Her Wolf’s Demands by Rachel Medhurst

Chapter Nine

 

“Hello, old friend,” I greeted Fredrick when he picked up his phone, glad that the witch was a night owl.

Rochelle sat on the bed, patiently waiting for my next instructions. I had persuaded her that I had to rescue my familiar before I could go through with the ceremony. I wouldn’t allow both my brother, and my cat, to come second to the pack. They were both my life.

“I’ve heard you’re well and truly in the shit.” Fredrick’s cheerful voice was a contrast to my mood.

Clearing my throat, I pushed away the flood of anxiety that clenched my muscles. Partly due to Bohdi’s hostage situation, but also a little due to Fredrick’s bullying. His young face popped into my mind, his sneering and chanted taunts not easy to forget.

“Yep, you could say that,” I replied, happy that my voice was strong and indifferent.

“You’re still pissed at me, aren’t you?”

Ah, maybe I wasn’t as cool as I’d imagined. It wasn’t surprising, considering the circumstances. “You called me a freakoid in front of the whole coven. Sang it in a rap you’d made up about me, actually.”

An amused scoff came from Rochelle, spiking my ire. I glared at her. So much for my new friend.

“What can I say?” Fredrick sounded bored. “I was intimidated by you. You were clever and pretty, and the other girls hated you, so I had to fit in.”

Flapping a hand, I pushed away the memories. It wasn’t worth holding a grudge anymore, even though his betrayal had cut deep into my teen soul. “Well, you can make up for it now.”

“What’s going on?”

“I… guess you’ve heard that I’m a hybrid by now?”

His grunted affirmative was followed by chewing. “Sorry,” he said with a mouthful, “I made myself a sandwich to eat after our call. It’s been calling my name, and I couldn’t resist. I know you’re a hybrid. Proceed.”

“So you might have also heard that I can kill you instantly if you betray me again.”

Another amused snort from Rochelle and a bark of hilarity from Fredrick, despite his chomping.

“I won’t betray you again,” he said. “Pinky promise.”

Closing my eyes, I whispered a truth spell without feeling any guilt.

“Are you sure?”

“I hate the coven,” Fredrick replied. “I will not betray you. How can I help you destroy them?”

Okay, he had passed the truth spell. His frustration with the coven would help me to rescue Bohdi.

“I need to know how to break into the coven’s library at night.”

His choke satisfied me a little too much, considering I wanted him on my side. Sometimes, payback could be the simple things, and then it could all be forgotten.

“I can’t say I’m surprised,” he muttered, “your family has its reputation for being the naughty ones in the coven. I wonder if you’ll fit in better with the wolves. They seem to like rebellion.”

A growl rose within Rochelle’s throat. Why did wolves have to have superpower hearing? The last thing I needed was for Fredrick to offend Rochelle. Her help would make life so much easier.

“Frederick,” I warned.

“Okay, okay.” His sharp snort of laughter was quickly squelched. “I’ll send you the door code to get in the back entrance. Once inside, use a freeze spell to disable the alarms. You’ll only have ten seconds to reach the box and stop them from going off.”

“Sounds like you’ve done this before,” I muttered, amazed at how comfortable I felt speaking to him. Just like old times.

His laugh was allowed to bellow this time, blasting into my ear. “What can I say? Love me some witch coffee, stolen from their pretty café. Not only that, I quite liked the idea of a juicy libido spell. Don’t ask.”

A smile broke out, despite the urgency of the situation.

“Anyway,” he pressed on, “remember, the coven think their magic is invincible. Once inside with the alarms off, there’s a barrier spell on the coven’s private entrance. A simple disabling spell, especially with your power, will take it down. Just… be careful.”

“Fredrick, I owe you,” I said, getting up from where I perched on the edge of the bed and retrieving my pumps.

“I’ll note down the IOU from the most powerful witch in Brighton.”

“Hybrid-witch.” I sighed. “Get it right.”

