Page 110 of Bewitching the Wolf

Sally wipes her hands on her apron, cocks her head in Mom’s direction. “We heard a big boom. All the crockery shook. So it’s all done, then?”

“It is done. Mission successful.” Mom smiles.

A moment later we hear the rumble of vehicles outside.

My pulse spikes.

And then comes the sound of voices and laughter, hearty and jovial, followed by the thud of heavy-duty boots in the hallway.

The kitchen door swings open and they bail in, Jax, Traggar and Otis, half a dozen of the deputy sheriffs following.

My gaze eagerly searches Jax’s face.

His green eyes meet mine, and flare emerald.

And everything else—the chatter, the congratulations, the relieved laughter—all retreats into the background.

And without hesitation, I run and jump into the arms of my mate.

CHAPTER 35

JAX

With Tippy seated by my side, stories of the momentous day are shared, of the battle, the heroism and the final defeat of evil. and those who were not there listen with their mouths gaping.

When I tell of my final show-down with Marsha, everyone clamors for the details. Even though I’m the High Priest now, and maybe should be above such things, I find myself relishing telling them how Marsha Winters met her end.

The only thing I keep to myself are my wolf’s words. Those are for my mate’s ears only. But I do tell them about the cape’s final act of heroism, and Marsha’s fall into the abyss.

“She shrank before your eyes, like literally?” Tippy says.

“Yep.”

“And then the ground opened up and swallowed her?” Clem gasps. “Like, how?”

“The cape threw itself down on the ground and there is was. A huge gaping hole into hell.” I laugh. “For a moment I thought the cape was throwing a tantrum, but clearly it knew exactly what it was doing.”

“I told you to trust it,” Mom says.

I grin. “Marsha didn’t stand a chance, it just swept her straight into it.”

“She had a choice.” Mom sighs. “Ariel gave her the option to spend eternity with Ronald DeVine in a gated golf community.”

Felicia shudders. “I would have refused too. The prospect of playing golf for eternity is my idea of hell.”

Everyone laughs.

“So Marsha is gone, never to return?” Clem asks.

“Never,” Mom says emphatically. “We have Ariel’s promise on that.”

“So what happens from here on?” Brody asks. “To us, and the Labyrinth and the Domes?”

“We dismantle things gradually,” Mom explains. “Showing humans the truth of the Labyrinth must be done slowly, or the whole population will go into overwhelm.”

Clem grimaces. “Having had an attack of Labyrinth overwhelm once, I can confirm it’s not pleasant.”

“Exactly Clem. we don’t want twenty thousand Sparkle residents getting overwhelmed all at once,” Mom agrees. “But when they have full comprehension of the truth, we will commence our Earth breathing courses,”