“What? Why?!” I question urgently. He doesn’t answer me straight away, the sound of ripping clothes ringing in my ears as he shifts, Colt rushing forward in a frenzy.
“Maverick!” I scream, but he’s already on the other side of the field, crashing into Orson.
I stop running about half way along the field, glancing around in panic. People are shifting everywhere, and already in a sea of bodies, I’ve lost the guys.
Both Lex and Cade have shifted too, and it takes me a few seconds to scan the chaos until I find Titus and Odin in the middle of the fight, flinging wolves off their pack members.
Why aren’t I allowed to shift?!
I ask them again, but they are too distracted to answer.
“Mira, we have to do something!”
“I know. Just shift,”she tells me, but I’m still unsure. For the first time in my life, I hesitate at their words, not immediately defying orders even though it usually comes naturally to me.
I don’t know what it is, but something in Maverick’s tone scared me. It felt like a warning, as if there’s a sign of danger I don’t know about. And in this very moment, I finally concede and do as I’m told.
Familiar wolves are brushing past me. I quickly dodge out of the way of two that come barreling toward me, nearly clipping my stationary frame.
Out of my peripheral vision, I see a large frame hurdling itself toward me. My head whips to the side just in time to see razor sharp teeth bared, the wolf leaping off the ground straight at me.
Oh, no.
I close my eyes, waiting for the attack. There’s no time to dodge or shift. Hopefully it’s quick and painless.
A whoosh of air sends my hair dancing around my face. No one tackles me and when I open my eyes to the sound of growling, I’m staring wide eyed at a shifted Knox defending me against the other wolf.
“Look out!” I warn, seeing a second wolf charging at us.
I’m not quick enough though, Isaiah’s wolf lunging for Knox’s throat.
I was right. It was instant and painless. Blood splatters all over my body as Knox falls in a dead heap on the ground in front of me.
There’s another feral growl before Lex’s wolf tackles the two of them.
“Move!” He yells at me before ripping Isaiah’s jugular out.
I rush away, panting as I try to process what the hell just happened.
Knox is dead. Saved me. But that could have been avoided.
I need to figure out why they don’t want me to shift…
There has to be a reason because right now, I’m a sitting duck. At least Mira has a fighting chance if I shift. If a wolf attacks me while I'm like this, I’m as good as dead.
Scanning the crowd, panic starts to overwhelm me. Spit and blood are flying through the air, spraying people as growls, yelps, and screams fill the usually quiet morning field.
And then, I spot it.
Or rather…them.
Standing at the edge of the field, just a few feet away from the trees, a handful of women watch the fight. It’s hard to make out their features, but squinting, it’s obvious they are chanting.
Witches.
Shit.
“That’s why Maverick doesn’t want us to shift,”Mira points out.
