“Thank you,” I replied. What else did you say to someone who would help you save the life of one you didn't trust, one who could be the downfall of your pack? Your brothers? Your lover?
Nadia waved away my gratitude with the swipe of her hand. “I'm not doing this for you.”
She knelt before Mitch, her pink dress billowing in the wind as she moved. The chilly air had no effect on the warmth radiating from her body. Without touching his body, she moved her hands together, like a steeple. She hummed an ancient chant. Even with limited power, I felt her magic. The power encompassing her was something I had never experienced before and doubted I ever would again.
Mitch's wound closed millimeter by millimeter.
When the wound faded into a scar, he shifted back to human form. Nadia's power gave his skin a pure and robust energy, an angelic glow.
Sort of like the tendrils connecting my and Aylin's bond. Would she be that forceful? Like Nadia. I wasn't sure how to take what I had just witnessed. Bryn's power wasn't that strong and effortless. I didn't even think Gabriel had that much strength. But Nadia made it look like a piece of cake.
Mitch grinned at her as if he hadn't just knocked on death's door. “Nadia.”
“Tsk! Don't you Nadia me, Mitch. You've been late for work every day this week. The bakery's short-staffed since Bryn quit and got herself hitched.”
“Yes, ma'am. I'll try to do better.”
“There is no try.”
I watched the banter, completely confused at the turn of events. Maybe Nadia had a touch of Hyde in her as well. I cleared my throat. “Hmm...”
“Well, spit it out, son.” She waved her hand in a circle. The wind picked up its pace, causing a ring of snow to form around her. Did she do that on purpose?
“Huh…huh.” Few women made me stutter. “Hmmm, you said that an Augur couldn't interfere.”
“And?” Snowflakes fell in rapid succession, racing toward the cold pull of the ground.
“So, why did you save Mitch?”
“Because you will need him in this battle.” She jumped through the hoop of snow and vanished.
Chapter Ten
Aylin
My wolf raced through the woods as if her tail were on fire. The run satisfied her inner soul, but I became weak, my power draining with each step my wolf took. The tighter the black char coiled around me, the farther it divided me from my wolf. I thought the evil had been destroyed; instead, the black tendrils smothered me, trapping me.
I gasped for breath, trying to find the balance with my wolf, but she howled and ran faster. Does she know I’m in trouble? Ensnared within her mental walls?
My small silver companion whimpered as if she felt my turmoil.
Trouble!
My wolf slid to a stop. Her hackles rose. She prowled the small circle, eyeing the young pup, face lowered, tail erect. Danger! She growled.
A loud explosion echoed in the distance. Black smoke billowed into the crisp air like a volcano erupting. The explosion was near my home. My wolf barked, but stood her ground. Home? My human? Protect! My wolf’s confusion filtered through the bond, but she couldn’t hear me. She couldn’t follow my lead, because I couldn’t reach her. It was as though our single essence was divided and placed in opposite parts of the world.
Protect Aylin. My wolf repeated the mantra, looking for a threat. She stopped her roaming gaze on the pup and growled. Enemy.
“No!” I tried to reach out to her, but no words escaped my mouth or mind. Our language no longer the same dialect.
I fought the blackness trying to encompass me, but it drew tighter. I tried to call my essence forward into the physical human form. Nothing happened. Stepping into the spirit realm that housed my wolf was always easy, but I couldn’t bypass the barrier. Instead, I watched as my wolf’s spirit paced around the small frame, waiting for me. Waiting to unite as one.
My wolf’s whine became more nervous with each passing moment. Her fiery aura dimmed. I smelled the char as if I had inhaled the smoke that blanketed the sky – the taste bitter on my tongue.
Protect Aylin.
From everything.
Snap.
A twig broke behind us. My wolf whirled around to face the assailant. Spittle flew from her mouth as she growled, poised to protect me and Luna.
A young man held a bow with a flaming nocked arrow. He quivered. The bow shook, the arrow swaying from side to side. Sweat beaded on his face as he slowly pulled back the string.
Did he think an arrow would stop my wolf? She pounced, snarling.
“No!” Luna's shift was seamless, unlike her shift in front of the enforcers, Mack and Cole. She jumped between my wolf and the boy. Her hands held up in front of my wolf in a clear stop signal. “He's a friend. Tommy, lower the arrow. She's who I called you for.”
“Luna, thank the heavens!” The boy-man's voice trembled.
Danger, protect my human.
My wolf lunged, but plowed into an invisible wall in front of Luna and toppled backwards. Standing, she shook her fur — the cold snow doing little to cool the rage building inside my wolf. Even I sensed her anger and confusion.
Threat. Save. Protect.
My wolf attacked again.
But she crumpled about ten feet away on a soft pile of snow. She stood and shook once more, snow flying from her fur like rain. She tilted her head in confusion.
Was Luna that powerful or were my wolf and I that weak?
“No!”
Luna was telling my wolf not to protect us, but the man had an arrow aimed at us. Okay, he swayed like a leaf in a windstorm, but that didn't make the arrow any less lethal.
“Tommy, lower your weapon.”
The boy shook, but released the arrow and shoved it into the snow. The flame extinguished with a sizzle.
Luna sniffed the air. “Is that thing laced with