His chuckle cut off as he hung up. My tummy fluttered, butterflies making an appearance and setting my nerves on edge. It had no doubt been a while since Fredrick had broken into the library. Going there was a risk that could get me caught.

Ertha had my familiar. Would she trust that I would stay away? Or had she set the whole thing up as a trap?

“What are you thinking?” Rochelle interrupted my racing thoughts.

I was standing, staring at the dark screen on my phone. Rochelle didn’t know the history between the coven and myself. She might not understand my hesitation.

“Two things.” Grabbing up my denim jacket, I tugged it on. “I’m unsure whether Ertha would’ve cast a shit-ton of spells to keep me out.”

Putting my phone in my pocket, I reached out my hand, my insides flip-flopping at the thought of seeing Bohdi again. My poor cat had been neglected, Ertha was right.

Well, no longer.

“And the second thing?” Rochelle frowned, gingerly placing her palm against mine.

“There’s an innocent immature part of me who doesn’t want to betray the coven, even though they’ve betrayed me.”

Before she could reply, I imagined the back entrance to the library. The room around us faded, morphing into a dark alley.

“Fucking hell,” Rochelle whispered loudly, “that was insane. Can you take me anywhere? How about Barbados?”

Cringing at her choice of descriptive word, I waved away her excitement and studied the back of the building. There was a plain green metal door that led into the rear of the university’s library. I had used this entrance once or twice before, usually when I wanted to avoid other witches who would gloat at me.

“Simple enough,” I said quietly, urging Rochelle to follow me with a wave of a hand.

Seeing my serious expression, she stepped behind me, her stance strong and ready, just in case there was a threat. A true wolf. I, on the other hand, had my arm raised, executing an unlocking spell.

The click of the door gave me a zing of happiness. I wasn’t going to jinx it, but jeez, I was bloody good. Okay, just a little bit of gloating.

“Stay behind me,” I whispered to Rochelle, who tucked her red hair behind her ear.

I had to be extra cautious, just in case Ertha had pulled out all the stops. She would’ve either predicted that I would come for Bohdi – in which case, she’d be right – or she could’ve believed that I didn’t have the guts. Wrong.

The door handle was cold, icy on my palm when I grabbed it and twisted it open. A small puff of air escaped from the crack, revealing silence as I listened for any movement inside.

“No one’s there.” Rochelle’s words flew to me on the slight breeze, tickling my ear.

Nodding my thanks, despite the fact that my own wolf hearing had already given me that clue, I stepped inside.

The beeping of the alarm made my heartbeat thunder, pushing me to race to the keypad by the warden’s office door.

Holding my breath, I typed in the code Frederick had given me, almost waiting for the loud siren to blast. Thankfully, it beeped three times before shutting down.

Right, we had to move fast. Some alarms alerted the owner of the building, telling them that someone had entered. Frederick had clearly had time to get a coffee and a spell before leaving, which made me doubt that Ertha would bother, especially since they shared the building with the humans from the university campus.

Rochelle slunk past me, sniffing the air like a dog. Ha, my dog jokes would now apply to me, which made them a little less funny.

I followed her as she approached the door that led to the main library. Yanking it open, she thrust inside, not bothering to wait for me. I just about caught the door before it slammed shut. Jeez, if there was anyone hiding in the shadows, they would’ve heard us a mile away. I thought wolves were good at stealth.

Almost tripping, I grabbed the she-wolf back and went in front, leading the way through the aisles of books. My hand stretched towards them, tempted to stroke the spines.

On the rare occasions my father had brought us to the library, Drake and I had run down the aisles, dragging our fingers over the spines and leaving our magical imprint on the books. We’d found it hilarious.

Ertha had been moderately irritated by us. Thinking back on it, our father had allowed us to get away with everything, too busy hooking up with women. I would’ve hated me too. Bratty kids who had no respect. And yet, that had changed since we’d been adults and made our own way. Not that it had mattered, Ertha still hated us.

