“Take that up with Alpha if you have a problem,” Cadoc’s voice is sharp-edged. He steps between us.
“Does anything hurt?” Kirk looks me over.
“No.” I draw strength from his gaze.
His calm demeanor settles me.
“Follow my finger.”
I do as he requests and he grunts.
“I don’t think you have a concussion, but I’ll keep a close eye on you.” He touches his forehead to mine, his soothing scent fills my senses, sending warmth through my veins.
“Where did he come from though? How did none of us see him coming?” The manager asks.
“It was crowded today. Probably slipped in and waited for an opportunity,” Jones suggests.
“Looks like you have it all figured out,” Fell drags out his l’s.
“Watch it, Pedersen.” The lanky many steps forward.
“Or what?” Fell’s chest inflates as he steps forward, teeth elongating. His wolf swims to the surface and tempers flare.
“Do you think any of them could save you?” the lanky asshole continues to push his buttons.
“Branson. Enough.” Jones snaps.
Branson closes his mouth shut. The undercurrent of tension makes me squirm.
The wild man comes back to life, throwing off the large enforcer. A collective gasp floods the room.
Letting off a stream of words in a language I don’t understand, he darts past the enforcer and out the private room. Jumping onto a table, he leaps from one linen-covered table top to another like they’re lily pads.
Walking over to the I pick up my hair stick. The minute my hand brushes the object I hear the man screaming words in English.
“They’ll see her dead.”
Jones tackles him around the knees and wraps his hand around his
mouth, cutting off the outburst.
“Let’s go.” Cadoc takes point, leading us out of the restaurant. I rub my arms.
We pass the wild man, and his gaze latches on to me. I see intelligence in his crazed stare.
There’s more to this would-be kidnapper than meets the eye. Doubt floods me. Is he the enemy?
Fell shifts, interrupting his line of vision. They usher me outside. People are gathered in small clusters, trying to peer inside the main windows. I duck my head. Questions are thrown our way.
Vultures, they’re eager to pick at us. I’m relieved when we make it to the car, and I slip inside beside Fell. Kirk buckles me in and wraps an arm around my shoulders. He massages my scalp.
I clutch the hair stick. “When we were leaving, I understood the man. He said they’d see her dead. I think he was talking about me.”
“I know you’re a college grad, Princess. But none of us understood that old language.”
“I did.” I hold up the stick. “When I touched this.”
“Is that possible?” Fell asks.
“Why not? It was a gift from a powerful demigod.” Cadoc replies.
Kirk leans forward. “There was something about items of power in the book. It wasn’t clear what they were, but the gist was they work as a channel allowing Fenrir’s power to flow through you.”
Fell’s brow wrinkles. “So, maybe she did understand him”
“This is all getting a little too mystical for me.” Bo shakes his head.
“We turn into wolves, and this is unbelievable?” I blink a few times in disbelief.
He stares at me. “Yes. The wolf is part of who we are. I prefer to see, touch, hear, and feel the things I’m basing my life on. There’s a reason we moved away from all the symbolism—”
“This is why we’re dying.” I hadn’t meant to respond, but the words resonate strongly. “We’ve become untethered from our origins.”
“Says the woman who ran as far as fast as she could from the pack.” Bo arches an eyebrow. “You’ve never been one of us.”
“Hey!” Cadoc barks resonates like a sonic boom.
I invade Bo’s personal space. “And I’m grateful for that because you make a mockery of what pack means. When someone doesn’t adhere to what we think is the norm, they’re discarded. The people with power distort truths and push narratives that benefit them most while claiming they’re all about the greater good.”
