Free Highland Shadows (Beautiful Darkness Series Book 1) by Lily Baldwin Page B

Cora’s door. Both men froze and turned to face the door.
    “What was—” Jamie started to say, but Alex shoved him back. “Get ready to charge.
    “Together,” Alex said.
    Jamie nodded.
    “Now,” he cried.
    They barreled down the hall and rammed the door, splintering the wood. Alex fell through, landing hard on his side. He turned his body, rising up on his hands and lifted his face to look into the room. He froze. A sleek white wolf with hackles raised high stood inches from his face. Its lips were pulled back in a snarl, revealing two gleaming rows of sharp fangs
    “Do not move,” Jamie whispered behind him.
    From the corner of his eye, Alex glimpsed Jamie grab a large, sharp splinter of wood from the floor. The wolf’s eyes shifted to Jamie. It snarled and lunged forward, snapping the wood in half with its powerful jaws.
    “Christ Almighty,” Jamie swore, scurrying out of Alex’s view. “Is this another animal of yours ye rescued from the woods?”
    “Of course not,” Alex snapped.
    The wolf jerked its head, baring its teeth at Alex. Holding as still as possible, his eyes scanned the room. Cora was nowhere. Her kirtle, however, lay in a tattered heap on the floor. He turned his head very slightly to see the one corner outside his peripheral view, but the wolf lunged forward and snapped its jaws dangerously close to his face. Terror shot up his spine. He could feel the beast’s hot breath. Keeping his head low, his peered up and for the first time looked the wolf in the eye. Sky blue eyes glowed bright, standing out in shocking contrast to the white fur. The wolf growled, bearing down upon him. Alex dropped his gaze.
    “Whatever ye just did,” Jamie whispered behind him. “Don’t do it again.”
    Alex closed his eyes, his mind spinning. He remembered Cora’s cries and the sound of her bones snapping. Bile rose in his throat. The beast must have ripped her body to shreds. The horror was too great to handle. He hadn’t been fast enough. He had failed her. His eyes opened and looked at the fierce claws inches from his face. His stomach twisted when he imagined those claws tearing into Cora’s flesh. Again the wolf growled, bringing his mind back to the present. He and Jamie were at the mercy of the murderous beast. If they did not do something soon, their blood would also be spilled.
    Blood.
    His eyes returned to the large, gleaming white paws. There was not a trace of blood. Keeping his head low, his eyes once more scanned the room all the while the beast’s low growl filled his ears. There were no signs of struggle and no blood anywhere. His eyes once more settled on Cora’s shredded gown. His body strained while he fought to remain still. Then his mind returned to their wedding night in the shelter. He remembered the jarring pain of her nails raking his back. His eyes returned once more to the large, sharp claws in front of him.
    It was all he could do not to move.
    “Jamie,” he whispered. “Slowly, and I do mean very slowly, back away.”
    “Fangs are inches from your face. I dare not move.”
    “Do as I say,” Alex gritted.
    “I will not. I’ve no wish to see ye eaten before my very eyes.”
    “As your laird I command ye to slowly back away and leave us.”
    “Upon my word, I will not.”
    “I’ll be alright,” Alex said. “I think,” he muttered under his breath.
    “How can ye possibly think anything could be alright when the biggest wolf I’ve ever seen is literally breathing down your neck?” Jamie snapped.
    The wolf lunged passed Alex, bearing its teeth once again at Jamie.
    “Because ‘tis not a wolf. ‘Tis my wife.”
    “Have ye gone mad?” Jamie cried.
    “Trust me,” Alex said. “Now, back away.”
    “I’ve sworn my allegiance to ye. I’ll not let ye kill yourself.”
    “Your allegiance demands ye follow my orders. Leave.”
    “Never,” Jamie promised.
    Alex heard the intent to attack in Jamie’s voice. He pushed off the ground just in time to block the