Page 38 of The Witch’s Daughter

Besides, the second challenge took most of my focus, and the breath from my lungs.

The females in my family were very physical. We trained hard and fought harder. I’d grown up with two sisters who were always ready to fight, being alpha and sigma wolves. A part of me thought it was good I didn’t have the unfair advantage of my magic to use against them as we got older. Glass-half-full kind of thing. They had enough competition between them already.

As a beta wolf, I preferred to keep the peace—though I could hold my own in wolf form.

But what I really preferred more than anything else, was keeping both feet on the ground.

I didn’t like heights.

I bounced from foot to foot, waiting my turn in line to scale the at-least-fifty-foot-high wood wall with its frayed rope meant to help you hoist yourself all the way to the top and over the edge, having no idea what was on the other side.

Death, probably.

Except I wouldn’t die. Nope. I was a wolf shifter. That meant if I fell, I’d feel the crunch and rapid healing of each of my broken, shattered bones.

I might need your help.

My wolf put her paws over her eyes. Told you this was a bad idea.

I stood stock-still, watching as the witch in front of the line grabbed the rope and leaned back, putting her foot against the wall. Sweat beaded on her face as she used her leg and arm strength to move herself higher. At the top, she looked back to us lowly ants and I held my breath along with her as she peered over the edge.

Would she be forced to jump? Propel down?

The not knowing was killing me.

The witch didn’t spare us another glance as she went over the top.

“Last name?” Another warlock in black held a clipboard and the male in front of me answered.

Last names. We were using those. Smart. Then they’d know what pack to notify when you turned into a pancake on the other side of the wall.

A strong presence pressed against my back and my wolf took one paw off her eye as the warm scent of earth surrounded me.

“You don’t have to do this,” Jaxon spoke against my ear.

“Neither do you.” I clenched my teeth, staring at a particularly fascinating knot in the wood wall instead of watching the warlock ascend.

Jaxon would’ve had to move insanely fast to catch up with me. That was him, though. He didn’t belong here, doing these stupid tests with us mortals when he could easily wipe everyone in the vicinity off the map.

“You don’t like heights.” Jaxon’s voice took on a pleading quality that was hard to ignore. “You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”

“Is that what you think I’m doing?” I refused to turn around so he couldn’t see the truth on my face. “Can’t I just be here to see what all the fuss is about?”

“Last night… Your sister…”

“It’s none of your business,” I snapped. My palms were sweaty as I moved forward another place in line while the witch ahead of us gave her name.

I didn’t know how to explain what I was doing here to him, especially when I couldn’t explain it to myself. But the last thing I needed was for him to be worried about me too.

“Fine,” Jaxon growled in frustration. “Be stubborn. Get yourself hurt. See how well that goes over with Alpha Kera.”

I knew what he was doing and I hated him for it. “My Alpha wanted more information. I can’t give that to her if I’m hiding under the tents all day.”

I took another step forward, ignoring my wolf’s soft whine. If she had her way, we’d turn around and throw our arms over Jaxon, begging him to get us out of here.

Then he’d be right in thinking he had to protect me. They’d all be right.

Maybe I did have something to prove.