Spiral of Need (The Mercury Pack 1)

Derren had no idea, but she’d just done it again. He wouldn’t have thought it was possible if he hadn’t seen it for himself. In the matter of a single second, Ally had shifted into her wolf form, bit deep into Jesse’s shoulder, and then shifted back into her human form just as quickly. It had happened so damn fast that it hadn’t affected her clothing other than to slightly tear her T-shirt and shorts.

In between stabbing and striking Jesse, she repeatedly switched forms for just a fleeting moment, enabling her to use her wolf’s strength, speed, and fangs. It was so shocking and distracting that it caused Jesse to make mistakes. That, together with her brutal hits and sharp reflexes, was enough to earn her dominance within the fight.

It was only a matter of time before Jesse was pinned to the ground by a white wolf, jaws clamped around his shoulder. A second later, it was Ally leaning over Jesse. “You should have listened to me,” she told him as she rose to her feet.

Jesse seemed to be in too much shock to feel a dent in his already wounded pride. “How can you do that?”

“Cain said he taught you combat,” said Derren as everyone gathered closer to her, “but he can’t switch from form to form like that.” It should not be possible. Her animal shouldn’t have been prepared to pull back repeatedly from a battle like that. The wolf should have fought Ally for supremacy, wanting to deal with the challenge and danger herself. Instead, she’d worked so in sync with Ally that she shifted forms like water.

“It works because my wolf and I are completely at peace,” explained Ally. “We trust one another. We’re a team.”

“And your wolf respects that, and she feels respected enough to pull back when you want her to because she knows you won’t cut her out of a fight,” deduced Zander, to which Ally nodded.

Eli puffed out a long breath, looking impressed. “Nick’s in tune with his wolf, but not to that extent.”

“I didn’t think it was possible.” Shaya smiled at Ally. “Roni would have loved to watch that.”

Hearing Jesse wince slightly, Ally felt bad. “I’ll heal you.”

He shook his head. “No, I deserved that. I was arrogant, and I taunted you. But thanks for the offer. You fought well.” The other enforcers nodded in agreement.

As their respect slid over her skin like lotion, she smiled inwardly. “If you change your mind, Jesse, I’ll be at my lodge.” She turned to face Shaya . . . only to find her way obstructed by a powerful, solid, and way-too-alluring body.

Noticing the blood in her hair, Derren said, “You must have a bad cut on your head. Let me see.”

She stepped back. “It’s fine.”

“Let me see,” Derren insisted without raising his voice. “I need to check the injury. I won’t touch your skin.” No matter how badly he wanted to know how it would feel under his hands.

Swallowing hard, she nodded. “Just my hair.” As long as he didn’t touch her skin, his emotions wouldn’t seep inside her. Although . . . she couldn’t help but notice that the brief flashes weren’t so sharp and biting today. Apparently he was in a good mood.

As his fingers gently parted her hair, Ally’s stomach clenched as a fierce need slithered through her. It didn’t matter that he was only touching her hair. Having his body eating up her space, his hot breath on her forehead, his brooding eyes focused solely on her . . . There was an intensity and intimacy to the moment that took her by surprise.

Derren released her hair, but he didn’t step back. He breathed her in, letting that luscious scent settle in his lungs. “It’s stopped bleeding, but it’s deep. You’ll need to clean it.”

That was gonna sting like a bitch. “I’m going to my lodge to take a shower.”

“I’ll walk you back.”

“It’s okay.” She stepped away, intending to leave. “I’m—” She broke off as a strange, ominous sound whooshed through the air. “What—” A deafening, piercing boom shocked the breath from her lungs, and she was suddenly encased in heat. Flames grazed her skin as she was propelled through the air and crashed to the hard ground. She heard a crack, and quickly realized it was her skull.

The adrenaline rushing through her helped her ignore the ringing in her ears, the disorientation clouding her reasoning, and the agony attempting to take hold of her. Her instincts told her to get up and move.

She crawled away from the corroding heat at her back and the trees that were collapsing around her. A hand suddenly snatched her arm and dragged her forward, urging her to move faster. When the hand released her, she collapsed on her front. A face was staring into hers. A face she knew. Derren.

He cast a nauseated glance at her back, and she wondered what he saw there. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

Wait there? Her instincts didn’t think that was a good idea. She should keep moving, get as far away from the danger as possible. And she would have done exactly that if Caleb hadn’t crouched in front of her, asking her questions she didn’t understand—the pain at her back was so consuming she couldn’t think.

A chorus of curses and grunts of pain was quickly followed by the appearance of several others. They were heaving two wolves along with them, one of whom was a coughing and badly injured Eli. Ally double-blinked in surprise as a body was dumped at her side.

“Do something!” ordered a harsh male voice. Jesse. “You can save her!”