Page 1 of Her Wolf's Demands
Chapter One
The shadows merged together, the moon dropping between the canopy of leaves above us. My heavy heart weighed me down as I hugged the blanket to me and glanced at Malone, who leant against the trunk of a tree, his gaze staring into the darkness.
We’d been hiding in the woods for a week, just to let everything die down after the witches had kidnapped and tried to kill me. It had been one of the most terrifying times of my life, even with Malone by my side. We had hunted for our food – totally gross and not for me – and hardly spoken, preferring to keep our thoughts to ourselves. It hadn’t been the honeymoon that I’d half expected from the way everyone had spoken about fated mates.
I’d been on edge, constantly wanting to scream at him to snap out of it. On the brink, I’d almost wished the witches had been successful in killing me. Almost.
Thoughts of Drake had kept me going. I’d borrowed one of the wolves’ phones to tell Doctor Amel that I was going away to clear my head. The doctor had praised me, telling me it was the right thing to do. If only he’d known that I’d been banished by a bunch of dogs who thought they had a right to control me. He would think it was a joke.
Opening my mouth to tell Malone this, I paused when he stiffened. The sound of a snapping twig reached my ears just before a masculine scent crept up my nose.
We both pushed to our feet, careful to stay silent in the dead of the woods. Crickets chirped and insects rustled amongst the forest floor. The sounds had freaked me out at first, especially as Malone had kept his distance, only coming near me when we slept to share body heat. Even then, he’d move away before I woke up. The distance had stung like a bitch, and of course, I’d convinced myself that I’d made the biggest mistake of my life mating with Malone.
There it was again, the footstep alerting us to another’s presence. Malone placed a finger over his mouth as he moved in front of me, all macho alpha and shit. He knew full well that I could defend myself with my magic, I didn’t need his protection. Not after he’d outright ignored me almost all week.
My heartbeat pounded in my head as a low whistle rent the air. Malone’s spine straightened, his shoulders tensing. Did he know who it was?
“Show yourself, Joe,” he called.
A long shadow to the left stepped into the light of the moon, morphing into an older man with long grey hair and leathery skin. He glanced at me, his eyes narrowing. “Malone.”
Er. No, I was Della. Not that I would correct him, he might have been confused. The last thing I wanted to do was offend any of the pack. They already wanted to kill me, and probably spit-roast me so they could enjoy the taste of victory. Okay, a little dramatic, but I was going stir crazy in the woods.
“What is it?” Malone snapped, staying in front of me as more twigs cracked.
Footsteps were almost silent as others emerged from behind the trees, surrounding us in a circle. Malone cracked his knuckles as he glanced around at his people.
I recognised some of them from the rescue but most of them were unfamiliar. Their scowls, on the other hand, I was slowly becoming used to them.
“We’re ready for you to return.” Joe extended his arm towards me. “To plead your case regarding the hybrid-witch.”
My insides quivered as I watched the men and women who surrounded us, each casting a disapproving eye towards Malone. Anyone would think Malone was the omega of the pack.
“Fine.” My mate’s voice was tight as Lionel and Henry came closer, their hands elongating into wolf paws. “There’s no need for that, we’ll come willingly.”
Not for the first time, confusion twisted my brain. Where had my strong alpha male gone? Why was he being so submissive? Jeez, I needed a lesson in wolf hierarchy.
Stepping aside, the men gestured for us to walk. I followed Malone, jumping when he reached back and took my hand. The fizzle that shot through my fingers almost made me rip away.
The wolves stayed close by, their gazes watching our every move as we trod through the woods and out into the field that led to their camp. My hair was ratty, the strands almost matted from sleeping rough every night. I didn’t want to have to face those who despised me looking so rough. And yet, I wouldn’t have a choice.
Rochelle’s red hair was visible to the side of us as we marched towards the camp. I slunk my gaze towards her, surprised to see that she was clenching and unclenched her jaw as she stared at our joined hands. Surely she wasn’t still jealous? Didn’t the mating bond eradicate everyone else?
“Don’t say a word,” Malone hissed under his breath.
Pulling away from him, I wound my arms around myself, preferring to keep behind the wall he’d built between us. The bastard had muttered hardly any words the last week. What made him think I would bow down to his demands?
He side-eyed me, a frown tugging his eyebrows low. Oh, so it was okay for the pack to dictate to him, but I had to be a good little witch. Wolf. Fuck, whatever.
“You have one hour to shower and change,” Lionel announced, pointing towards a huge cabin.
Inclining his head, Malone placed his arm over my shoulder, pinching my skin in warning as he marched me across the camp.
The others crept away, presumably to start a stopwatch and time us to the dot. Why had it taken almost the whole pack to escort us?
Once inside, I headed straight for the bathroom without acknowledging the alpha. As pissed as I was with him, I didn’t want him seeing how rough I looked under the soft warm lights of the cabin.
Stripping as quickly as I could, I wasted no time in drowning myself in the shower, fully enjoying the warm water and bubbles that softened my hair.