Page 105 of The Path of Blood and Betrayals

But I can’t deny those eyes. She’s going to drop if she doesn’t get some sleep, and I don’t want her killing the entire village in her fog of exhaustion.

Agreeing, we follow Wulf to the far back of his village.

My senses are on high alert. Surrounded in this small alcove, I know no army nor beast dares to come here. Wulf’s village is too removed, too hidden, that it’d be a risk to attack. No one knows what they have here.

But I sure asfuckdon’t trust the shifter.

Wulf takes us to the edge of his domain, where tree branches scratch at the roof and shadows hide twin cabins. He opens one door, showing two small beds with thick blankets in a wooden home and fur covered floor.

“These should be to your liking.”

SizingWulfup, my sister enters the open door, Reid following on her heels. Checking the second cabin, I find the same set up and no surprises.

“Thank you,” Max offers, coming closer to the male, wringing her hands. “It’s appreciated.”

I can’t help the growl at their closeness as Wulf preens under her gratitude.

I want to shove my sword through his neck.

“You are quite welcome.” He inhales, breathing her in. As a shifter, his sense of smell is even better than my beast.

I hate knowing he is sharing the same air as her.

“I must say, you are quite fetching.” She blushes.Blushes.The woman who gets under my skin, who drives me insane isblushing. “Where did you say you’re from?”

“She didn’t,” I interject, running my hand over her hip, marking my territory.

If I have to bury my fangs into every exposed piece of flesh, cover her in my scent, just to keep her mine, I will.

Gods, what is wrong with me?

“We should be headed to bed.” I push the blood summoner into the cabin, my message clear to the shifter: she’s bunking with me and he’s out of luck.

The godsdamn brute doesn’t take the hint as he leans into the opening, holding the ends as if to stop from lunging forward.

She looks at him, unflinchingly and I smirk.

“You smell odd, flower.”

My body physically shakes with rage at the nickname.

Fee’s eyes flash with warning from the stoop as if to bring me back. I can imagine hearing her rebuttal.You’ve got it under control, huh?But I’m too incensed to listen.

She raises a delicate eyebrow. “Smell?”

“Didn’t you know, kitten,” I practically spit out. “Wulf can shift into a wolf. He can smell you from miles away.” He’sscenting the unholy magic in her and I drop my hand onto the hilt of my sword just in case.

“That seems like an odd thing to say.” Her eyes dart to mine, unsure.

As if to make a point, he inhales deeply. “Not for the Phoka. We are but animals in our souls. We use scent to mark territory or to detect what someone is. You smell…exquisite. Not quite Human. Not quite Witch.” He breathes again. “Something else entirely.”

Panic flashes in her eyes before I cut in, body shielding the shifter’s gaze.

“Come now, Wulf, you know how rude it is to sniff someone you’ve just met,” I sneer. Baring my teeth, I narrow my eyes on the leader. “Next time you want to smell the woman, perhaps it’ll be after I’m done with her? I’m sure she’ll smell absolutelydivinethen.”

My fangs elongate with the just the idea of sinking into her, letting the warrior smell us. I want to douse the woman in my scent, cover her with my fluids. Claim her in the most intimate ways I can.

Because she is the missing piece I’ve searched for and no one is going to have her butme.