Our footsteps were light on the carpet as we approached the Staff Only door. This would be where it got interesting. There was bound to be a barrier spell or two.

I wanted to get in, grab Bohdi, and teleport us out of there. I had no nostalgia when it came to the Brighton Coven’s headquarters.

Closing my eyes, I extended my hands, palm out, and felt for the barrier. There, it was just in front of the door, pulsing with a heavy magic. It burnt my fingers as I pushed against it. Shit, it would’ve taken at least three elder witches to create the spell. They clearly believed that I might try and get Bohdi, and instead of taking a chance, they had bound him inside, locking it like Fort Knox.

Tuning into the magic, I clamped my tongue in my teeth, almost balking when a great shimmering wall appeared in my mind’s eye. The colours were a shimmering rainbow, shadowy in their array over the door. My wolf senses were heightened, my honed vision finding a gap in the wall. 

Yes! There is was, the tiny fault in the magic. I pressed my fingers onto the door, right where the weakness floated. A sharp pain zapped my hand, jolting me. Air inhaled into my lungs as I pushed harder, inciting a disabling spell.

The ethereal wall wobbled violently before dropping completely. A grin spread on my lips, expanding when I opened my eyes to see Rochelle staring at me, confusion furrowing her brow.

“I just took down the barrier spell,” I whispered. “Let’s go.”

Swinging the door open, I gingerly stepped into the main hall, keeping in the shadows of the small entranceway. Rochelle was on my heels, ready to fight. I was grateful to have her as backup, even if it was a little strange, considering we’d been enemies’ only hours before.

Treading forward, I searched the shadows. A long beam of moonlight, shimmering down through a pretty domed skylight, lit the dim hall. There was no movement or sound, not near the coffee bar or the books. Good. It looked like it would be a clean run over to Ertha’s office.

Except…

A growl sounded in front of us as we emerged into the main hall. I searched the area, freezing when an ugly creature on four legs plodded into the centre of the moonbeam, its viscous sharp teeth snapping, once, twice. Fucking hell.

“What the fuck is that?” Rochelle breathed, her hands clenched by her sides.

Swallowing, I put my arm out to stop her moving forward as the beast stared at us, a long drop of drool slopping from the corner of its lips. Its red eyes studied us, the rumble in its chest growing louder.

“It’s a hellhound,” I whispered, keeping eye contact with the beast. “A guard dog impervious to magic. Which means we’re fucked.”

“Fuck.”

Some situations in life called for an F bomb or two. This one deserved ten. At least.

“So, what does kill it?” Rochelle’s voice was tight and squeaky. 

Swallowing down my rising panic with a gulp, I ignored the trickle of perspiration that slipped down my back. The heady smell of rot and dog breath wafted around my head as the beast pawed the floor, readying for an attack. What had Drake told me about hellhounds? Oh yeah. Run. Fast.

Spinning, I shoved Rochelle towards the door. She squealed as a roaring howl rent the air.

“Brute strength,” I shouted, grabbing the handle of the door and yanking hard.

It stuck, trapping us inside. Of course, Ertha would’ve made sure that if someone did manage to get in, they couldn’t escape. Maybe she’d left the hellhound as an ironic middle finger to me. The hybrid wolf-witch gets ripped to shreds by a dog twice the size of her.

“Shift!” Rochelle called, stepping away from me.

Turning, I threw up my arm, casting a barrier spell that stopped the oaf of a beast from ploughing into us. His head smashed into an invisible wall, the knock startling him for a second.

We were trapped in the tiny entranceway, between the spelled door and a great huffing evil creature who wanted to chomp on our bones.

“I thought you said magic didn’t work on it?” Rochelle tugged off her pretty cami top and threw it on the floor.

