Page 28 of Witch Unexpected
The way they reacted reminded me of Fee and her Loup. These were more than beasts. They were some breed of shifter. A breed I’d never seen before—and honestly wished I wasn’t seeing now.
But shifters could be reasoned with.
“Hey, guys. There’s no need for this intimidation. I’m on your territory, right? I get it. I’ll just tootle on back to the road and be right out of your hair.”
I backed up, and the huge beast in front of me snarled, showcasing silver fangs that flashed in the gloom. Teeth that were slender and long, perfect for shredding flesh.
Loup didn’t feed off human or outlier flesh. But I wasn’t sure these guys had the same rule.
In fact, my gut told me theydefinitelydidn’t have the same rule. There was only one thing left to do.
“Wren, buddy, you need to get on my back. I’m gonna have to make some fireworks.”
He obliged, and I flexed my hands, waiting for the tingle of power.
Nothing.
The creature made a strange sound, wet and rolling, almost like it was laughing at me. Fuck, itwaslaughing at me.
Anger flickered to life in my chest, chasing away the fear. I might not have magic right now, but I had Trixie, and I knew how to use her.
I dipped and drew her from my boot in a fluid motion. “You want a bite, you’re gonna have to work for it.”
The wet chuckling stopped, and the beasts’ bristled, fur standing on end to make them seem larger and more intimidating.
My body tensed, ready to fight.
Silver fangs flashed, and then the leader attacked.
I brought the blade back, ready to stab, because like fuck was I going down without a fight, but it never made it to me.
A crimson blur hit it from the side, knocking it off trajectory and taking it down. There was a snarl, and a wet ripping sound, then silence so deafening it was like I’d donned a pair of noise-canceling headphones.
I stared at the crimson blur. A wolf. A massive wolf with gunmetal blue eyes. It lifted its bloody maw, one huge paw still pressed to the dead beast’s head, and locked gazes with me.
There was a calm confidence in those eyes, or maybe I was going nuts. Around us, the beasts began to yip and snarl as they closed in. The crimson wolf moved fast, putting his body between me and the beasts.
Where the fuck were Bramble and Elijah?
Howls ripped the air, higher pitched than the ones these beasts made. The beasts faltered, heads coming up as if to suss out how far away the howlers were.
Then the fog was torn asunder by new bodies—black, silver, and gray—huge wolves like the crimson one.
The wolves clashed with the beasts, and the crimson wolf shoved me out of the way with his body before jumping into the fray.
The air crackled, and my ears popped.
“Cora!” Bramble and Elijah’s voices were close.
“Here!” I put distance between myself and the battling wolves because I was no match for any of them with just a dagger as a weapon. “Over here!”
The mist thinned, and I caught the flash of purple hair. Bramble appeared a moment later, with Elijah close at her heels.
“Come on!” Elijah yelled at me. “Move.”
I stumbled toward them, legs wobbly from the interaction with the beasts, putting distance between myself and the fight.
Elijah met me partway and put his arm around me, tucking me against his side. The heat of his body seeped through my clothes and heated my blood. This was the closest I’d ever been to Mr. Black, and honestly, right now, I was happy for him to scoop me into a snuggle.
