Dark Wolf (Spirit Wild) - By Kate Douglas Page 0,75

at the cellular level.”

Sebastian moved closer to Lily and sat beside her, but he remained alert, watching the woods. Guarding them. Lily felt warmth blossom in her chest. He had to be wondering how it was that Adam did his healing, sitting as he was, silently beside Annie’s wolf, his hands pressed to her shoulders, his face blank of all expression. Sebastian didn’t question anything. He followed Lily’s lead and watched for danger.

Lily ran her fingers through Annie’s thick pelt, searching for more injuries.

I’m okay. How is Alex?

“Good. You had me worried when I saw you go down. I’ll check on Alex. Lie still and let Adam decide how okay you are, okay? Your mom and dad are here.” Tinker sniffed his daughter’s wounds while Lily moved aside and went to sit with Alex.

“What happened?” she asked him. “Where did they come from?”

No idea. Annie and I were heading down to your cottage when the two of them shot out of the woods on the right. There might be more. I sensed others holding back, but those two hit us without any warning at all. The big one bowled Annie over, and the other one got me by the neck. Annie’s tough, though. And really fast. She got away from him and managed to do some damage.

“That she did.” Lily smiled as she stroked Alex’s shoulder. Liana’s hands were pressed to either side of the gaping tear on his neck, holding the skin together as she worked from the inside to rebuild the torn flesh. Alex was so proud of Annie, he didn’t even seem to notice his own injuries.

She sensed the change in energy as Sebastian shifted and sat beside her. “So this is your Alex,” he said. He gently placed his hand on Alex’s shoulder, as if to comfort him. “His aura is strong, even as an injured wolf. I can see why you love him.”

She turned and studied Sebastian. There was no sense of jealousy, none of the typical guy reaction to the other man in a woman’s life. “I do,” she said. “I’ve loved Alex since we were children. Even when he’s not all that lovable.” The wolf growled and she laughed.

Be nice to me. I’m bleeding.

“Not anymore. Liana’s got you just about put back together.”

How’s Annie? She says she’s okay, but . . .

“She’s going to be fine. I have a feeling though that her mom and dad might want to take her home with them tonight. You okay with that?”

No, but I can handle it. She just said the same thing. She feels badly about scaring them like this. I understand, even though I’d rather she stay with me.

“I bet. I’m guessing things went well tonight?”

Oh, yeah.

She chuckled. “I don’t want you to be alone tonight. Do you mind if Sebastian and I stay with you?”

I’ll be okay. But thanks. I don’t want to mess up your date.

I don’t think that’s a problem. She glanced at Sebastian who followed their interchange with avid interest. What would he say if she asked him to stay with Alex? If she asked him to share their bed? For Chanku, it was nothing unusual, but what if he wasn’t one of them? What if he was just what he said he was, a human with magical ability?

Sebastian? She narrowed her thoughts so that only he could read them. I really don’t want to leave Alex alone tonight. Do you mind if we stay with him?

He glanced at Alex and then at Lily and slowly shook his head. His hand still rested on Alex’s shoulder. Of course not. As long as he doesn’t mind a strange man in his bed.

She hadn’t expected that. Not at all. But she smiled and leaned against his side, while her fingers tangled in Alex’s fur and Liana finished putting the torn wolf back together.

12

Tinker shifted before the rest of the pack had returned and lifted Annie, still in wolf form, in his powerful arms. Lily had told him about Tinker, but Sebastian hadn’t truly imagined the guy’s massive size and amazing presence.

He was, without a doubt, the largest African American man he’d ever seen, and when he’d made that lightning fast shift from massive wolf to huge naked man, Sebastian had almost gasped aloud. Tinker’s mate stayed in wolf form, but Sebastian caught her thoughts as she raced down the hill, that she was going home to make Annie’s room ready.

Tinker cast a quick glance at Alex, but he didn’t say a word,