Shadow of the Wolf

“What the fuck is that?”

He turned to find her staring in the mirror, her eyes tracing the black wolf on the back of her shoulder. “My mark.”

She glared at him in the mirror. “Your mark.”

He smiled smugly. “You are my mate. All of the Beckett mates wear that mark.”

“I never agreed to be your mate!”

He was stunned. Hurt. “Yes you did.”

“When?” Her hands went on her hips, her foot tapping.

“‘Knot of eight protect my mate.’”

The foot stopped. Her mouth fell open. Her hands fell to her sides. A blush crept up her chest to her face. “Oh.”

“Yes. Oh. I think after that it’s safe to say I assumed I had your consent.” She couldn’t reject him now. Could she?

“It would have been nice to be asked,” she muttered.

He sniffed, ignoring her. He tested the temperature of the water with his wrist, wanting the water just right. He wasn’t done being pissed yet, but he wanted to relax with his mate before he damn well exploded from stress.

“I didn’t realize.”

“Realize what?”

She sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist. “When I did that spell I did it on the fly.”

His hands stalled. He felt dizzy. He could not have just heard what he’d heard.

“What?”

“I mean, I knew what I needed, I just didn’t know the words, you know? Not the exact ones, anyway.”

Her hands were stroking his chest, but he didn’t feel it. All he could feel was the new gray hair sprouting on his head. His heart pounded in fear. His little witch had stopped Cole with a made up spell? Did she have any idea what could have happened to her? He stood to his full height, turning to face her. She flinched, and he knew his wolf was closer to the surface than he’d thought.

“What? It worked, didn’t it?”

No fear. Not one single ounce of fear in her. Defiance, a hint of remorse, but that was it.

Chris growled, and it wasn’t human. His wolf had taken over, and it was pissed.

Lana gasped, backing away from him, from his anger. He shifted, needing to run, needing to get away before he said something or did something he’d regret. He went to the window, pressing a specially made latch with his paw. The window swung open and he leapt out into the mid-afternoon sun.

“Chris, wait! Please!”

He ignored her, running into the forest, intent on taking out his rage on some poor, defenseless rabbits rather than her soft, sweet skin.

Chapter Eleven

“You did what? ” Daniel, obviously astonished, ran his fingers through his hair.

“Damn, no wonder he’s pissed.” Gareth shook his head at her, his expression somewhere between reluctant admiration and anger. He looked the worse for wear, his arm in a sling to protect his collar bone, the stitches near the knife wound black against his golden skin. He lounged on the sofa, his feet up, looking pale and pissed.

“Pass the peanuts, dickhead. Stop hogging them.” Zachary pulled the bowl towards him, smiling happily.

“She could have been killed, idiot.” Daniel snatched the bowl back, ignoring his brother’s whine. “She’s lucky Christopher didn’t spank her ass and tie her to the bed.”

“Or worse.” Gareth looked at his brothers. “Mom.”

They shuddered.

Lana slouched deeper into the chair. Two of the brothers definitely were taking Christopher’s side, and she just couldn’t understand why. “What did I do that was so bad, anyway?”

They looked at her with blank astonishment. Gareth broke the silence. “You never, ever use an untested spell! It’s the first thing that’s drummed into our heads when we’re still in diapers!”

“You had no idea what components he’d used to cast the original spell, so your counter-spell could have interacted poorly and blown up in your face, or worse, made his spell stronger.” Daniel began pacing, ticking points off on his fingers. “You didn’t scry to see what protections he’d put up. Again, this could have lead to your spell blowing up in your face. Placement of the counter-spell needs to be laid out precisely.” Daniel threw his hands up in the air. “Frankly, I’m surprised you’re still alive.”

“I’m not.” Zach handed her a peanut.

Lana took it. “Thank you.”

Daniel snorted. “Of course you aren’t. You’d have done the same harebrained thing, and we’d be explaining to Mom how you wound up smeared all over Christopher’s back yard. Even then I’m not sure you can pull it off. Sorry, but of the four of us you’re the weakest, bro.”

Zachary looked ticked for a moment before picking up the peanut bowl, his usual sunny smile back in place. “You’re just mad because a girl kicked Cole’s ass.”

Lana watched them arguing, but her attention remained on Zachary. Something about the youngest Beckett had her instincts hopping to attention. That strange cross-reference in The Registry popped back into her mind.

When the other brothers weren’t looking, Zach flicked his finger. A peanut, physically untouched, went flying out of the bowl and struck Daniel in the back of the head.

Daniel turned and glared at his brother. “Did you just throw a peanut at me, you juvenile twat?”

Gareth sighed. “Like calling him a twat is more adult?”

“I’m not the one starting a food fight!” And they were off again, squabbling like …

well, family.

With a soft smile Lana pointed her finger at the peanut bowl. Three peanuts jumped into the air and pelted the brothers. When they turned back to her, she smiled. “Shut the fuck up.” She stood. “We have more important things to worry about, like how Christopher is going to beat Cole.” And how to break it to Zach that he’s a witch, not a wizard. She would double-check in The Registry, but her instincts were usually dead on.

If Zach was a wizard, she’d eat her favorite pair of lace panties.

“I think you should stay out of it. You’ve done enough.” Daniel’s voice was cold.

“Leave her alone.” Zach, bless his heart, got in between his brothers and her. “She did something none of the rest of us could do. She broke Cole’s spell before someone got hurt. She’s also Christopher’s mate, and that makes her a Beckett, whether your dumb ass likes it or not.”

She tapped Zach on the shoulder. “Actually, I think you would have been just fine.”

She hitched a thumb at Gareth and Daniel. “They, on the other hand, would have been paste.”

Daniel made a rude noise. “Sorry, but Zach is barely strong enough to qualify as a wizard.”

“Prick!” Zach started to lunge, but Lana’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.

“Which just means that Zach is one of the most powerful witches I’ve ever met.”

The brothers, shocked, froze.

“Excuse me?” Zach turned to face her . “Witch?”

She nodded, seeing the longing, the need, inside him. She bet he’d found trying to be a wizard more than a little frustrating. The fact that he’d accomplished anything at all told her just how powerful he must be, but she