The Wicked Kiss (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #2)(57)

Shaz went down with the brown wolf growling and snapping in his face. I saw Julian’s fangs sink deep into my wolf, felt it as if he’d bitten me. The blood instantly stained Shaz’ snow-white fur a deep red. It took all of my inner strength to resist surging forward. I needed to go to him.

But, Jez’ watchful gaze stopped me. She was paying more attention to me than to the wolf fight. I think she was planning to take me down if I tried to rush in there. It would be for my own good. I could get myself killed doing something so irrational.

I couldn’t breathe, watching them lash out with all they had. The blood flowed from each of them as the blows were exchanged. It was just as I was considering changing forms that I felt a cool presence in my mind. Arys.

‘Are you ok, my wolf? How is our pup doing?’ His voice was a soothing sensation as it echoed through my mind. This was something we could only do when I was in wolf form. It seemed to be our power’s way of compensating for the loss I suffered by changing forms.

‘This isn’t the best time, Arys. It’s getting bloody.’ I jumped when the two wolves managed to gain a secure hold on one another. They wrestled in the dirt and grass, each of them now bleeding profusely. I didn’t know what to do. I had to stop this, but the winner had to be obvious to everybody present.

Arys’ presence was there but quiet, as if he wasn’t sure what to offer me. If he’d been hoping to hear that Shaz was down and out, he was going to be disappointed.

‘That’s not fair,’ he chided. ‘I would never wish such a thing on him. I’m selfish, not petty.’

That was reassuring. And, most likely untrue. As I watched Julian sink fangs into Shaz yet again, this time in the meaty part of his shoulder, the vampire’s power rose, and I tried to tap it. My body seemed to shudder and a sharp pain stabbed through my abdomen. The wolf was as much a part of nature as the earth’s energy running strong beneath my paws. Yet, I couldn’t access both of them fully at once.

The agony became too much, and I fought to maintain control and keep my eyes on the fight before me. Kylarai bumped against my shoulder, a question in her eyes. I shook my head, backing away. I willed the change to come, and it was brutal. My wolf was confused and unwilling to give in to the human side of me. I was insistent though, and it was going to happen.

A cry broke out of me when I was gasping on my knees, digging my fingers into the dirt. I shivered at the sudden temperature change from fur to skin. The sound of my pain was something that Shaz could not ignore, and the moment he took to look my way gave Julian the advantage.

The large, brown wolf threw himself on Shaz, pinning my mate beneath him. He fought for Shaz’ throat, believing the end was within his grasp. My wolf was nothing, though, if not determined. He effectively angled his head so that his throat was hidden, twisting his body to throw Julian’s balance off. He was unable to maintain his hold, and Shaz grasped his sudden opportunity, throwing himself right in the brown wolf’s face.

Though Arys’ voice was now absent from my mind, the power we shared soared up inside me, forcing me to my feet. I was shaky and pained from the sudden shifting, but I was not going to let them kill each other. A few of the wolves around me moved uncomfortably at my quick change.

Shaz was in Julian’s face with jaws snapping too fast to see. Julian was surprised by the move and fell back, losing his footing in his attempt to backpedal. It gave Shaz all he needed to get on top of the other wolf, successfully pinning him. Everyone seemed to be reacting to the urgency in the atmosphere. The anticipation of the end was heavy.

My hands grew hot as I tapped the roiling mixture of undead and living energy inside me. Shaz gained a clear shot of Julian’s throat, and he took it. Only Kylarai’s tiny whimper reminded me why I was willing to stop this. Shaz’ fangs sunk into Julian’s flesh; in the same moment, I let a blue-tinged gold psi ball fly.

It was enough to knock Shaz off his feet without hurting him. Before Julian could get up, I threw up an energy wall between them. When he didn’t get up, Kylarai rushed to his side. Shaz growled with a low rumble at the barrier that separated them.

Everything had happened so fast. My heart pounded louder than any other sound. It was over though. And, they were both alive. Angling my body so that most of my nakedness was shadowed; I went to them and kneeled next to Ky.

The blood pumped steadily from the wound in Julian’s throat. However, it wasn’t a fatal puncture. He would live. And, I couldn’t help but wonder if that would be something both Shaz and I would regret allowing to happen.

I made eye contact with my beautiful white wolf; my heart broke in response to the many red splashes marring his fur. He looked both proud and relaxed. Confident that he wouldn’t try to finish Julian off now that he was down, I dropped the barrier.

Leaving Ky and Julian, I went to Shaz, kneeling before him. Though I was still in human form, I bared my throat to him anyway, acknowledging him as Alpha male. My breath sucked in as his sharp fangs tentatively touched my skin. His breath came hot against my flesh and a rush came over me when I longed for him break the skin.

Shaz’ touch was nothing less than gentle and loving when his teeth grazed me. I closed my eyes and leaned into him, my hands reaching to entangle in his filthy, matted fur. A swell of emotion erupted like hot lava coating my insides. My eyes filled with hot tears, but they did not fall. I wasn’t sad, yet a melancholy feeling enveloped me. I had only kneeled before one other man, claiming him as my Alpha. That man was dead. Was this nostalgia or something else entirely?