Page 119 of Treasured
Fear was cold as it ran through my veins. The last wolf we’d encountered—the white wolf—had seemed to like me. This one, though… it was angry. And deadly.
A dangerous mix.
My wings burst from my back, and I summoned more shadows to my hands. Snarling, I bent my knees and matched the wolf’s offensive position.
Next to me, Sebastian lurched to his feet. Thank the gods. His wings snapped out as shadows poured from his hands, darkening the forest. His tunic was torn, and blood dripped from his shoulder. This was becoming an unwelcome trend.
My fangs burned at the sight.
“You’re hurt,” I snarled.
He glanced at me. “Calm down, Luna.”
Calm down. Calm down? This was not the moment for calmness. Libraries and laboratories were places to be calm. Not here, with a wolf wearing my husband’s blood. This was a place for strength.
I screamed. Birds startled, flying into the night as I charged the predatory animal. “I’m going to kill you!”
No one injured my Bonded Partner—especially not some wolf.
It watched me advance, and I could have sworn its mouth twisted into a smirk. My wings flapped, and I drew droves of shadows into my palms, intent on tearing the wolf to pieces.
I was moments away from clawing at the wolf with my bare hands when a massive weight flew into me from the side. Sebastian shoved me to the ground, pinning me down.
“Don’t!” he shouted.
I stared at him, at the rip in his tunic and the now-healed wound on his shoulder. The laughter returned, bubbling up inside me. “Don’t?” I echoed his words in disbelief. “The wolf—”
“Is the person we’ve come to see,” he blurted.
My eyes widened, and my heart stopped. “What? Is this a joke?”
I stared at Sebastian, but I didn’t detect any trace of amusement on his face. “No joke, darling.” He turned to the wolf. “Are you done? We’re not going to hurt you. We need your help.”
The wolf inclined its head and barked. A flash of white light erupted from it, and when it was gone, a very beautiful, angry, naked female stood where the wolf had been. A werewolf. Her bare feet dug into the snow, and she leaned against a tree, apparently uncaring about the rough bark.
Sebastian eased off me, helping me to my feet. I had neglected to ask my husband about the person we were meeting—a mistake that would not happen again.
The werewolf canted her head in a very animal-like fashion, her brown hair falling over one shoulder as she studied us with orange eyes. “The stars did not speak of your arrival.” She frowned and balled her fists at her sides. “Why are you trespassing on my lands? You do not belong here. Leave!” she barked.
My hackles rose. Who did this werewolf think she was?
Sebastian pulled me behind him. “As I said, we need your help, Jehanne.”
The angry female inhaled. Her eyes were sharp as they crawled over us. Unmasked malice emanated from her. She snapped, “Oh?”
He nodded, ignoring her tone. “We are in need of a reading.”
“Why do you think I would do anything for you, Prince of Darkness?” Jehanne sneered at us. “I don’t have any reason to trust you.”
Sebastian drew in a deep breath and squared his shoulders. Though he appeared at ease, a burst of worry flashed through the Binding Mark. Just as quickly as it appeared, however, it was gone.
“We’re going to kill the queen,” he said calmly as if he was making a statement about the weather—snowing, as usual—and not a treasonous declaration.
My heart thundered in my chest. Was I angry before? Now I was worried. What was Sebastian doing? This wasn’t exactly news we should be spreading, especially not to a werewolf who had just tried to kill him.
Those orange eyes studied us for another moment before Jehanne nodded. “Well, why didn’t you say so?” She grinned, her tone suddenly ten times lighter than it had been moments before, displaying two elongated canines. “This is delightful news.”
Another flash of white light, and the gray wolf was back. It was only slightly less unsettling the second time. Jehanne barked, then she loped into the snowy forest.