The Silver Wolf novel · Chapter 17 of 24

Chapter 17: The Stone Wakes

Edric's smile did not move, but his hand tightened on the rail.

"Interesting," he said.

"You can't command me," I said. "You knew that."

"I knew it. I wanted them to see it."

He waved two fingers at the kneeling men.

They got up.

They had the look of men who had been told the plan and not liked the ending.

"Take her," Edric said. "Not the old woman. Not the Warden. Break her legs if you must. The Stone doesn't need them."

The Beta changed first.

His clothes split off him, and he hit the floor as a heavy grey wolf.

The eight went with him, a ripple of torn cloth and bone.

Cormick got up off his knee, and I heard his ribs catch.

"Behind the Stone," he said. "Get behind it."

"No."

"Calla..."

"You're hurt, and she's tied to a post," I said. "Cut her loose."

He looked at me.

Then he turned and ran for the post, and drew the knife to cut the ropes on her wrists.

Hesper rose in my chest, enormous.

"Let go," she said.

I let go.

The shift ran through me all at once and I did not scream.

I came down on four feet with my white fur standing on end, and the blue light of the Stone slid along my back.

The first wolf hit me from the left.

I took it by the shoulder and threw it into the wall.

The second got my flank, and I turned and took it down by the neck and held it until its legs stopped kicking.

The third and fourth came together.

I met them in the air.

Teeth tore my ear and my foreleg, and I felt the pain as a bright clean line, and I went through it.

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