Page 11 of Her Wolf's Demands

“I was worried about you…” He stepped forward, his eyes widening when Malone’s arm brushed against mine. “…thought they’d kidnapped you. Turns out I was right.”

Several snarls came from behind me. One from Lionel, one from Malone.

“You’re wrong,” I said, clenching my hands. “I chose to be here.”

Kieran’s scoff was followed by a sneer. “He took you against your will, didn’t he?”

The double meaning smacked me in the chest. He could sense that we were mated and didn’t like it. How dare the bastard throw such accusations when he was the one who had threatened me?

“You were supposed to be my friend!” My voice choked as grief squeezed my throat.

Shaking his head, he dropped the blanket on the ground, right next to my still burning fire. “I am your friend. Why do you think I’ve been searching for you? I know what he’s like.” He spat the last part of his sentence, his eyes almost popping when he stared at Malone.

“You dare to act the innocent?” Malone barked, “when you were about to rape her in wolf form!”

The aggression intensified when Kieran shook his head vehemently and stepped forward, his lips pulled back to reveal his elongated shifted canines.

Malone moved in front of me, his hulking frame blocking my view. My ire sparked even higher as the men faced off, ready to rip one another apart.

I slunk around Malone, attempting to push him back – and failing miserably considering he weighed more than a car.

“This is my fight,” I reminded him.

Slowly, reluctantly, he backed down. It was technically correct. Yes, their fight had been brewing for years. However, Kieran had tried to use me to get to the alpha.

“If you weren’t trying to mate with me that day,” I said, my gaze searching his, “What were you doing?”

His gaze dropped for just a second, but it was enough to convince me of his guilt. My chest squeezed the air out of my lungs. Malone had been right; he had been trying to destroy me.

“I was messing around.” His feeble excuse was weak as he shrugged his shoulders. “At least I didn’t go through with it. Unlike him.” Jabbing his finger at Malone, Kieran glared. “I will not let him keep you here against your will.”

“My will?” I shouted. “As if you have any idea what that would be. You’re a snake!”

His back straightened, his eyes widening. “Me? Your mate killed his own sister, I know what he’s like.”

Glancing over my shoulder at Malone, I reached out a hand and rested it on his chest. His heart beat rapidly, vibrating against my fingers. Surely if Malone told Kieran the truth about Frizz, it would resolve their old fight.

“You know what?” Kieran said before I could reply. “I’m here to rescue you and that’s what I’m going to do.” Flinging his arms forward, he laughed when his wolves barked and started to charge from behind him.

The blanket on the floor beside him had caught alight. Flicking my own finger, I sent it flying into the path of the oncoming wolves. It caught one of them, a brown one, and sparked flames on its fur.

Malone shoved me out of the way, his stance strong as a wolf lunged, its teeth snapping.

The alpha’s arm muscles strained, strong as he caught the wolf by the paws and spun with it, launching it away.

I moved around Malone, about to throw up a barrier spell when several other wolves appeared from behind me, clashing with Kieran’s friends.

They were caught in combat, snarling, snapping and yelping. I stood amongst them, not sure how to stop the attack without hurting my own kind.

Malone’s muzzle formed, ripping into a black wolf’s neck as he wrestled it to the ground. The yelp was followed by gurgling as the wolf choked on its own blood. Shit, I didn’t want wolves to die on my behalf, it wasn’t worth it.

Raising my hands in the air, just as Lionel barked in pain, I incited a freeze spell. Everyone around me, including Malone, stopped still, unable to move.

Kieran was nearby, approaching me from behind. I hadn’t noticed him at first, his eyes watching me closely.

Shuddering, I shook my head at him. He watched me, a sadness crossing his eyes as I trod closer.

A gruff grunt sounded from Malone, urgent and continuous.