Page 38 of Howling
“What changed your mind?” My breathing is ragged, my beast nearly feral at the thought of her vanishing. My instincts scream that if she disappears, we will never see her again, despite our superior abilities to track our prey.
The very thought is unpalatable.
Before she can speak, one, two—five wolves break through the tree line, howling when they catch sight of us and charging in our direction. I growl under my breath, a muscle ticking in my jaw at being denied answers.
Frankie glances at the wolves, then peers back at me with a raised brow. “We can either stay and gossip like a bunch of old biddies or pile in the car and leave—your choice.”
I’ll say one thing for the girl—she’s cool as a cucumber, unbothered by the thought of fighting for her life. I almost want to stay to see her in action again, but the idea of her being in danger has my beast a slobbering, feral mess. Curling my hands into fists to refrain from shifting, I barely feel my claws slice into my flesh, the tiny burst of pain only aggravating my beast more.
“In the car,” Garth barks, shoving Tyler into the back seat.
I could fight his order, but my beast is having none of my bullshit, forcing me to comply. When I near the vehicle, I pause by the door, then glance at Frankie over my shoulder and raise a challenging brow. “You joining us?”
She is sassy enough to roll her eyes before striding toward me with a distracting sway to her hips and dragging her captive behind her. She doesn’t take her eyes off me as she approaches. “Join you? Nah, it’s my car, beastie.”
I grunt at her point but don’t argue, pleased that she isn’t thinking about running anymore. Vicious snarls ripple throughthe air, three of the bigger shifters breaking away from the pack to stop us from leaving.
I reach for her arm, ready to shove her into the vehicle—only the minx adroitly evades my touch and places a length of chain in my waiting hand. “Get in the car. I’ll be right back.”
She doesn’t even wait as she spins on her heel and strides to meet the three wolves. I’m ready to toss the chains away and march after her when the prisoner speaks. “Don’t.” His voice is low and raspy, full of smoke and grit, like he doesn’t talk much. “Watch.”
The words are soft, just a whisper of breath, but I find myself obeying.
When Tyler crawls out of the car, I grab his shoulder to prevent him from following.
Frankie stands tall and proud, unflinching as the wolves close the distance between them quickly. When they’re seconds away from leaping and tearing out her throat, she calmly lifts her hand, palm out, and speaks one word. “Heel.”
Energy crackles in the air, the power similar to lightning right before it strikes. The wolves skid to a stop, digging up dirt and grass, one even tumbling ass over teakettle before landing in a sprawl at her feet.
All three wolves then drop to their bellies and whine.
None of them tries to fight the order.
In the distance, the other wolves slow and pace back and forth in confusion, like they’ve run into a ward.
I lift my hand, and I swear static crackles against my fingers at the power radiating in the air. It’s not merely an alpha command, but something more. I’m still trying to figure it out when Frankie turns on her heel, calmly walks back toward the car, and snatches the chain from my limp hand.
She shoves the man into the passenger seat, then follows, claiming the spot behind the wheel.
The engine turns over with a rumble. As she reaches to close the door, she glances impatiently in my direction. “Are you coming or not?”
Yeah, I’m coming,I mentally grouse, slipping silently into the back seat with Garth and Tyler. The roomy space immediately shrinks with our bulk.
As we drive down the road, more and more wolves stand along the edges, calmly watching our departure.
None of them attack.
It’s an ominous sight that raises the hair on the back of my neck.
She must have grabbed hold of the pack link and sent the order to everyone. I’m not sure how it’s possible, even the alpha of the pack would struggle to control so many, but she did it without breaking a sweat.
It’s creepy as fuck…and impressive.
I can’t take my eyes off the girl, more fascinated by her than ever.
Logically, I should be repulsed at the thought of her pulling that bullshit on me. In other circumstances, I wouldn’t hesitate to reach forward and rip out her throat. No one should have that much power over another. Instead, my beast is practically purring in my chest, rolling over like a kitten and presenting his stomach for her to pet.
It’s control—absolute control.
