Circle of Blood Book Four: Lover's Absolution by R. A. Steffan & Jaelynn Woolf

Author:R. A. Steffan & Jaelynn Woolf [Steffan, R. A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-05-24T16:00:00+00:00

FOURTEEN

THE WOLF SCRABBLED FREE of the shackles that had bound Xander’s wrists and ankles in human form, his slender legs slipping out easily now. With a hard shake, he dislodged the heavy iron ring that hung around his neck. He fought his way loose from the torn remains of his trousers, the belt with the knives following them down to the ground.

The movement made him stagger sideways when his body didn’t respond the way he was expecting, but he steadied himself stiffly on four splayed legs a moment later. His memory flashed back to Manisha struggling to gain control of her wolf form, and he knew he didn’t have time for that. She had been panicked, and in physical agony. It was also the first experience she’d ever had with physical transformation.

Xander had been able to alter his form into something complete different for more than a century, and while he was fighting panic for Manisha after hearing her mental cry, becoming a wolf did not frighten him. Hell, anything that got him out of the manacles and lent him added running speed was peachy fucking keen with him right now.

Xander? Eris was still shielding Trynn behind him, though she was hopping up and down impatiently, trying to get a better look at him.

“What the hell just happened?” she asked. “Is that him?”

Snag had also graced them with his solid presence once more, staring at Xander warily from a few paces away.

Xander growled at them both mentally and aloud, needing a moment’s quiet to get his new legs sorted out. Eris stiffened, and he realized that might not have been the most reassuring response to their expressions of shock.

Just give me a damned minute, will you? he sent instead. I’ve never been a fucking quadruped before.

Eris and Snag relaxed their wary stances, and Trynn wriggled free from Eris’ protective hold to dart forward and retrieve the knife belt, strapping it around her waist since it was going to be fairly useless to Xander now.

“So… is this what happens when a werewolf bites a vampire?” she asked. “Because… well… damn.”

Xander was only vaguely aware of the rather pointed look that passed between Eris and Snag, since he was more focused on mastering basic locomotion.

“I’m not aware that anyone has been stupid enough to test the hypothesis before,” Eris said. “But under the circumstances, I’m going to go with yes.”

Something prickled along Xander’s awareness, and a moment later, two new presences materialized next to the others.

“What… on… earth…?” Della said faintly.

Tré blinked twice—for him, an expression of profound shock. Xander narrowed his eyes.

“Do I want to know?” Tré asked.

No, he sent.

“No,” Eris confirmed.

“Yes,” Trynn countered, “but not now. Xander, can you run?”

Xander trotted a few strides in the direction they needed to go. Rangy muscles propelled his long legs over the ground without effort the rhythm quickly becoming natural. After a few moments he accelerated into a lope, and then a full run, aware of the others keeping pace him in the air, borne aloft on silent, powerful wings.

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