Page 37 of Wolf Touched

“This will end if you come with us,” a way-too-familiar voice called from the trees.

Cade.

Someone I’d thought was a friend. Yet, here I was, proven wrong again. Wereanycoven members my friends? The possibility of Hecate and Zelle being part of the Veiled Circle hurt almost as bad as Slade. But they were friends, so to be safe, I’d assume the girls were with them as well.

I hadn’t had friends beyond Lucy, after all, and that thought burned worse than the smoke in my lungs.

I’d been so stupid and foolish while Raffe had tried to warn me all along.

We’re out,Raffe linked, and his rage turned into something sharp and heavy.

Hate.

Of course that asshole would be part of Slade’s circle.

I glanced over my shoulder. Raffe jogged to my side with Lucy, Josie, Octavia, and Dave behind him. Dave appeared ghostly pale again, and Octavia leaned over, hacking. Dirt smudged their faces, evidence that the smoke had gotten worse in the short time I’d been out here.

As soon as Dave got within a few feet of me, he inhaled, and his gaze landed on me. His face twisted in agony, and he gripped the sides of his head.

My blood was affecting him. Dammit, I’d forgotten about that problem. I linked only to Josie, not wanting to distract Raffe,Keep a handle on Dave. He’s compelled to drink my blood.

Josie’s head snapped toward him, and she frowned.

“You really expect me to let my mate hand herself over to you after you kidnapped, drugged, and contained her in a room, then tried messing with her mind?” Raffe pressed into my side. “There’s no way in hell I’d let her walk over to you.”

Cade pointed to the house behind us. “It’s simple. If shewants you all to live, she’ll turn herself over to us. If she doesn’t, you’ll all die. We have you trapped, and what we did to the house, we can easily do to you.” His brown eyes were near the shade of onyx. I couldn’t believe I’d once thought they were warm and kind.

“You’re threatening to killme?”Raffe laughed bitterly, the cockiness sliding back into place like the first time I met him. “Theprinceof wolves and hismate?”

“You left your father’s pack.” Cade smirked, his light-brown skin crinkling around his eyes from his heartless smile. “If anything, he might thank us for getting rid of his heir problem.”

My back tensed.I didn’t expect that news to be public knowledge.

How the hell do they know that?Lucy chimed in.

“Aw. I’m tempted to pull out my phone and snap a picture of the expressions on your faces.” Cade tilted his head back, laughing. “We have people inside your father’s pack. People who are loyal to us. We know everything.”

A chill ran down my spine, and my power began to sing despite Raffe’s touch. We were so far over our heads that I didn’t know what to do.

“How do you think we knew where to find you?” He winked.

“Dave, no!” Josie yelled, and I spun around to find Dave blurring toward me.

Shit. How did I protect myself without killing him?

Raffe spun and punched Dave in the head. The vampire hit the ground hard and stayed down.

Cade laughed. “They expect to win when they’re turning against each other.”

They’d caused the situation, and they were laughing at us?

My power swirled and met something, then merged with it. The responding magic pulsed in tandem. I didn’t know what it was, but I tugged at it. Whatever was answering, I needed it to come to my aid and fast.

A loud rumble sounded from behind us, and our group turned just as the house fell in on itself. The noise was deafening, and particles flew everywhere. Pieces of the roof fell off, one hitting Dave in the back of the head, and a thick piece of wood ricocheted off the top of the porch into Lucy’s back, knocking her over.

The houses on either side of ours had no lights on and stayed quiet. The coven must have cast a cloaking spell over the affected area.

We had a human, an unconscious and injured vampire, and six wolf shifters against coven members who hadn’t even struggled to take down a house. I could only hope that they’d used a lot of their magic, but as I pivoted, my heart sank further. Cade wore a cocky grin.

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