“I need to ask you a favor,” Darren observed.“I've been told that a new wolf shouldn't run alone the first few times.Will you take a run with me?”
It sounded so innocent, and yet she knew that it wasn't.The last time they had gone for a run, he had ended up kissing her.She could say no, but how would that look?Maybe it would work out all right, and she would escape at the end of the run with no problems.
“When did you want to go for a run?”She asked.
“What about right now?”Darren wondered.
“All right.That sounds OK.”
He grabbed her hand, which surprised her, and then he pulled her out the door and headed toward the woods.Lottie was in a bit of a daze, but she let him lead her out to the woods, and when he turned into his wolf, she changed as well.This time, he was the one who took off running, and she followed.
It was a beautiful day, and the air was a little cool.The leaves were changing, but the trees were still full of leaves.They hit the trails that ran through the woods, and he was just a little bit ahead of her.She stopped suddenly because she smelled strange wolves.Darren was continuing his run, but at least he was running away from the strange wolves.She changed back to her human form because she was going to need her magic.There were at least half a dozen, if not more, of these wolves.If they broke into the house, it would do them no good because Liza had been given the day off after breakfast.She and Darren were the only ones home, and they were in the woods.
Darren had finally stopped, and he had come back and shifted back to his human form.“What's wrong?”
“Strangers are here, and they are near the house.Close your eyes and pull in the scents around you, and I think that you will recognize an unknown group of scents.”
It surprised her when he did as she asked, and when his eyes opened, there was a little gold in them.He was an alpha being challenged on his own turf.“They are unknown and probably up to no good.What should we do?”
“There are too many of them for the two of us to handle as wolves.We should wait and see what they plan to do, because our scent is all over the place, and they will not know where we are.I'm not sure if they can get into the house because Harry has wards on it.No one with ill intent can get in without injury.”Lottie explained.
“I didn't know that.”
“That doesn't matter because it doesn't mean that the ward can't be overwhelmed.It's only a little bit of protection that they may be able to get through.What good would it do you to know that?”
A wolf howled in pain.“Is that some of the protection?”Darren asked.
“It is.The ward will shock them if they try to go through.If enough of the others pushed the first one, they may get him through, but not without pain.A stronger witch could also get through.”
“Magic sure is complicated.”
“You’ve only begun to see just how complicated it can be,” Lottie admitted.
“I’m also just beginning to see how complicated being a wolf can be.”
She could see how he would feel that way under the circumstances that he had become a wolf and all the trouble that had occurred since.They had no peace since he’d come home, but at least he’d had some support from his family.If he hadn’t, both girls would have already been gone.It was time to wait and see what the interloper would do.
“Let’s move closer so that we can see what these guys are going to do.”She suggested.
He nodded, and they moved closer to the edge of the woods.They could see the guys as they took turns attempting to get past the ward.Under other circumstances, it might even be funny watching these guys get shocked.
“How does the spell get fed?”Darren asked.
“It pulls energy from the attackers.”
“Isn’t that against the rules?”
“Why would it be?It only pulls energy from attackers that have ill intentions.”Lottie observed.
“It’s alright to use magic and take energy as long as they are bad guys?”
“Or if they are willing.If Harry ran low on energy, I could offer to give her some.”
“I think I understand now.”Darren offered.
“You’ll learn magic a little at a time.Being a wolf is more important to learn quickly.”
The idiots were still over there trying to get into the house.They picked one of their guys up and threw him, but it wasn't hard enough, and he just bounced back and hit them.She wondered if they would try pushing against one of their guys to force them through the protective ward, but it didn't seem like these guys had even considered it.They finally seemed to give up, and they all turned away and got into a truck that she hadn't noticed before.