Shaking my head, I clasped my vibrating chest, trying to calm my racing heart. “It doesn’t, but a powerful barrier spell might keep him at bay for a little while. What are you doing?”

Her clothes were now shoved in the corner, leaving her completely naked. She glanced over at the hound, who thrust himself against the invisible wall, snapping and snarling.

“We’re wolves, we need to play the dog at his own game. The only difference is that we have pack mentality, so we can work together.” Tying up her gorgeous red locks, she shrugged.

“Are you fucking kidding me? You want to fight him?”

“Have you got any better ideas? Release the barrier spell, let me distract handsome doggy while you shift. We’ll run around him, tiring him out before I go for his neck. It’s time for you to get dirty.”

A wicked grin crossed her lips as she dropped to her knees and instantly started to shift. Her face elongated at the same time as her body did, bones crunching and cracking. Within seconds, she was a wolf, her bright red fur more like a fox.

The crazed beast hesitated, drawing back from my wall. He sniffed the air, his red eyes following Rochelle as she stretched, looking like she had all the time in the world.

Maybe she loved the adrenaline that came with a fight. Me, on the other hand, I was the girl who ran away when conflict was brewing.

Looking up at me, Rochelle grunted, thrusting her muzzle towards the beast, who pawed the stone flag tiles again.

Getting to my knees, I opened my palm, releasing the barrier spell. As soon as it was down, Rochelle shot through, ducking to the left of the beast and disappearing.

My muscles tensed as I willed my shift, my teeth clenching as my bones cracked and fur pushed from my skin. My eyes were closed tight shut, just in case the hellhound came after me. I didn’t want to see his slobbery mouth descend on my head, ready to crunch it in its jaws.

The shift was over in seconds, the speed of it making my stomach roll. Shaking myself, I swallowed down the bile that rose in my throat, determined not to attract the hound’s attention. 

Rochelle was running around the hall, past the coffee booths. Houndy turned in her direction, his hulking frame pushing off the floor and giving chase.

My wolf heart pounded as I set off after them, my paws whacking against the stones. My pads were calloused, giving me purchase on the slippery surface.

I didn’t really know what Rochelle wanted me to do, and yet, instinct kicked in. My teeth bared as I opened my mouth to pant. Houndy pounded the floor, getting a lollopy momentum. Just as Rochelle reached the end of the hall, she ducked behind the coffee counter. Houndy carried on, his huge frame too heavy to turn quickly. He slammed straight into the far wall, knocking a shit-load of books off the shelves.

My heart hurt for the books, but an excited yelp burst from me as the beast shook himself before turning. His red eyes stared straight at me. Oh, my witchy days, he was fierce and scary and… I should’ve been moving by now.

Spinning, I flicked out my tail and surged forward. My paws trotted, propelling me on as Houndy came for me. I didn’t dare look around, I knew I would drop to the floor and wolf cry, like a bitch. Just the thought of the hairy black creature with red eyes and a gawping drooling mouth made me shudder, let alone seeing him bearing down on me.

As I approached the end of the room, I panicked. What if Houndy was a little more intelligent than I’d imagined? What if he’d caught on to our game?

I still had to try.

Slowing down slightly, I huffed, waiting until the last moment before shooting to the left. The loud crash behind me caught my attention, making me look around at our nemesis. He was on the ground, his head wobbling from side to side as he stumbled up. The wall behind him had a smear of blood and fur spread across it. Bloody hellhound, this was going to take forever.

A flash of red launched from the railing above Houndy’s head. Rochelle landed on top of him, her paws slashing and her teeth snapping.

The beast howled when a spurt of blood and mess burst from one of his red eyes. Shit, she had managed to puncture one of his eyeballs. Fuck yeah, what a kickass wolf.

Emboldened by her bravery, I allowed my wolf spirit to take control. Without waiting for me to be ready, instinct moved my legs. I ran for the hound and pounced, landing on its back. My claws dug into its hide as I climbed up to his neck.

