Page 59 of Captured By the Werewolf Highwaymen

“Yes, yes,” Clara said with growing force. She pressed a hand to her chest. “The power in me, the strength of the moon I have inside.”

“I feel it, too,” Bram said, and Liam looked in agreement.

“Use that,” Clara insisted. “Now.”

Des, then Gideon nodded. Hugh followed, and then Liam and Bram did the same.

Despite the sounds of shattering wood, she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. Though the sun was high, she perceived the moon in the heavens. A sliver of it was missing, but she was that sliver, filling out the pale disk, completing it.

She collected her energy. It was inside her, until her skin was alive and her senses sharp and expansive, growing beyond the confines of the room, the house, the land. She was part of the sky and shone down on everything.

She was the enchanted being from her fairy stories. All the mystical entities that granted wishes and imbued the world with magic—she was one of them. And now, it was her turn to bestow power on those who needed it, the ones who held the ability to shift from men to wolves.

The energy built up inside of her. Yet she needed to transfer it to the pack. Spreading her hands, she guided her gathered power into them in invisible waves. It pulsed from her, strong and alive.

Growling filled the small room.

She opened her eyes. All of the men within the chamber were hunched in on themselves, bodies straining against their clothing, faces contorted. Their garments split, torn asunder by swelling muscles that sprouted fur.

The pounding against the doors strengthened. More wood splintered, and the doors began to break apart. Through the shattering wood, the masked faces of the Guardians appeared, all of their eyes sharp with hate.

What kind of men were these, to hunt others, but hide their faces like cowards?

The doors broke apart in a hail of fragmenting wood. Two Guardians appeared at one door, three at the other.

Brandishing pistols, they started to storm into the chamber—then drew up short.

Five werewolves now stood in the room. And in the middle of them was Clara.

“Get out of my house,” she commanded.

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The room barely contained five massive wolves, all of them seething with fury. Their heads brushed the ceiling, and their clawed feet dug trenches in the bare wooden floor, while their growling filled the air.

Clara had seen Des and Gideon as wolves, and the sight still struck awe into her, yet she’d never seen Hugh in this form, who was covered in black and gray fur, and was particularly burly. Bram’s fur was golden and thick on his strapping body. Liam wasn’t as tall as the other wolves, but he was wider, with deep brown fur enveloping his dense form.

Their eyes all glowed with rage.

The Guardians started at being confronted by the wolves—surely, they’d been anticipating a much easier fight between themselves and five human men—but they pressed forward, determined to have their kill.

Three of the wolves—Hugh, Bram, and Liam—launched themselves at one set of Guardians. Clara stuck close as Des and Gideon charged the other pair of intruders.

Gideon and Des grabbed the Guardians’ hands, wrestling their guns up into the air. The Guardians grunted with effort to hold the wolves back. Two loud bangs sounded as the pistols discharged. Clara ducked. One bullet lodged in the ceiling, and the second struck the wall. Chips of plaster rained down.

The Guardians dropped their now useless weapons. The two attackers reached for the silver-lined swords at their waists. Yet before they could draw their blades, Gideon and Des shoved the Guardians out of the room and into the hallway.

Des threw an intruder onto the ground. He pinned the Guardian in place with his foot, then swiped with his claws at the Guardian’s throat. Blood sprayed onto Des’s fur and spattered on the walls.

Gideon grabbed the second Guardian by the back of the neck. He gave the attacker one hard shake. There was a snapping sound, and the man’s head lolled, his eyes going sightless. Gideon dropped the Guardian’s lifeless body onto the floor.

Clara drew a breath. She stepped over the corpses. “Follow me.”

She turned back to the hidden chamber. There, they found Hugh, Liam, and Bram standing over the bodies of three Guardians. A red gash cut across Liam’s forearm, and there were cracks in the ceiling and wall. Liam didn’t pay attention to the blood he dripped onto the floor.

More footsteps sounded close by—reinforcements for the Guardians.

“With me.” Clara motioned for the wolves to follow.