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They stop before me, looking like grotesque caricatures of American timber wolves. Their larger-than-average size and hairless bodies prove they’re not natural, though, as does the humanlike intelligence in their wide, glowing eyes.
Their necks stretch as they sniff in my direction, and I remain motionless as my initial fear subsides. An invisible tether snaps into place, and I gasp. A soft mewling sound escapes one of the beasts, and as one, they lower their bellies to the ground in a submissive position.
“It can’t be.”
Malediction’s whisper reaches my ears, but I keep my gaze locked on the creatures before me. They stare back at me from their prone position as if waiting for my next command. I blink several times, my mind racing as I try to figure out how this is possible.
“Eden?”
My head whips toward the door on my left at the sound of Jesse’s voice. Relief floods through me when I see him, unharmed, but the feeling is short-lived as the werewolves jump to their feet and spin in his direction with deep, menacing growls.
“No!” I shout, and they prostrate themselves before me once more with a chorus of high-pitched whimpers.
“What is happening?” I ask no one in particular as my gaze flits around the space.
When my eyes land on Bernadette, I breathe a quick sigh of relief to see her staring back at me with wide eyes from her position on the floor. She slowly rises, her gaze darting between me and the wolves as she moves forward on slow, purposeful feet. Careful to keep her distance from the beasts, she moves in beside me. Steph follows, moving to my opposite side.
“You’re a Grundelier,” she says, her voice filled with awe and something else that sounds a bit like reverence.
“I’m a…what?” I reply with a slight shake of my head.
“Your bloodline, dear,” she says softly. “The Grundelier’s are the most powerful witches in existence. It was their ancestors––your ancestors––that created the werewolves. Only a witch with Grundelier blood can control them so completely.”
I turn my head to look at Jesse, who stares back at me with an equally incredulous expression. He moves to take a step toward me, then pauses as his gaze darts back to the wolves. His uncharacteristic fear unleashes something inside me as I turn my eyes back to the beasts.
A torrent of ugly emotions washes over me, and my body begins to shake. These fucking witches invaded the manor––my home––intent on killing everyone I care about. And while those I love are here and relatively unharmed, the screams of other, not-so-lucky souls still ring in my ears. Using these poor indentured creatures before me, Malediction, Shannon, and Hyacinth were intent on massacring everyone in this place.
Steph.
Bernadette.
Me.
Jesse.
And every other vampire in residence.
Anger flows through me like hot lava, and I raise my gaze to the intruders, who are huddled together near the front door. Shannon must see the murder in my eyes, because she turns and frantically paws at the doorknob, intent on escape.
I narrow my gaze, and without uttering––or even thinking––a single magical word, the lock on the door engages with an audible snap. Shannon cries out in fear, her clumsy fingers yanking at the lock’s knob to no avail.
My eyes snap back to the wolves, who immediately climb to their feet. An air of expectancy surrounds us as they watch me with their inhuman, yet wise eyes, and my molars grind together as my anger grows.
Malediction and his acolytes need to die. If I let them go, they’ll only regroup and devise a new plan of attack. We’ll spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders, constantly on edge as we wait for their next act of war.
No. This needs to end here. Tonight.
I fall back a step as the wolves explode in a flurry of motion. My mouth falls open in horror as they fly across the foyer toward my enemies, yips and growls echoing off the walls. Shannon and Hyacinth scream as they plaster their backs to the door. Malediction shoots off a single spell before the nearest wolf leaps through the air toward him. Huge paws slam into his chest, knocking him to the floor before the beast’s large jaws close around his neck.
He gurgles out a single scream before the snap of bone silences him, forever.
I turn away as my stomach revolts, and suddenly a strong pair of familiar arms pull me against a hard, comforting chest. I cling to Jesse as the women’s screams are cut off just as abruptly. Burying my face into Jesse’s chest with my eyes squeezed close, I try to block out the sounds of teeth crushing bone and chewing flesh.
Reaching out blindly, my fingers latch onto Steph’s wrist and pull her into our hug. Jesse throws one arm around her, and we both huddle against him, our bodies shaking with the horror of what’s happening across the room.
When the sounds fade and everything goes silent, I chance a glance over my shoulder. The three wolves sit before the door in a puddle of blood, licking their chops and yawning like they just finished Thanksgiving dinner.
Other than the dark red pool slowly spreading across the white tile, no trace of the three witches remains.
