“Who the hell are you?”
The wolf slammed into me and tried to sink his teeth into my neck.
Shit, I had to concentrate! But how could I when I was smelling my beta, when I wasseeingmy beta, but somehow wasn’thearingmy beta.
Nothing was making sense!
I jerked my head to the side and spun, one of my legs catching the wolf in the side. It was enough to push him back, but not enough to have me be safe, because then he was jumping right onto my back, jaws trying to close over my head.
My first instinct was to roll, but I had been around long enough to know that was the worstthing I could do. Turtling would give him total control if he actually managed to sink his teeth into me.
I backed away rapidly, then reared up. It definitely rattled the wolf, and I whirled to press my advantage.
But then I was staring into the same golden eyes of the man I’d once considered my best friend. The man I’d trusted witheverything.
Thousands of thoughts and emotions all slammed into me at once, all of which I thought I’d never have to experience again. That and the fact that I hadn’t fought since I’d stood over Charles’s corpse rattled me yet again, and the next thing I knew, the wolf tackled me to the ground.
We rolled over each other, ass over teakettle, both of us snarling and snapping and biting. I knew I was losing, but Icouldn’t scramble back to the present like I used to be able to. Flickers of my past kept trying to take over, superimposing upon reality.
I had to win. Ihadto. But those dark, clawed hands were reaching out of the blood again, wanting to drag me to oblivion.
“Get away from him!”
Just as abruptly as our fight had started, the weight on top of me and the gnashing teeth were gone. I lay there, panting as I stared up at the stars, trying to figure outwhenI was.
“I saidstop!”
Giselle.
Realizing that it was her voice I was hearing slammed into me far harder than not-Charles had, and I popped to my feet in horror. Sure enough, she was under the gray wolf just a few feet away, his drool and blood dripping onto her face.
I lurched forward, knowing I had to save her, but I didn’t so much as take a full leap before my opponent howled and collapsed onto her.
Was I dreaming?
My brain rebooted, and I rushed to her, afraid she might be crushed under the massive wolf’s body, but then steam began to pour from the writhing beast, and he fell to the side before turning completely human.
I was stunned. Completely gobsmacked. I had no idea what was going on until the man stilled, and I saw a silver bracelet sticking out of his eye.
A silvermedicalbracelet.
“I…” Giselle whispered raggedly before standing up. I could hear her heart hammering even from where I was, but still, I was in awe of her. I had no idea how she was on her feet, and also had no idea how she turned and stared at me with utter calm.
“I don’t want to be hospitalized again, so I need my beta blockers.”
Wait, what?
I looked from her to the still-writhing form of the man who’d stolen my car, taken her, and fought with me. He kept trying to grab the bracelet and pull it free, but every time he touched it, his hands sizzled, and he lost his grip.
He had to be in terrible pain. Truly agonizing pain.
Good.
“My beta blockers are in my purse, so I need you to shift back and drive your car back to my purse, please,” Giselle continued calmly.
I didn’t comprehend her words at first. My gaze was locked on the man who smelled exactly like Charles. Except he didn’t look quite the same. Despite the darkness, I could tell his hair was redder, his frame leaner and taller. And his blood?
His blood smelled off.
