Wolf Marked (Magic Side: Wolf Bound Book 1)

Savannah

The darkness drained from the room.

I burst up out of my chair and stumbled back from the table. Jaxson, already on his feet, caught me.

Lady Fortune pointed at the door. “You need to run. They are close, at the Ferris wheel, but closing fast. Wolves and demons. Go.”

I pulled the mace Casey had given me out of my purse and shoved it into my pocket as Jaxson grabbed my hand and pulled me from the tent. “Walk normally, but don’t let go of me.”

He pulled out his phone with his other hand and hit speed dial with his thumb. “They’re by the Ferris wheel and headed our way—look for rogue wolves and some kind of demon. Sounds like there may be a lot of them. Send everyone in our direction but move discreetly. We’re in the alley behind the Egyptian bazaar and will head toward the far end of the Midway, where someone can pick us up.”

He hung up and, hand-in-hand, we pushed our way back the way we had come.

Confusion tore at me. “You have people here? Waiting?”

“Yes. A lot. As long as you’re outside of the Indies, you’re protected.”

“Protected or bait?” I snapped. “Why aren’t we running?”

“Because you’re too slow. Stay with me, you’ll be fine. If they pursue, they’ll reveal their positions. With any luck, we can nab one of these bastards and make them talk.”

Anger and terror thundered in my chest as we shoved our way through the Egyptian bazaar.

Suddenly, Sam was at my side, pushing me forward. “Everything will be all right, Savannah.”

“You’re in on this madness, too?” I snapped.

The three of us moved together through the fair. Goosebumps danced across my skin, and I surveyed the crowd as chills skittered down my spine. Everyone looked normal—just laughing, drinking, and playing carnival games.

Except for one. A man in a masquerade mask trailed on our left.

The mask was like those many people wore at the fair. But I caught his eyes, and they flashed red, for just a second. His predatory stare gave me no doubt that he was in league with the two who had attacked me at the Taphouse.

I squeezed Jaxson’s hand. “On our left, someone is following.”

He nodded. “I know. Don’t make eye contact.”

“On our right,” Sam whispered.

Another masked werewolf—a woman. Was she the she-wolf from Belmont?

Dread clawed at my skin. It was like they were herding us.

Jaxson spoke so low that I could barely hear it over the clamor of the fair. “There’s a gap between the pavilions up ahead. Turn right down that. I’ll jump our pursuers when they come around the corner.”

I trembled as we slowly walked forward. Jaxson was fishing for sharks with me dangling like a mackerel on the end of the line.

Before we reached the junction, a woman in a half mask stepped out and smiled.

It was her. The bitch from Belmont.

I tensed, but before I could scream, she lifted the flap of a tent, and a large brown wolf leapt out and slammed into Jaxson.

Hand-in-hand, we tumbled to the ground.

Suddenly, Sam was pulling me to my feet, and we were running, shoving our way through the crowd. I whipped my head back to look for Jaxson just in time to see the she-wolf lunge at me. Claws burst from her hands, and she wrenched me back by my jacket. Sam shouted, spun, and rammed her fist into the woman’s face.

My attacker staggered back, then jumped forward and kicked at Sam’s knee. Before she could recover, the masked man who’d been following us earlier darted forward and shifted into a white wolf, clothes and all. With a savage growl, he pounced, and I screamed as he knocked Sam into a towering stack of French country marmalade. People panicked and fled, stampeding around us.

The bitch from Belmont grabbed my arm and pulled me to her. She fished a silver ball out of her pocket. I had no idea what it was, but it seemed bad. I struck her arm with my open hand, and it bounced away into the crowd. The she-wolf snarled and backhanded me, and stars danced in front of my eyes.

Fury coursed through my veins—and then magic. I could feel it burning me, like ice water rushing over my skin.

Hell, yes.

“You crazy psycho!” I grabbed the woman’s face as magic poured from my palm. The she-wolf rocketed back and collapsed into a broomstick vendor’s stand. Broomsticks erupted into the air like fireworks, and the she-wolf flopped to her knees, groaning.

Holy shit. I’d just face-blasted someone.

Sam heaved the white wolf off of her and started to stand, but it clamped its jaws on her leg, and she screamed. Then Jaxson was there. His hands erupted in long claws, and he ripped into the wolf as it yelped.

The she-wolf leapt to her feet, but Sam charged and bodychecked her. They tumbled to the ground in a flurry of claws.

“Run!” Sam shouted.

I glanced at the broomsticks but ruled that out. It was the first time I’d ever seen them, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to be able to ride off on one. Instead, I dashed past a pretzel salesman and into the alley, looking for somewhere smelly to hide. They might not find me if I could mask my scent. I needed to find a barbeque stand or a candle vendor.

Moments later, I stumbled to a halt at the intersection between four pavilions and spun.

No sign of Jaxson or Sam, or anyone I knew. No pursuers. Just a dozen people tending to their shops.

Which way should I go?

I pulled out my cell phone and froze. The tent to my right swayed, and a long black shadow lying across the grass moved.

I slowly looked up, and my heart stopped. There, silhouetted against the floating lights, a dark form balanced on the taut roof of the tent. Tall and gangly, it was like a body stretched hideously long and thin.

