He nodded, but doubt seemed to linger.
“But there are enough of them that do. I understand their insistence on keeping it out of their territory,” Keagan countered.
Lance didn’t appear to share her concern. Trepidation left his expression. “I’ll admit, I still find you fascinating.”
“Everyone does until they discover I’m quite unremarkable.” I was about to discover whether lycanthropes could detect a lie.Thanks to learning that I was an ashinwa, I was the furthest thing from unremarkable.
“You’re so unremarkable that you’ve been tasked with removing a curse?” Keagan challenged. “Since you’ve gone to this extent to collect the wolfsbane, I’m assuming it’s to remove a curse from someone you care about. The blood drainers aren’t here demanding access to wolfsbane, so it’s safe to assume they aren’t involved.”
I nodded, and when I didn’t elaborate, she posed, “What type of curse is it?”
“It’s a curse, do the specifics matter? It was placed on my friend and I need to remove it. You’re knowledgeable about curses, so you’re aware that I have limited time to do so.”
Keagan had little interest in the curse and was using the question to get more intel about the people in my circle. She fended off her annoyance at my evasion with a rigid, tight-lipped smile as she geared up to ask more questions.
A low growl from my right made her snap her mouth shut. Lance tugged her behind him, his eyes trained on the owner of the sound: a massive wolf emerging from the clearing, obsidian black fur shimmering with silver.
The primal intelligence in the massive creature’s burnished topaz eyes was an indicator he was a werewolf, too. Lycanthropes in their animal form were larger than nature’s wolves by five to eight inches in both length and height. This one’s size overshadowed any I’d encountered by another four or five inches. Furling his lips to reveal teeth, he prowled toward us, laser-focused on Lance and Keagan. The aggressive growl grew louder.
Lance adopted a defensive crouch, his expression calculating. I speculated he was trying to determine whether he had enough time to shift and whether he’d stand a chance if he didn’t.
His face flushed and his eyes widened at his sharp intake of breath, seemingly surprised by his own reaction to the wolf.
It isn’t one of theirs.
The new wolf’s massive head swung toward me briefly. The aggression in his eyes softened for just a moment before hardening and returning to Lance and Keagan.
“Kara, stay still,” Lance urged. It was a big ask when a wolf who looked akin to a dire wolf was just a few feet away, exposing fangs that could shred me.
Creeping forward, the wolf’s predatory glare remained on the pair, forcing them to retreat a few more feet. My heart hammered so violently I was certain the beast could sense it. A piteous gasp slipped out of me when his massive frame grazed my leg as he passed. My hand crept toward the knife in my side pocket. Now it felt like an inadequate defense. Everything I’d brought was insubstantial.
The baton caught Keagan’s attention. Her magic couldn’t be used directly against the wolf, but she could use it to retrieve the baton.
Sensing her intention, the wolf released a bone-chilling growl. Lance’s eyes dulled, and his body relaxed into the curve, preparing for his wolf. Before he could shift, the wolf sprang forward in a blur of movement, slamming into him, pinning him to the ground. The animal’s body vibrated with fury, exposing gleaming fangs.
“Stop!” I yelled when the wolf inched toward Lance’s throat. The werewolf stilled at the command. He slowly moved off Lance, keeping a vigilant eye on him.
He whipped around in my direction.
With the knife held at my side, I prepared to strike. He approached me with tentative, unhurried steps. All aggression had gone. When he was a few feet from me, he lowered his head and made a sound close to a whimper. When his ears flattenedagainst his skull, I had the urge to relax, even drop the knife in a show of good faith. But he had human intelligence, which meant he was capable of human deception, too.
Was this an act? Should I strike while he was seemingly showing me grace and docility? But if he wanted to attack, he would have in a flurry of fur and aggression.
The wolf lifted his head, padding slowly toward me. I made a show of returning the knife to my backpack, hoping I hadn’t made a deadly mistake. Suppressing any display of fear, I relaxed. As much as anyone could when faced with such a massive creature.
Inches from me, the beast pressed his muzzle against my palm, huffing warm breath against my skin. Lance had recovered and had put some distance between him and Keagan. He was again assuming the position for when he was about to shift. The new arrival turned and positioned himself between me and the pair in a protective stance.
“I don’t believe he’s a danger to me. But I’m not sure about you two. You should leave,” I said.
They hesitated, looking at me with renewed curiosity and heightened interest. After several beats, Lance stepped back. Once he was close to Keagan, he took her hand. After they’d backed up a few feet, they exchanged puzzled glances and expressions that were a blend of disbelief and uncertainty.
“Notify Terran once you make it home,” Lance requested before they rushed through the woods, taking a path I’d missed. If I were a less cynical person, I’d think he cared. He wanted confirmation that I indeed had the protection of a massive unknown wolf, which added more ticks to his list of reasons I was a problem.
“Hey, Wolfie,” I said quietly, bending a little to his level. He bowed his head, and I ran my fingers gently along the soft fur ofhis neck and back. The low, self-indulgent rumble was amusing coming from such a menacing creature.
“Please change, so we can talk?” I requested, resting back on my heels.
The massive creature made a pained sound that seemed like a sob.
