Page 5 of The Wolf and Her Shadows

Using every bit of pent up adrenaline and rage I have, I slam the heel of my boot against his blood soaked hands. Which just so happen to still be covering his balls. His scream is cut off by a rush of vomit exiting his throat, which I narrowly avoid being covered in.

Grunting in disgust, I circle around behind him. Leaning down to brush my lips against his ear, I whisper, “I think you owe me an apology, don’t you?”

Kelv immediately starts nodding furiously and I simply can't help the way I begin to chuckle. He tries to flinch away from me, but I move faster. Grabbing the back of his hair, I tilt his head back, forcing him to look at me. His pathetic whimper does nothing but excite me further. Now he knows what it feels like to be subjected to unwanted attention.

What it feels like to be afraid…

As for me? I’ve left fear behind a long time ago.

Smiling down at my employer, I press the blade of the dagger against the side of his neck. “Unfortunately, Kelv…” My arm jerks back, slicing him open from ear to ear in the process. “Apologies mean nothing when they come from filth like you.”

I let go, allowing him to fall onto his face.

While I’m reveling in the way blood is gurgling out from between Kelv’s lips and splashing against the floor, the sound of someone clapping catches my attention. My smile drops immediately and my head whips towards the doorway, cursing myself for being foolish enough to leave it open. Then my eyes narrow.

Mr. Cloaked Stranger, wanna-be hero, is leaning against the doorframe, hood still covering his face.

Taking a step away from the corpse at my feet, I point the tip of the blood-soaked dagger at the new intruder. “If you’ve come looking for this, I’ll be happy to give it to you.” I take another step, inching closer to where my swords are hidden. “Same way I just gave him what he’d been asking for.”

My threat is met with a breathy chuckle, one not at all sounding like I’d expected. “Consider it a gift. Payment for being allowed to bear witness to the most entertaining show I’ve seen in decades.” And then the stranger lowers their hood.

A gasp of surprise slips between my lips as they part without my consent. Apparently Mr. Cloaked Stranger is not a Mr. at all.

She's a woman, with long white hair, running only down the middle of her head and hanging over one shoulder in a tight braid. Long pointed ears stick out from either side of a scarred, sharp featured face. Eyes the color of fresh lavender are surrounded by thick rings of black kohl, making them even more striking.

And her lips are twisted into a very punchable smirk. Shit. I’m gawking, aren’t I?

Stepping toward her, I shake my head and snap, “I’ve had enough games for one night. Tell me why you’re here, or your blade will be slitting your throat next.”

The unfairly attractive woman lifts her hands in a placating manner. “No need to be hostile, I mean you no harm. I’d actually been intending to rescue you from him.” She nods at the dead body still bleeding all over the floor. “But looks like you didn’t need my assistance after all.”

A low growl rumbles in my throat as the hairs on the back of my neck rise once again. “No. I didn’t. Not earlier tonight, and certainly not now.” My skin also begins to vibrate, yet I still take another step closer. “Why. Are. You. Following. Me?” Each of the words is accompanied by a snarl, leading me to quickly realize I’m mere moments away from an absolute disaster.

An even worse one than murdering my employer turned would-be rapist.

Hands still raised, the woman tilts her head and asks, “Are you alright? Apart from the obvious.”

Her voice is too gentle. Too concerned. Too…sincere. Ha.

I scoff. Attempt to, at least. It ends up more of a…bark. “Fine. Just peachy.”

“Liar.”

My eyes roll so far back in my head I’m surprised I can’t see the wall behind me. “There’s blood on my boots. I just slit my employer’s throat. I was nearly…” I clear my throat, leaving that one unfinished. “And there’s a strange woman standing in my doorway pestering me with pointless questions. So yes, I’d consider myself perfectly fine at the moment.”

Letting out another soft chuckle, she crosses her arms back over her chest. “Fair enough. Am I allowed to ask one more question?”

Giving her an icy glare, I sigh. “One.”

“Would you like me to kill the men currently coming upstairs to check on the dead guy, or would you prefer I help you escape out the window instead?”

Darting over to the chest in the corner of the room, I snap, “That was two questions.”

I hear her crossing the room behind me, heading in the direction of the window. “It was. But at least I tried to frame it as only one. Gotta count for something.”

“It really doesn’t.” Whirling around to face her, swords in hand, I mutter, “But, thank you. For the warning.”

She nods, already halfway out the window. “Of course. I’d like to imagine this is the start of a beautiful relationship… Mariane.”