He swung around, yelping as both Rochelle and I slashed him. I clung on, opening my mouth wide and digging my teeth into his scruff.

Trying not to gag on the dirty fur, I bit down as hard as I could, piercing my canines through his skin. His yelp was loud as he thrust forward so hard, I was thrown over his head. His skin and fur ripped, dropping from my mouth as I slammed into the wall.

Pain exploded in my head and side as I slumped on the floor. My vision blurred, black dots dancing in my eyes, almost taking me under. I shook my head, checking to see if Rochelle was still-

She went flying past me, landing in a heap and huffing out a breath.

“Della?” Malone’s deep voice echoed around the library hall.

My gaze searched for him, skipping past the hellhound, who had been stalking towards us, his breath huffing hard. At the sound of other intruders, he stalled, his head turning slowly.

There. My alpha was by the entrance door, his gaze drinking in the situation. My heart calmed, somewhat soothed by his presence. His tight white shirt was dirty and his dark short hair, grey. No, wait, that was dust littering his head.

“Shit!”

Manual thrust over the broken door, backtracking when he saw the one-eyed hound. Malone’s arm shot out, gripping Manual’s shirt and tugging him back into the room.

I was forgotten now, the beast and the newcomers focusing on one another. Hobbling to my paws, I went to Rochelle and nudged her gently. She stirred but didn’t open her eyes. I didn’t blame her, I was tempted to play dead until the beast just went away. Not that she would pretend, she was clearly in pain. I had to help her.

Checking behind me, I froze when Malone dropped to all fours and shifted. As soon as Houndy smelt him, he charged, heading straight for the alpha.

I dropped to my hands and knees, forcing the shift back to witch form. I barely noticed the cracking of my bones as I watched Malone pounce, his white fur a flash. Teeth snapped and growls grew louder as Malone dug his claws into Houndy’s nose.

Breathing hard from the effort of my shift, I flicked my finger as I stood up on wobbly legs. A crop top and leggings appeared, covering my modesty.

Manual slipped around the hellhound, dropping to the floor as his wolf took over, light brown fur breaking out all over his skin.

Wasting no time, I held my hand towards my pack – shit, that sounded so right – and incited a growth spell. Both Malone and Manual expanded, their wolf forms doubling in size.

“Take that!” I muttered, whooping when Malone swiped the hound’s nose so hard, half of it came flying off.

The beast roared, swinging its paw at the alpha. Malone lost his grip, dropping to the ground. Manual bit Houndy’s butt, his teeth so strong, even I could hear the breaking of the skin. Another loud yelp made me jump as I moved to check on Rochelle.

“Come on,” I said, stroking the fur on her neck. “Wake up.”

Blood lined my fingertips when I pulled away. Ah, she had an injury.

Malone growled on the other side of the room, sending my heart into a flutter. Trusting that he could handle himself, I placed my hands on Rochelle’s neck and whispered a healing spell. She instantly blinked awake, becoming alert when Manuel yelped.

Although wolves could heal, it was quicker for me to use my magic on Rochelle. The men needed her help if they were to beat the hellhound.

“Are you okay?” I asked her, sitting back as she stumbled to her paws.

Inclining her head, she turned to the battle. I swallowed, debating whether to return to wolf form. No, the men were winning, their tactic of attacking, one at a time, working well.

My heart reared into my throat as the beast lunged for Malone, catching him off guard. The long sharp claws on the end of Houndy’s paws sliced through Malone’s side. My gasp was drowned out by Malone’s whimper and Manual’s howl.

I was about to run forward to tend to Malone when Rochelle slipped under the beast from behind, spun around just as she came out the front and buried her teeth right into his neck, ripping hard and fast.

Blood spurted everywhere, splattering over the walls. Houndy collapsed on the floor, his head smacking the stones as air expelled from his smelly mouth. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and the dog was no more.

