exit. Through the service corridor. Now."

We moved quickly, slipping through the crowd toward the service area Elspeth had used. The effects of the Twilight Spirit continued to intensify, making the magical connections throughout the club visible as a complex web of energies. Most concerning were the threads connecting several patrons to the pack enforcer—tainted, sickly bonds that pulsed with corrupted magic.

We reached the back exit and emerged into the perpetual twilight of Shadow Valley's alleyways. The cool night air should have cleared my head, but instead, it intensified the magical awareness. Every sense felt heightened—the textures of brick against my fingertips, the subtle shifts in magical currents around us, and most of all, the golden threads connecting me to Rudy, growing stronger with each passing moment.

"We should get back to Midnight Creek," I said.“They’re watching the car,” he said, peeking around the side of the building. “We should lay low for a bit.”

But when he turned, his eyes met mine, the gold in them brightening.I stepped closer to him. "Elowen." My name was a warning and a plea combined. "This isn't—"

"I know." I reached up, my fingertips brushing his jaw. "The Twilight Spirit is enhancing what's already between us. Making it impossible to ignore." I could see our magics intertwining more visibly now, witch-violet and wolf-gold creating patterns that danced in the space between us.

"I've wanted you since you threatened me with that book," he admitted, voice dropping to a growl that sent heat pooling low in my belly.

"I've wanted you since you shifted from wolf to man and glared at me like I was the intruder." The confession fell from my lips with surprising ease, walls lowering that I normally kept firmly in place.

We moved at the same moment, meeting halfway in a kiss that felt like inevitability. His mouth claimed mine with hunger that matched my own, his arms pulling me against him with desperate strength. I gasped against his lips, my magic surging in response, reaching for his power with joyful recognition.

We stumbled backward until my back hit the wall of the alley, hidden in shadow from the main street. Some distant part of my mind recognized the danger, the vulnerability, but it was drowned out by the overwhelming need to be closer to him, to feel our magics merge completely.

"This isn't how I wanted this," Rudy murmured against my neck, his lips trailing fire across my skin. "Not because of some supernatural cocktail."

"It's not the drink," I insisted, fingers tangling in his hair. "It's just... lowering our barriers. This was always going to happen."

A growl rumbled low in his chest, vibrating against me as his hands slid beneath my shirt, rough palms gliding over my bare skin. Our magics flared together, creating a cocoon of power around us that shimmered with mingled violet and gold.

The contrast between his callused touch and my softness sent shockwaves of heat straight to my core. My magic crackled in response, violet sparks flickering along my fingertips before dissolving into the air. For once, it wasn't wild or erratic—it flowed in perfect synchrony with the desire pounding through my veins.

"Tell me to stop," he growled, his restraint hanging by a thread. "If there's any part of you that doesn't want this—"

"I want this," I breathed, meeting his gaze directly. "I want you. Whatever happens next."

Something primal flashed in his eyes, and then his control snapped. He claimed my mouth in a kiss that stole the breath from my lungs, his body pressing me hard against the wall. His hands roamed lower, lifting my skirt and yanking down my underwear. It dropped to my feet, and I stepped out of it.

He gave a sharp inhale, then his fingers were between my legs, parting me, stroking through the slickness pooling there. A satisfied growl vibrated through his chest.

"Fuck, Elowen," he groaned, his forehead pressing against mine for a brief, trembling second. "You're already so wet for me."

I whimpered as he teased my clit, slow circles that sent lightning straight to my core. My hips jerked forward instinctively, chasing more, but he held me firm, keeping me pinned against the rough brick.

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