Then he felt lips on the top of the wolf’s head.
“Please come back to me.”
In a rush, memory returned. Penn. Fated mate, probably. Or animal witch who could save him. Or both. The fight. The witches.
Let me out.
The wolf ignored him, like always. It had control now, and it wasn’t going to give it up.
She could force him…
He said she could get him back. He should have explained how.
The wolf rose within him, and he fought it.Force me.
“Seriously?”
Could she hear him? Only mates could do that…
Now!
“Asher, shift!” Penn said.
More!
“Asher,now.”
He heard the magic in her words and felt his human form come back.
They were lying in the back of the truck amongst their suitcases, she on top of him.
He blinked as color seeped back into the world. He had a half-second’s peace before the wolf fought back. For once, he was thrilled to be back in this endless fight because it meant he was human, even though the wolf was more riled than ever.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
“Thank you!” she said and ran a hand down the side of his face. His naked skin felt so sensitive without fur.
He looked around at the cloudless sky and fought to sit. She retreated and sat back on her heels as he curled up. He twitched when he saw the dragon/lizard perched on a suitcase glaring at him. Logically, Asher knew that was just what its face looked like and it didn’t have an opinion, but tell that to the predator in hissoul. He clenched his hands to keep from swiping the little guy and permanently taking care of him.
He looked out beyond the truck to see endless prairie around them.
“Where the hell are we?”
“Just over the Nebraska-Colorado border. There’s only one highway east, so I thought it was a pretty safe bet.”
“Yeah.” It was shocking how quickly the world transformed. They had been winding on tiny mountain roads surrounded by pines and soaring peaks. Now, the world was absolutely flat, beige, and unchanging. Still empty though. He had never gotten used to how few people lived in the West; most of the country was devoid of people. He turned toward the front of the cab and realized they were parked in a tiny rest area in front of a copse of cottonwoods that ran in a bizarre straight line toward the highway, so probably an irrigation ditch.
Penn handed him a pair of jeans, and he quickly pulled them on, hoping he wasn’t blushing like a teenager. Then she held up the paperclip on braided leather, and he pulled it over his head, even as he told himself he was being ridiculous. It truly could not keep him human; only he could do that. And maybe…
“Did we get it?”
She blinked. “Get what?”
“The book.”
She nodded and drew out the book they risked so much to bring with them. “It’s a grimoire.”
She said that like she expected him to understand. He thought he knew about witches. He grew up around one, but he’d never heard of a grimoire. He was beginning to realize that while he knew about witches, he knew nothing about covens. His aunt had fled hers decades ago and didn’t talk about it.
