As Fenred emerged, swaggering up to her with a few of his friends behind him, she planted herself steadily. Raised her chin. Set her jaw. Hoped her hands didn’t tremble as they gripped the strap of her bag.
“Well, well, well,” Fenred drawled, crossing his arms with an amused smirk. “Look what we’ve got here, boys.”
His cronies, Cato and Brann, flanked him, both grinning with the slack-jawed delight of predators finding cornered prey.
Dani’s pulse thundered in her ears. She forced her spine straight. “Leave me alone, Fenred.”
Fenred laughed, deep and mocking. “You hear that? Little Dani thinks she can order us around.”
“I’m going home,” she said, voice tight. “I can’t be bothered with your shit today, Fenred.”
“Oh, we’re just saying hello.” He stepped closer. “We’re out on patrol, you see? Gotta report any suspicious behavior to the alpha.”
“You’re not,” Dani fired back. “Why would the alpha ever trust patrol toyou? All you do for the pack is get drunk and cause problems.”
Fenred’s eyes flashed in anger, and Dani took a step back. She wished she hadn’t. His gaze sparked.
“The hell do you know about what the alpha wants?” he sneered, advancing on her. “Like a shiftless little bitch like you would ever be allowed anywhere near important pack operations.”
“Please,” Dani scoffed, drawing herself taller even as her nails bit into her palms. “This whole thing is getting pathetic. Do you really think tormenting me is ever going to make you feel better about yourself? You’re a loser, Fenred. The only reason you have a place in the pack is that your alpha buddies need a brainless stooge like you to shovel the shit while they go and do the important stuff.”
She had hoped it would enrage him. Make him snap. Get this whole thing over with as quickly as possible, even if it would earn her a bruise or two. She just wanted to go home.
But instead, he took another two steps towards her, his expression contemplative. Something in it set off alarm bells inher head, some ancient instinct rearing itself and telling her torun.
“Always were a fiery one, you,” he murmured, lifting a lock of her red hair between two fingers. “Such a shame, really, that you’re such a useless waste of space.”
Her breath hitched, cold panic clawing her gut. “Let. Go.”
“You should be honored, really,” he continued, disgust and…desirewarring on his face. Her stomach rolled. Why, why,whycouldn’t she just damn shift? She’d rip his face off his skull. “That the pack even tolerates you. We should have cast you out years ago. Maybe I’ll do us all a favor, and end you here and now. Or maybe…” His fingers moved from her hair to grip her jaw, tight enough to bruise. “Maybe we can find a use for you, after all.”
A slap echoed off the trees. Fenred’s head moved a fraction, face slack in shock, a perfect red handprint glowing on his skin.
Dani gasped. Her hand stung.
He blinked.
Black fury descended over his features, and before she could slip away, he slammed her into a tree. Pain burst across her shoulders. She whimpered, hands pushing weakly at his chest as he crowded her in.
Fenred’s eyes glowed faint gold. “You really are useless, aren’t you?”
Panic clawed up her throat. Her vision blurred.
“Stop,” she choked.
“Make me.”
His hand slid toward her throat—
—and froze.
A low growl rolled through the woods, deep as thunder, ancient as the glaciers. The hair on Dani’s arms rose, her body recognizing the sound before her mind could.
Fenred stilled.
Cato and Brann backed up, eyes wide.
Dani turned her head, slowly, like a creature trying not to provoke a beast, and saw him.
