This Dark Wolf (Soul Bitten Shifter #1) - Everly Frost Page 0,77
Iyana says, rising to her feet and storming across the room, throwing open the door before closing it firmly behind her.
I sense Tristan pull to a stop. I count the beats of silence while I imagine Iyana is casting death stares at him if he comes a step closer.
When he finally speaks, he’s a lot quieter than I was expecting. “I need to speak with Tessa.”
“Fuck off, Tristan,” Iyana snaps, true to her promise. Her footsteps are quiet, and I picture her muscling up to Tristan, who is practically twice her size. “You and your pack have done enough damage for today.”
I was expecting an aggressive response from Tristan, but he remains subdued. “Nothing like that will happen again. Can you please make sure Tessa knows that?”
Iyana pauses now too. But she rallies quickly. “It had better not happen again. Or we’re out of here, and from what I hear, you need our help.”
“I do.” There’s another pause. “Does Tessa need anything?”
“She needs to be left alone.” I picture Iyana holding her head higher. “And she’s staying with us from now on.”
“Okay,” he says. “I’ll have Jace move you to the family floor upstairs. There’s more room there.”
Now I picture Iyana unfurling her fists, maybe tipping her head to the side. If she’s surprised, she doesn’t sound it. “Good.”
I sense Tristan turn swiftly on his heel and stride away.
Iyana returns to the room, closes the door behind her, and presses back against it. Her eyes are wide, her lips pursed. She looks shell-shocked. “What just happened?” she asks.
I drag air into my chest. “He hasn’t left.”
My senses are going haywire because Tristan’s presence is like a burning flame, a scorching spot nearby, burning brighter than normal. So fiercely bright that I must be feverish. His footsteps stop at the end of the corridor and pause. I sense his inner turmoil like a growing wildfire about to rage out of control and then…
“You need to step away from the door, Iyana,” I manage, still gasping for breath, trying to fight the clawing sensation inside my heart and chest. No matter how hard I try to hold myself together—no matter how firmly Danika hugs me—my insides are coming apart.
I fight the moan that threatens to slip between my lips.
I’m stronger than this.
I’m stronger—
My groan releases, a painful, wrenching sound.
A second later, the door flies open.
Iyana steps clear just in time.
Tristan looms in the doorway. His shoulders are hunched. He’s partially shifted, his eyes nearly full wolf, his animal dominating the room with its presence.
“No.” He growls at Iyana, his voice barely human.
She stands her ground, edging between him and me. “Get out of here, Tristan…” She flounders. “Or Tristan’s wolf. Or whomever I’m speaking to right now. Get out, or I swear I will grow a taste for wolf blood.”
“No.” He growls again. “She needs me.”
“Tristan’s wolf,” Iyana addresses him while her fangs descend and her lips draw back. “Tessa needs you like she needs a claw in her back.”
Tristan’s response is low and dangerous, simple statements that make me run cold. “Her wolf is breaking. I can sense it. You can’t help her. I want to walk away, but I can’t. She’s my responsibility.” He glares at Iyana. “She needs me.”
On the bed, I drag my knees up to my chest. This pain has to be a consequence of more than the aftermath of a fight. It’s a deep, tearing sensation, as if I’m about to lose a part of myself and I’m afraid of what will happen when I do.
Iyana casts a quick glance at Danika, who chomps down on her lip. “I hate to admit it, but Tristan’s right. This is more than shock. Tessa wasn’t hurt in the fight—not that I saw—but she’s in physical pain. I’m not sure what’s causing it or what we can do…”
“Her wolf needs my wolf,” Tristan snaps, apparently impatient with the conversation already. “If you don’t want her to break, then you will let me pass.”
Iyana’s fists clench. With a groan of frustration and defeat, she finally steps out of Tristan’s path, but she jabs her finger at him, her fangs clearly visible. “If you hurt Tessa, things are going to get very messy between us, wolf.”
Tristan stops when he’s level with her, his eyes narrowed, but he suddenly reaches into his pocket and flips her a card that looks like a security card. “Do not come near the twelfth floor for twenty-four hours. After that, you’re free to come and go.”