Reaching their prey, it didn’t take Wulfric too long to assess the situation. The two werewolves had a young woman between them as each one took their turn groping her. A quick glance showed she hadn’t been bitten—yet. There didn’t appear to be any bloodstains on the light pink t-shirt she wore. The two seemed more interested in feeling her up than taking a chunk out of her. That they had cornered a woman in the first place was a bit out of their normal mode of operation. They usually chose males to turn.
Dolf and he stopped a few meters from the small group. The werewolves were so intent on what they were doing they hadn’t noticed them yet. Wulfric decided to remedy that.
He cleared his throat loudly. “Oi, dumbasses, wouldn’t you rather pick on someone your own size?”
Speech was another thing that set their type of werewolf apart from their prey.
When in their werewolf form, Fenris’ get lost that ability, along with the majority of their reasoning. They became more animal than man.
The two creatures turned in their direction and growled, but one kept his hold on the woman.
Dolf shook his large, lupine head. “Now be good dogs and let the female go.”
When they did nothing but growl once more, he looked at Wulfric. “I guess they need a little persuasion.”
“It would seem so,” he replied.
With snarls of their own, Dolf and he launched themselves at the werewolves.
Wulfric chose the one who held the woman. The creature, even though slightly hampered, didn’t back down from the fight. The werewolf tried to claw him with his free hand while he lunged to try to sink his teeth into Wulfric’s flesh. The woman ended up in the middle of them. Her screams of terror rang in Wulfric’s ears. He had to finish this fast before she got hurt—or worse.
He managed to grab hold of the creature around the throat and sank his claws into the tender flesh as he squeezed. With his other hand, Wulfric tore the woman out of the werewolf’s grasp. Keeping a firm but gentle hold on her upper arm, he forced her to stay at his side. With a hard shove, he pushed the creature back, then willed his sword into his hand. He plunged it into the werewolf’s furred chest, straight through the heart. The creature fell, dead before he hit the ground.
A quick glance at Dolf showed he had everything under control with the second werewolf. A loud howl was cut off as his friend plunged his sword into the heart of his opponent.
The woman struggled in his grasp, whimpering with fear. Wulfric gave her a little shake. “Calm down. The danger is past. You’re safe.” Still, she continued to fight him.
Dolf walked over, shifting to his human form in midstride. “It would probably be a good idea if you shifted as well. Your ugly, furry mug is what’s scaring her.”
Wulfric flipped him off with a clawed finger before he took on his human form.
The woman’s movements stilled as she watched wide-eyed. “Is that better?” he asked, once the change was complete.
Her answer was to knee him in the balls. He let go of her and cupped himself as he sank to his knees, panting through the pain. As she took off running, he yelled, “We’re the good guys.” Dolf, the asshole, howled with laughter.
Once the pain subsided enough for him to stand, Wulfric scowled. “I saved her life and that’s the thanks I get.”
“I’m just glad it was you and not me,” Dolf said with a laugh.
Wulfric ignored him and looked at the two dead werewolves. They couldn’t leave them there for mortals to find. He looked up at the night sky, and said, “Tiw, I call upon you. I have need of your fire.”
Blue god-fire engulfed the bodies. Wulfric and Dolf took a step back as the flames burned hotter and brighter. Once they died down, the corpses were no more. An unnatural wind blew the ashes away. Not even a scorch mark marred the grass to give proof of their passing.
“I guess we’re even with one apiece,” Dolf said. “Let’s hit the next spot and see if we can get lucky again.”
Wulfric nodded. “All right. But the next prey who has a woman who needs to be saved, you get to do the saving. My poor balls don’t need any more abuse. Plus, I’d like to have all my equipment working when I next see my soon-to-be mate.”
Toward the close of the night, Dolf ended up going his separate way to finish hunting in his area of the city. Wulfric coming up the winner in their little warm-up, he figured he’d put down enough prey for one night and headed to the house. He also wanted to make sure he didn’t sleep in too late in the morning. He’d promised Cydney he’d call to see her the following afternoon, and he had no intention of not following through.
Inside the manor, he found it dark and quiet. No one seemed about. Even if there had been, he wouldn’t have found it too surprising. Raed and his mate, Lexi, had had a baby the month before. A girl they named Petra. So far the baby had everyone in the household wrapped around her little finger. In seven months, Petra would have some competition, though. That was when Garrick and Nika’s baby was due.
Wulfric crossed the open-concept foyer and headed up the stairs. He was halfway up the curved staircase when his sensitive ears picked up the quiet cries of the baby. He hurried up the rest of the stairs and gently tapped on Raed and Lexi’s bedroom door. Since he was still awake, he figured he’d give Lexi a break and feed the baby.
Lexi called for him to come in. Once he did, he crossed the room to where she stood over a crib. “I’ll take her,” he said. “I bet this isn’t the first time Petra has had you up tonight.”
“No, it isn’t,” Lexi said. “She’s up every two hours like clockwork, needing to be fed. You don’t have to feed her, Wulfric. I’m sure you want to go to bed.”
“Don’t worry about me. You look dead on your feet. I’ll change her and then take her into my room to give her the bottle. You still have some in the fridge, right?” Lexi had gotten into the habit of storing some extra breast milk, since Raed tried to spell Lexi off as often as he could during the night feedings.
Lexi nodded. “Yes, there’re two downstairs.”
“Then why don’t you go warm one up while I change Petra’s nappy.”
“Thanks, Wulfric.”
Once Lexi left the room, he picked up the baby, making sure he supported her head. Right after she’d been born, he’d been afraid he’d break her. Now he was becoming an old hand at this baby stuff. Even though he hadn’t liked the idea of changing dirty nappies, he didn’t mind the wet ones. If it was more than that, he let Mum and Dad do those.
He carried Petra over to the change table and found to his luck she was only wet.
It didn’t take him long to have her all cleaned up. By the time Lexi returned with the warmed up bottle, he had Petra cradled against his chest.
With the promise he’d return the baby to her crib once she had finished feeding and had gone to sleep, Wulfric went to his room. He bent his head and breathed in her baby scent as he closed the door behind them. He loved that smell, and hoped one day he’d have one of his own to cuddle and love. Now that he’d found Cydney, there was a greater chance of that happening.
After slipping off his shoes, he climbed onto the bed and placed the nipple of the bottle against Petra’s lips. She latched onto it right away and went to town on it. Wulfric smiled.
Petra had just finished her bottle and he had her up on his shoulder while he burped her when a soft knock sounded on his door. At his “Come in,” it opened and Raed stepped inside.
“Trying to steal my daughter again, Wulfric?”
“What can I say? I love the little bub.” At that moment, Petra let loose with a loud burp. He chuckled. “Nice one.”