Free Blood Lust by Charity Santiago Page A

grateful that he’d stayed at my side
through the entire transformation, and that he wasn’t repulsed by what he’d
seen. His scent was stronger, the faint hint of cinnamon clinging to his skin.
    I could smell something else, too- something human.
Upstairs. My mouth watered.
    At length, Jericho shifted so that he was lying on his side,
facing me. He reached out a hand and stroked the soft fur behind my ear, and I
wondered what he was thinking. If only I’d woke earlier so that we’d had more
time to talk before sunset. There were still so many questions I wanted to ask
him.
    His presence made it easier to ignore the thirst, and I
forced myself to keep my eyes on his face, focusing only on him so I wouldn’t
be distracted by the tempting smell from upstairs.
    “I didn’t come to Rapid City looking to find you,” he said
softly, and his hand traced down my face, curving under my muzzle. It should
have been strange, but it felt wonderful. I lay very still, hoping he would
continue.
    A door slammed, followed by footsteps on the stairs. Jericho
and I pulled apart, and I sat up in the straw, staring at the dividing wall and
waiting to see who would emerge. If Max had returned now, there would no way
for me to explain what had happened. The smell of humanity grew stronger until
I was trembling with the effort of remaining still.
    It was the witch who had emerged, and if possible, she
looked even more stunning than the night before. She wore a long, flowing skirt
that swirled around her ankles as she moved, and a thin, low-cut blouse. Her
long, dark hair was loose, falling around her face in luxurious waves. I felt
an unexpected pang of jealousy. Even at my best, I could never be half as
glamorous as this woman.
    “Why didn’t you tell me who you were?” she demanded of
Jericho, completely ignoring my presence.
    I stiffened at the challenge in her voice, and stood. I
wasn’t in any mood to hear her yelling, and especially not at Jericho.
    Jericho met her glare evenly. “I don’t know what you’re
talking about.”
    “Ha! You say that now. I’m sure you’ll be singing a
different tune when our beta returns tonight. He swore a blood oath to kill you
if you ever returned to our lands.”
    “I don’t know your beta, and I certainly have no quarrel
with him,” Jericho retorted. “You’ve clearly mistaken me for someone else.”
    “There is no mistake, Argos, ”
she spat, and turned on her heel, stalking back up the stairs without a
backward glance. I relaxed as the distance between us increased.
    My gaze went to Jericho, who was shaking his head. “Wolves,”
he muttered, exasperated as he ran a hand through his hair. He stood for a
moment, staring at the floor, before he looked up at me. “She’s wrong,” he
said. “You know my name.”
    I nodded, even though I really only knew the name he had
told me. I had no reason to distrust him.
    He strode to the window and gripped one of the iron bars. He
didn’t appear to exert any effort, but suddenly a puff of dust shot up from the
concrete, the bar jumping slightly in his hands. Jericho nodded and released the
bar before turning back to me.
    “We’ve got to get out of here,” he said. “I don’t know how
many wolves they have, but if they have a witch and a beta in addition to the
four omegas we saw last night, I can’t fight them all off and protect you,
too.” He grasped one of the bars separating our cells and yanked, but it didn’t
budge. He tried again, to no avail.
    A whine rose in my throat as I pinned my ears to my head.
When he glanced at me, I jerked my muzzle towards the window, indicating that
he should leave without me.
    Jericho shook his head. “I’m not leaving you.”
    The warmth that blossomed within me at his words was
indescribable. I stood up on my hind legs, bracing my paws against the flat
bar, and pushed as Jericho pulled from the other side.
    Nothing happened.
    Jericho swore. “I can’t get you out.” He looked at the