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The wound healed instantly.
“What the—?”
“Look.” Kane pointed as he settled down again. “Zoom in.”
I did as he said and watched as a web-like bruise spread with tendrils that slipped under Gareth’s shirt.
He contorted violently. His men stayed down. Biding their time? Or something else?
Charlie jumped off Gareth, her mouth gaping, fangs dripping with blood.
Johnny motioned for our pack members to stand down. Everyone watched, waiting, unsure what would happen next.
Gareth’s body shook, his chest arched out, his jaw clenched.
“Is he shifting?”
“Trying to,” Kane said.
Charlie took another step back, like she wanted to run. Her chest heaved. She let out a shuddering breath.
Gareth rolled himself to all fours, panting, clearly in pain. He didn’t lift his head but turned, moving slowly on hands and knees until he reached Charlie’s feet.
“My queen,” he said, then lowered himself so his forehead touched the ground.
His men all did the same, dropping to their knees, murmuring the formal address as if she’d just become their leader.
Because she had just become their alpha.
Charlie looked up, her eyes wide, disbelief, maybe even fear, warring, but before her beast side could go ballistic, she shuddered, her fur vibrating, skin rolling then shifted back to her human form. She took a moment to compose herself then turned to Johnny with an expression of barely contained shock.
“Get me out of here.”
Chapter Fourteen
Charlie
What the fuck just happened?
Threads had been formed. I was connected to Gareth in ways I’d never wanted to be. I was bound to his men, all of them—even the ones who weren’t present at his cottage.
Sounds echoed in my skull, teasing my ears, a buzz that would torment in time.
They were in my head, Gareth and his pack, dozens of them. Their voices were murmuring like whispers from nowhere. I felt them and, when I closed my eyes, I saw threads of my web alight and vibrating. One thing about werewolves was that they knew power when they felt it. They had all bowed on bended knee to me.
I’d taken over his pack.
Oh my fucking—
I clenched my head, fingers gripping my hair and winced. They were going to drive me insane. The constant chatter was practically deafening. They sought answers. They wanted direction.
Alpha, they pleaded, what do we do?
They were talking to me, I realized. My beast growled, not liking the intrusion. Be still. I ordered, intending for her to stay calm.
The volume lowered to nothing. I frowned. Did I do that? I turned inward, searching for an explanation. As I sought the voices of Gareth’s pack, they returned, a jumbled mess of noise.
Quiet.
