Page 102 of Bewitching the Wolf

“Oh, Jax.” My voice breaks a little. “That’s such a humongous task—but also such a privilege that she trusts you.”

“It’s decreed in the runes. That I would find Mom, and that she would pass her title to me. She—she believes in me, Tippy, but more than that, she believes in us. You and me together. She says that we will help all the monsters to live on Earth again. I need to know, will you be beside me, Tip? Will you help me to do this? Together?”

“Yes,” I say, without hesitation. “Yes, Jax, I will be at your side wherever this leads us. Always. How could you doubt that for one moment?”

He sighs with relief. “That’s all I needed to hear. That you will be stand by me, as my mate. Now I feel strong enough, worthy.” He leans forward and our lips fuse for long moments.

It feels like a pact that we are making for the future. Our future, and the Earth’s future. And strangely, I am not afraid, I realize. I am ready for this.

When we pull away, Jax says, “I have to go now. Mom is going to teach me the incantations I have to learn by heart before tomorrow.”

I nod, and we walk together to the door.

“I will be with you tomorrow Jax, nestled against your heart,” I say softly.

“Yes, those strands from your tail are in a little pocket in the cape. You’ll be with me to keep me strong.” At the door, we embrace once more. It’s hard to let him go, but eventually we part and I watch him stride toward his motorbike and mount it in one easy move.

He waves, the engine revs and then he rides away in a plume of smoke. I watch him sitting on the bike, tall and confident, broad-shouldered, head held high, until he disappears.

And I realize that whatever tomorrow holds, Jax Summers is a hero already.

CHAPTER 31

JAX

I stand staring at the demountable that used to be my office when I was a peripheral minion. There is cargo banked up everywhere in containers, ready to be transported to Sparkle City.

But this cargo will be going nowhere.

No more bangles and baubles.

No more fine fashion.

No more perfumes and make-up.

No more whitegoods.

No more raw materials.

And no more munitions.

The portal elevators are about to deliver a very different type of cargo to Sparkle City.

Two green sheriffs, father and son. A half dozen deputy sheriff shifters.

And scores of tough warrior wolves.

Oh yeah—and me, Jax Summers, the newly appointed High Priest of the Dawnwrought Coven, with the portal cape draped around my shoulders.

Marsha Winters’ plans are about to be scuppered.

The portal elevator doors open and we pile in. All along the rows of metal elevators, as far as the eye can see, dozens of Trojan wolves march inside.

Dozens of metal doors clang shut.

And then, we strap in. Press the control panel buttons and wait.

In moments, the elevator doors spring open again, but this time the barren landscape of the Periphery meets my gaze. The long wide roads, the storage containers piled high behind barbed-wire fencing. The trucks waiting to take goods to the center of Sparkle. and the towers, where the armed guards watch the portal elevators, day in, day out.