Page 88 of Diners, Damsels & Wolves

“No, I didn’t have time to argue with her,” Tom said.

“I would have taken her to the hospital regardless, but I’m not happy with how you did that,” Maria said.

“Shh, she’s concentrating,” Tom said.

Thressa put the crystals on the map’s four directions, then lit the candle. Sitting cross-legged on the pavement, she started to chant in an unfamiliar language. Her eyes and the crystals glowed pink. Taking a single rose petal, she dipped it in Tom’s blood. Cupping her other hand over it, she chanted again.

The crystals grew brighter. Opening her hands, the rose petal had absorbed the blood. Leaning over the map, Thressa blew a breath over her open palm, sending the petal flying. Floating over the paper, it vibrated and spun. The tip of the petal touched the map. Staying upright, it marked a place almost forty miles west.

He memorized the mark before turning to go. Running back to the tree line, he shifted, not bothering to pause to remove his sweats. They shredded. Behind him, he felt the others leave their cars, emerging from the shadows and the tree line. More than twenty wolves followed him out of the lot.

He couldn’t help the sense of pride welling up in him. No other pack took in as many strays as he did. The pack elders called him crazy, told him it would hurt the pack dynamic and the bonds between them. This ordeal proved them all wrong. His pack came out in droves to support him and his unconventional mate, to protect each other and their towns.

“Forty miles west,” he thought at them, taking point. “They’re demon-made bears with extra abilities. Be on your guard!”

Twenty Five

Clarissa

Everything was dark. Deep within her fog, she was aware of the pain. Her head pounded mercilessly.

All she wanted was to sleep. Whenever it came within her grasp, it was torn away.

White-hot pain.

Fire erupted across her clammy skin. Her flesh tingled; it was growing numb. At the same time, she felt hot, thick fires spread across her body at random.

Only one eye could open.

Faces swam before her vision, their sounds muffled yet strangely too loud. Everything was too loud. Her head was pounding.

A man with long blonde hair lingered in front of her. His breath stank of liquor and blood.

“Little wolf whore, you were so easy to capture. Your Alpha doesn’t seem to be too careful with his toys.”

Her vision swam. Was she looking at a ceiling or a floor? She didn’t care. The movement was chased by a terrible pressure and more pounding in her head.

“You smell like sex. It’s taking all my restraint not to fuck you right now. That would ruin everything. I want him to hear your pathetic little cries the first time I fuck your cunt. We’ll have to wait until just the right time.”

She couldn’t make sense of what he was saying. Who had to hear her crying? Who had toys?

Through a hole in the darkness, she saw light, blinking her eye against the sudden assault. Then it was gone. In its place stood a bear. Piercing yellow eyes fixated on her. Then darkness came again.

More faces, more men, moved in and out of focus, chased by intelligible words. She thought she knew them. Where had she seen them before? Where had she seen those glowing yellow eyes?

She couldn’t understand why, but fear seized her. Her aching chest squeezed, and her heart hammered against her bruised ribs.

A mess of words jumbled in her mind. Words past and present. Somehow, it started to make sense.

Bears.

Fire.

Pain.

Wolves …

A single wolf with maroon fur. Her wolf. Was it looking for her? Would she ever see it again?