My mind blanked.

Holy shit. Monsters are real.

Faster than a viper’s strike, its arm lashed out and gripped me by the throat, stifling my scream. When it lifted me into the air, I kicked and flailed and yanked at its claws, but its grip was unbreakable. Panic tore through me as the sinewy arm pulled me close. I couldn’t turn my eyes away from the muscles visible beneath its translucent green skin. I didn’t have the courage to look the thing in the eyes.

Its claws were too tight. I couldn’t breathe.

The monster’s hideous signature swirled around me, tasting like blood and copper, and feeling like oil trickling across my skin. I heard screams from below, but they were distant echoes. The floating lights began to bleed into a beautiful blur.

Suddenly, a dark shadow flew toward us. Then the lights spun around me, and I slammed back to earth. The wind trapped in my lungs exploded from my chest, and I rolled to my knees, gasping.

Ten feet ahead, two massive, snarling wolves pinned the fiend to the ground.

I staggered to my feet. To my horror, the monstrosity did so as well, flinging the wolves into the surrounding tents.

I ran as if the devil itself were after me. For all I knew, it was.

A wolf whipped around the corner ahead of me. I stumbled to the side and reached for my mace, but faster than I could react, it rushed back the way I had come. One of mine, I supposed.

With wolves running everywhere and no idea of who to trust or what to do, I turned right and darted for the edge of the fair. Someone had erected those barricades cordoning off the street. Maybe there were cops nearby. Surely they’d heard the screaming already, but the whole fair was in a panic, so they probably wouldn’t know where to respond.

I looked both ways as I burst out of the fairgrounds and left the Midway behind. Racing along the edge of the pavilions, a white wolf bore down on me at unbelievable speed.

Jaxson? Another one of Jaxson’s pack? Or an enemy?

I pulled the mace Casey had given me from my pocket and dashed toward the street, screaming, desperately trying to draw attention. Instead, loitering people melted out of my way in terror. So much for help.

I’d have to face this wolf alone. I whirled and raised my mace to find the white wolf almost upon me. Friend or foe, I would pull the trigger.

Then the white beast flew sideways as a giant gray wolf slammed into it. They tumbled to the side in a snarling blur.

I staggered back from the savage battle. Blood and fur flew as they growled and tore into each other. The grey wolf lunged and clamped its massive jaws around its opponent. With a single swift motion, it lifted the white wolf into the air and shook.

My stomach churned as something snapped.

In a swirl of magic, the white wolf turned into a fully clothed man, and the gray beast dropped the tattered corpse from its mouth. Then it looked at me with blood-reddened fangs and honey-colored eyes that seemed to pierce my soul. While the white wolf had been huge, the gray one was truly monstrous and rippling with power.

My scream choked in my throat, and my chest felt as if it might split in two.

The wolf took several menacing steps toward me, and I raised the mace in my trembling hand. “Stay back, asshole!”

The wolf’s lips curled, revealing its sharp teeth. My body shook as I slowly backed up. Maybe it’ll let me walk away, I desperately thought, but the gray wolf growled again.

Guess not.

“Savannah!” a woman’s voice cut across the street, and I risked a glance out of the corner of my eye. Sam. She looked terrified, which only ratcheted up the panic shaking my body.

Wolves flooded out of the fair toward us. My heart was racing so fast, I was close to passing out. I staggered slightly.

Wolves everywhere. Two black ones circled my flanks, and panic choked all reason from my mind.

I’m surrounded.

“Put that down, Savannah!” Sam screamed, her voice close but eerily distant. “That’s Jaxson! He’s not himself. Don’t make any sudden movements.”

Jaxson.

Blood dripped from the gray beast’s mouth. I dragged my gaze from the mauled corpse to the wolf’s ruthless honey-gold eyes.

That was not Jaxson.

As it started to step forward, I shoved the mace in its face. “Don’t take another fucking step toward me, or I’ll blast you.”

The wolf snarled at the canister, locked eyes with me, and took a step.

Fuck you.

I pushed the trigger all the way down, and a billowing cloud of gas exploded. The gray wolf reared back, roaring and snapping its teeth, and the black wolves whined as smoke rose from their skin. Sam screamed as well and doubled over, clawing at her face.

I tumbled back. My eyes and skin burned, and nausea rolled over me like a freight train. The gray wolf’s snout wrinkled as he bared his teeth at me and released a hateful growl.

I could barely see him through my swollen eyes.

“Get the hell back!” I aimed the canister at him with my thumb held lightly over the trigger. His honey eyes narrowed, and his body trembled with rage. Then, in a flash, he took off, running impossibly fast back toward the fair.

Run, fucker.

I could barely see through the tears that were flowing from my puffy, stinging eyes. My lungs and skin also burned, and my breathing became ragged. It was worse this time than at the motel. What the hell is this stuff? Sarin gas?

Forcing my eyes open, I surveyed the chaos around me.

Sam had stumbled to her knees and kept cursing between coughs. The black wolves had retreated several dozen feet and were rubbing their snouts with their paws.

Police officers with glowing batons swarmed our position. I staggered away from the incapacitated wolves and into the arms of a patrolman.

For a glittering moment, the fair had been a dream. Now, I just wanted the nightmare to be over.