Page 41 of Broken Moon

“It does not matter what youthink,” he said, rather viciously. “You do not command a Gray Shadow warrior orattempt to manipulate the alpha into leashing us.”

I had hurt his pride. Warriorswere respected and depended on for protection of their pack. They were not sentaway.

Also, I was an outsider tothem, and I understood that. Not only was I an outsider, but I was, in theirminds, human. It didn’t help that I came from a traitorous father. For asecond, I was overwhelmed with despair. This pack would never accept me as oneof them.

That was why I’d been less thanthrilled when they’d shown up. Their presence complicated matters, and theywould rather die than take orders from me.

“Micah,” Jared said.

The warrior snapped toattention, hearing something in his alpha’s voice. “Yes, Alpha.”

“You will hang back. If I needyou, I will call you.” He looked around at the wolves. “You will all hang back,and you will keep your silence.” But he wasn’t done yet. “And if any of youaddress Ms. Silver again, it will be with respect. Do you understand my words?”

“Yes, Alpha,” they murmured.

I sighed. They were going tohate me more every time Jared interfered or defended me against them. Itprobably wouldn’t have stopped him, but I wasn’t sure he understood that he wasmaking it worse. Actually, I wasn’t sure he gave a damn about making it worse.He was threatening them.Leave her alone, or I will kick your asses.

When we began walking onceagain, no one moved but me and the alpha. Not even Lennon stepped forward untilJared beckoned her—and she was the only one who would have been happy to stayput.

I didn’t really understand herreluctance. She had huge power. Power that would definitely injure thecreature. But she wanted to stay home andseethings, not fight things.Honestly, the alpha was paying me to collect the creature. I’d rather they allstay home.

Except, maybe, for the alpha.

But I didn’t say a word. Aslong as they stayed out of my way, it was all good.

I found the exsoloup not fiveminutes later. We crept along, and I was nearly past him before something mademe pause and draw my blade. Jared stood beside me, his stare following mine tothe dark shadow that didn’t quite fit in with others. The creature was high inin the fork of a bare tree, hanging almost like a giant bat, and even in hissleep, a weak and soft but high-pitched wheeze was pushed from his mouth.

“He’s hurt,” I whispered. “Veryhurt. We can take him, if we can get him down from there.”

“I’ll shift,” Jared murmured.“Because he’s injured, he’ll need to absorb someone to regain his strength andbegin to heal. He’ll sense me the second I’m in wolf form.”

“Not you,” Lennon hissed.“You’re the alpha. What will happen to the pack if you die? Call one of thewarriors to shift.”

He looked at her, his frownstern. “Be ready with your wand, Seer. We can end this thing tonight.”

She shivered. “I’m ready.” Shelifted her wand as quietly and quickly, Jared began to undress. It was alwaysbest if a wolf could rid himself of his clothes and weapons before shifting. Helay the weapons in a pile on the ground, kicked off his boots and then, beforeI could tell myself to look away, he peeled off his shirt. He didn’t hesitateto shove his pants over his hips, and Lennon leaned over to drag the clothesinto a pile beside the weapons. I would have helped, but I couldn’t move.

At the end, just before heshifted, his eyes met mine, and I felt that look like a bolt of lightning. Therewas the sound of bones snapping, and his eyes changed so quickly I couldn’thelp but gasp. Then he gave a muted roar, and he transformed. He shifted. Hiswolf burst into being, that big, shaggy animal, and his was one of thesmoothest shifts I’d ever seen.

It took mere seconds.

The wolf threw his head back,pointed his nose at the dark sky, and howled. And even though he’d told hiswarriors to stay put, his howl called to them, made them think he was introuble—they knew he wasn’t supposed to shift—and they rushed the clearing withrage and deadly intent. But they did not shift.

And the creature, who needed thewolf to live, zoomed from the tall tree like a heatseeking missile, and heaimed himself at Jared.

I was waiting for him. All hisattention was on the only shifted wolf there, and as the warriors grabbed theirsilver nets and prepared to entrap the exsoloup, I threw myself between thecreature and the alpha, and with every bit of my considerable strength, I drovethe demon blade through the creature’s throat.

The blow was so intense thatthe blade went through his flesh and deeply pierced the bark, pinning theexsoloup to the tree in which he’d nested. He grabbed at the handle of theblade, his eyes bulging, as black blood gushed from his throat and cascadedover my hand like a putrid waterfall.

Jared had already returned tohis human form, and he dove for his weapons even as Lennon rushed into my visionand lifted her wand. The blue flame sparked to life, and her lips moved as shemurmured something.

Then, chaos.

The exsoloup did something Ididn’t know hecoulddo, something I hadn’t read about when I wasresearching him. He opened his mouth as wide as he could, showing discoloredrows of sharp teeth, and he screamed. It wasn’t like the shriek I’d heard himdo the last time, though. It was a weapon, that scream, and unlike the powerthat sucked the life from the wolves, this one slammed into us. It was likebeing hit with a wall of ice, freezing the brain, the heart, the body.

Still, I ducked, somehow, andLennon got the brunt of it. It struck the alpha, as well, and the warriors whoattempted to reach him. Even though I’d ducked most of it—a very good thingconsidering that I was practically in his mouth when he screamed—I was hit, andthat cold power wrenched me away from the creature and threw me at least fiveyards, and for a few seconds I lay on the ground unable to hear, think, or see.

Even my wolf was quiet, likethe creature had knocked her cold.