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“Taken,” she repeats. She considers that information, absorbing it with a short nod. Her attention shifts to the food. “That doesn’t answer what you wanted with her… or what you’ll want from me.”

“I know.” I curl my hands into fists.

She’s too beautiful. Like she’s going to burst out of her body and transform into a star. I don’t know if she realizes she practically glows. Her eyes, her hair, her lips. The curves of her breasts and hips and ass. Wolf shifter females are all lean muscle, but she seems soft.

“You know my name,” she says. “What’s yours?”

I hesitate for only a second. Weighing what dangers could come from a first name. But just as quickly, I conclude that I’d rather she didn’t call me dog all the time.

“Kian.”

She nods. “And your wolf?”

“He doesn’t have a name that we’d pronounce.”

She unfolds herself and stands. Her lips pull into a grimace, her back undoubtedly hurting. She drifts closer to me, stopping short of reaching out.

“I’m not going to turn into a wolf, right?” She touches the thin white lines of the bite just under the Mark.

“No.” Although my fucking wolf likes the sound of that. “There’s a process to creating new shifters. It doesn’t happen with one bite.”

I don’t bother adding that only alphas can create shifters, and they have to do it with the intention of transforming someone. And since I’m ninety-eight percent sure my wolf didn’t intend to turn her, we should be fine.

She lets out a breath. “Okay. And, um…”

“Yeah?”

“Are you going to kill me?”

No, my wolf answers immediately. The word reverberates in my brain.

The question shouldn’t surprise me, but it does. The little witch doesn’t realize the power she holds—and the way I need her. She’s a temptress of the worst sort. She seems innocent, but she’s far from it—and that makes her dangerous. Given my unfortunate fascination with her…

Well, it goes beyond fascination.

Obsession?

I sigh, irritated with my own line of thoughts. “Not yet, Astra Somnium.”

I head to the door and shed my shirt. Her slight intake of breath chases me. That would be a heady sound if I didn’t know who and what she is. But it stirs my blood all the same, and my cock twitches in my pants. I ignore my impending erection and shrug out of my clothes, leaving a trail of them on the floor as I go. She follows me down the stairs, all the way to the front door.

Bold creature.

I almost respect her for it.

“Don’t leave the house,” I warn her over my shoulder. I hop off the porch, shifting seamlessly mid-air. The familiar pain is just a flash, and my wolf surges to the forefront of our mind. Together, we bound away.

We need to run. We need our pack.

I focus on the scents we’re inhaling. I need to get the witch’s out of my godforsaken head—or else I’m going to do something that I’ll regret.

Something permanent.

Chapter 8

Astra

“He told you that demons have her?”