I stumbled over to Malone, shaky on my feet as the fear gripped every part of me. He was lying on his side, facing towards the door. Now the beast was dead, we had to leave. Ertha would know that someone had defeated her protection spell.

“Malone?” I squeaked, falling beside him.

Dark red was spreading across his white fur, leaking from the gaping wounds in his side. His eyes were open, the chocolate brown almost black in the dim light. No, his eyes couldn’t turn all black, that happened when animals died.

Gulping, I reached towards his wounds, hesitating when he growled at me in warning. What was wrong with him? Yes, it would be painful for a moment, and then he’d be healed.

“You can’t heal him,” Manual said, bending down beside me to inspect his alpha’s wounds.

I cleared my throat and reached for Malone again. Manual’s fingers closed around mine, gripping tightly and preventing me from healing the wounds. I glanced at him, regretting it instantly when my gaze was offended by his tanned naked skin. Looking away, I shook my head, my insides simmering.

“He’s the alpha. He cannot be seen as weak. He will heal himself, don’t worry.”

A rush of heated fury blasted through my veins. I wrenched my hand from Manual and bent closer to Malone’s head, looking into his pained eyes. Surely he’d want me to save him? What if his injuries were fatal? A wolf could heal, yes, but there was a limit to what the body could take. If I just left him, there was a chance he wouldn’t survive. And I would never let that happen. I’d just found him, I wouldn’t let him go.

“Please,” I begged Malone, placing my hand on his head.

His huff was accompanied by a low growl. No. Shit, the bastard was going to risk his life, even though I could save it. All to show that he was a man. Ugh. Fucking men.

“Fine!” I spat. “See if I care.”

Thrusting up, I stormed away from my mate, my heart tearing as I left him behind. As hard as it was not being beside him, I couldn’t just sit and wait to see if he would die. His wounds were deep, the muscle and skin shredded. If his organs were damaged… no, I couldn’t think of that. He would be fine, even without my help, the stubborn bastard.

Ignoring Rochelle as she shifted, I went to Ertha’s office and tried to yank open the door. Of course, it was locked shut.

Fury throbbed through me as I fought the tears that threatened, almost closing my throat. Fuck Malone and his pride, and fuck Ertha. I was getting into the office, one way or another.

“Can’t spell it open,” I pushed through my teeth, resisting the urge to check over my shoulder. “I’ll blast the bloody thing down.”

Spreading my fingers on the dark wooden door, I opened my mouth and forced my magic from me. “FUCKING OPEN SESAME, BITCH!”

Hurricane force winds blew from behind, sending my hair flying around my head as my hands shunted the door. It blasted off its hinges, soaring into Ertha’s office, and leaving the way free as the winds dropped.

A small meow echoed from the far corner of the room. My insides quivered as I rushed over to Bohdi, who was pacing in a small metal cage. Well, at least the elder had given him food and water. No doubt just to keep him alive to torture me.

“Hey, boy,” I greeted, undoing the cage and taking him out.

My eyes filled with tears when the little fellow nudged his head beneath my chin, ducking me gently before settling, almost glued to my chest. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, sucking back a sob.

“You’re so sexy when you’re angry.” Malone’s voice made me shudder. “You say the funniest things.”

Glancing over my shoulder, I hiccupped as my gaze traced over his naked body. I inhaled sharply, unable to resist the urge to trace his muscles down his stomach and lower…

Swallowing, I blinked, sniffing when the tears plopped from my eyes.

His chest rose and fell as he held his hand loosely on his injured side. “Thank you.”

“For what?” I snapped, digging my face into Bohdi’s neck. “You wouldn’t let me heal you.”

“For respecting my wish. I doubt I’d have that amount of self-control if it was you lying there injured.”

Scoffing, I wiped my eyes and went to Ertha’s desk, searching it. I wasn’t looking for anything specific, just using it as an excuse to distract myself from my mate’s incredible body. If I looked at him, I’d melt and beg him to take me, right on the desk. Not appropriate, although it would be a little bit satisfying, knowing I had desecrated Ertha’s space that way.

