Page 57 of Bewitching the Wolf

I don’t know why, but I sense Jax is out there.

And I fear that he’s in danger.

CHAPTER 16

JAX

I don’t know how long I roam in the darkness, through barren scrublands in my wolfen form.

I do know I’m disappointed. So much for Baden wolves. Are there even any left? Or have they all died of starvation out here in this pitiful wasteland.

I’m about to turn and retrace my steps when a pair of red eyes shine out of the darkness.

First one set, then another.

Suddenly they are everywhere, surrounding me.

Ah, fucking finally.

The fur along my spine bristles.

My powerful wolf legs pump with adrenalin, my nostrils flare, and my vision sharpens to a razor edge.

I can clearly see their silhouettes now, their heads bowed, ready for attack, the fur on their backs raised, fangs glinting in the ambient light from their distant bonfires.

The stench of their breath as they prowl closer makes my snout wrinkle.

It’s the smell of rotten meat and starvation.

Braden pack wolves, at least half a dozen or more, are closing in. Maybe these are the very wolves that attacked me three years ago.

But I am not a mere human anymore. Trojan blood pumps through my veins.

Warrior blood.

My wolf can recall that night, and it’s ready to avenge me. Ready to prove our supremacy over these scumbags who would have left me for dead.

I sense that being here is a rite of passage. A sign that I am ready to be a true warrior, to beat the addiction that led me into this feral pack in the first place, seeking succor from my sadness through drugs.

To prove that I am worthy of taking a mate.

And if we fail—then fuck, I don’t deserve her.

As the eyes move out of the shadows, I am ready. We are ready…

One by one, those feral bastards close in… and pounce.

Three of them land on my back at once, snapping close to my throat with their fangs.

I snarl and throw them off in one easy shake. Then I grab each of those fuckers in my powerful jaws and hurl their bony wolf bodies into the dirt. I hear them whimpering, and the sound of their paws as they limp off into the dark recesses of this sad and sorry place.

I stand, panting, all four huge paws firmly planted, ready.

I sense another one creeping up behind me and I pivot, then grab the creature by the scruff of its mangy fur.

Then I roll it, exposing its underbelly, pinning it with a paw as I bare my fangs and snarl. I could kill this pathetic creature right here. But I wouldn’t waste my energy.

Instead, I toss it away into the night. Two other pairs of eyes retreat, and I hear the whines that spell surrender.