Chapter 0323


    My wolf stepped another inch closer to me, and then, inexplicably, it stopped.


    I peeked open my eyes.


    It had entirely frozen, eyes on mine. It panted its breath. Its muscles tensed like it was holding itself back.


    I didn’t dare hope but…


    “Do you… remember me?” I asked.


    It stepped back and a whimper escaped the back of its throat.


    “Oh, my wolf,” I sobbed. “I’m so sorry. You are so good, fighting so hard.”


    It closed its eyes and turned from me. I couldn’t see inside of its head, but I imagined it was fighting with Jane for control.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    My heart broke for my wolf. How many terrible things had it been forced to do at Jane’smand? Had it resigned itself over the years? Or had it always fought back, trying and failing again and again to keep Jane from being the terrible person she was.


    My wolf was good. It was as pure-hearted as they came. For it to have to fight, to hurt… or worse…


    My wolf shuffled on its feet. It was struggling. I didn’t know if it would win this fight.


    “I’ll find you,” I promised. “I won’t rest until we are back together again.”


    The wolf reared its head and howled, loud and crisp. The sound echoed in the empty spot in my chest. That’s where the wolf belonged.


    “Then we’ll never be separated again.”


    Then, at once, the wolf copsed. Slowly, I watched as the fur disappeared into smooth skin. Before long, Jane was there and my wolf was no longer.


    It had saved me and fought against Jane’smand to the point of exhaustion. When it had copsed, it had taken Jane down with it.


    They were still alive. Jane’s chest rose and fell with steady breaths.


    I wanted to drag her into one of the cages and keep her there, a prisoner of our own, until we could remove wolf from woman. But to do that, I would need to waste time. And nearby, Nichs and Julian were struggling.


    With a cry of agony, I forced myself to ignore Jane and my wolf, and ran instead to Nichs’s down his face and off of himpletely.


    His reaction was immediate. He threw back his head and roared. Strength returned, shooting through his b*dy with such a strong force that I felt the power of it-radiating off of him in waves. It was enough to send me down onto my backside.


    At once, he tore forward, giving Julian some much-needed backup.


    The shouts of the attackers became more panicked and less sure. Behind us, one of them scooped up Jane into their arms. I made a grab for them, but a different attacker grabbed me around the waist and yanked me back.


    Nichs had their throat in his jaws before I knew what was happening. I stumbled but didn’t fall, as the attacker was ripped away.


    Bloodshed and screaming and running surrounded me. Adrenaline surged inside of me, as I mostly tried to stay out of the way. Julian and Nichs moved in sync, fast as blurs, like they had never fought against each other a day in their lives.


    I supposed, despite their differences, they would not abandon the other to die. O


    Before long, the excitement ended. The attackers had either sc att ered or were left wounded or worse on the ground.


    Nichs and Julian both shifted back into their human forms. Both were covered in blood.


    I hurried to their sides and looked them over for wounds. Julian seemed okay. Nichs had many wounds but they were all rapidly healing without that dam ned cor confining his powers.


    He held out his hand for me and I slid mine into his.


    “Nick” The tears continued to fall.


    I was grateful and relieved that he and Julian were safe, but the confrontation with my wolf weighed heavily on me. I couldn’t do much more at that point than s ob.


    Nichs pulled me into his arms. I didn’t care about the stench of blood, or the mess. I only cared about his closeness and his warmth and the strength he was offering me when I had so little left for myself.


    In another life, my wolf would have never left me. I would be here in Nichol a s’s arms as a full person, and not the husk of the woman I’d became.


    I pressed my face into his chest. His pajamas were already ruined. What did it matter if my tears were added to the mix? 2


    He brushed his fingers through my hair. He didn’t say anything, but I felt his concern in the tightness of his arms around me, and the rapid beat of his heart. He dropped a tender k*ss to


    I knew in my heart he would have held me forever if I needed it. Maybe I did. Maybe I wanted to bury my way inside of him and never leave him again. But that was never in the cards for us. This moment, just like everything else between us, was only ever meant to end.


    I pulled back, enough to look up at his face.


    “Don’t say it,” he said.


    “Say what?” I asked.


    He quirked a tiny smile. “Don’t say anything.”


    There was blood on his teeth. He was something out a nightmare standing there, holding me so close, in andscape of carnage. Yet under the grief over the loss of my wolf, all I felt was affection for him and appreciation for what he’d done.


    I dropped my head back against the hard in of his chest. I wed at his pajama shirt. I wouldn’t say what I wanted to. I’d let my b*dy speak for me.


    Please keep holding me. Don’t leave me. Even when this is over, keep me close.


    It was selfish. I couldn’t dare to say the words aloud.


    He held tighter like he could hear them.


    “We should get out of this macabre scene,” Julian said.


    I tilted my head to see him. I kept one cheek pressed into Nich s’s chest.


    Nichs hummed his agreement.


    Julian walked toward the cor and sna tched it up of the floor. “A hell of a thing, this. I’d better hold on it. Not that I don’t trust the guards, mind you.


    I agreed. I felt safer with the cor in Julian’s hands, than those of some stranger.


    “What did it do?” Julian asked.


    “Repressed my were-wolf powers,” Nichs said. “Or tried to.”


    Julian snorted. “You always were an over-achiever. Not even magic can hold you back, huh?”


    He sounded more appreciative than jealous or bitter, so I elicited a soft huff ofughter.


    Julian smiled too. His fingers, carding through my hair, were gentle. 3


    “I guess so,” he said.


    “I guess I’m d for it, on this one asion,” Julian said.


    “Me, too,” I sniffled.


    Nichs k*ssed me again, on the forehead this time. I closed my eyes to enjoy the press of his l*ps.


    “I’m heading up,” Julian said. “Going to send for the guard. You two going to be alright…?” Julian nced at us, then rolled his eyes. “Never mind. Stu pid question. Just try to separate before the bigshots get here, okay?”


    Nichs nced down at me. The blood had smeared at his l*ps. I imagined I had a l*p- shaped blood stain on my forehead.


    Maybe I should have been appalled by that thought. I wasn’t.


    “No promises,” Nichs said.