“I know you’re angry–”

“No, I’m not. If you want to die because of your pride, go right ahead.”

Stalking closer, Malone let go of his side and straightened. The red puckered welts on his skin were fast healing, releasing him of his discomfort.

“We need to leave,” I said when he came around the desk.

Bohdi purred, leaning his head towards Malone. Really? How could my familiar betray me? The age old myth of dogs and cats being at war was being tested by my own feline.

Malone trod closer, his dark eyes devouring me in a way that made my cheeks blush. I licked my lips as I reversed, avoiding his prowl.

“I mean it.” My sharp tone stopped him.

His eyes hooded as he nibbled his bottom lip. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “Your power might have turned me on, just a bit. Knowing that you’re mine, under my control, makes me even more excited.”

“I’m a modern woman, I’ll have you know,” I breathed, heat flushing my cheeks. “And we don’t have time to stand around here. We have to leave.”

Narrowing his gaze on me, he inclined his head and moved out of the way, gesturing for me to come around the desk.

As I did, he smacked my arse, sending a thrill straight to the sweet spot between my legs. He wanted to dominate me. Okay, I could be down with that in some areas of our life, but not all of them.

Instead of playing his game, I strode back through the office door and into the hall, glancing at him over my shoulder. His eyes were still heavy with lust, and yet, there was a hint of something else. Was it good or bad?

“We have to go,” I shouted to the others as they walked around, stark naked.

If any of the witches arrived, they’d think I’d had an erotic orgy after slaughtering their dog. Oh, and taken the cat after the act.

Swirling my free hand, I dressed the wolves, quickly averting my eyes when Manual called to me, half turning just as his pants and jeans materialised on him.

Going to him, I held on tight to Bohdi, who hissed when I drew near. Manual was pointing down at the dead dog, a frown marring his forehead. He ignored my cat, not even daring to look him in the eye. It was wise.

“Looks like he was protecting this.”

Blinking, I bent to Houndy’s neck and untied the hefty leather collar. There was a pocket in the side of it, done up by a button. Undoing it, I tugged out the small canvas, gasping when I recognised the brush strokes. Drake.

“We need to leave, there’s–”

A cackle echoed around us, the sound flying across the hall. Ertha.

Without hesitation, I grabbed Manual’s hand. “Hold on to me!” I ordered the others, readying myself when Malone took my waist and Rochelle gripped my shoulder.

Thinking of Malone’s cabin, I whispered the teleportation spell, smirking when Ertha appeared in the doorway to the library. Her face contorted in rage when she saw what we’d done to her poor pooch. I didn’t have time to flip a middle finger up at her, instead preferring to get the fuck out of there.

We landed in Malone’s cabin, all stumbling as the force of the spell pushed us.

I instantly shrugged the others off and waved a hand around me, cleansing my magic so there was no trace of the coven’s headquarters left behind.

“Here,” I said, handing Bohdi to Malone.

He stiffened, holding his head back as the cat stared, wide-eyed, sizing up his wolfy captor. A soft sigh left Bohdi as he thrust his head against my man, burying it under his neck. If a wolf could tame my familiar, he was for keeps.

“I need to cleanse you all,” I muttered, rushing around them and waving a hand.

Manual shuddered, his eyes blinking rapidly as he rubbed away a patch of blood on his cheek. “Why?”

A solemn mood descended on me as I hurried, hoping to goddess that I’d been quick enough. We might have slayed the hellhound, but Ertha wasn’t stupid. She would’ve tried to read my magic or hitch a trace on it.

“Well,” I said, placing the painting onto the dining table and gesturing for Malone to put Bohdi next to it, “if I leave any trace of magic on you or these items, Ertha might be able to track us here. And I’d hate to think what she’d do to everyone if she found us.”