Where Wild Things Roam

Darby    “Oh, here it is.” At the annoyed grumble in my voice, Tessa raises herself awkwardly and slowly limps the few steps to my side. She sets her head gently on my lap, and I stroke the white stripe that runs from the tip of her nose to just behind her pricked ears, her tail swishing softly on the red oak floor. I continue to read from the rough yellowing page of an ancient text, this time out loud so she can hear.“The natural state of the universe constantly tumbles towards lowest energy and chaos, a benefit to dark magick practitioners similar to that which assists a demon’s unholy magick, and unlike other magick types with foundations in the order of specific creation.”“Well, that’s obnoxious. Why should they have it easier?”Unde

Jack    Dark magic.Green magic.I don’t care what the fuck kind of magic it is! She’s a witch and I’m going to kill her.I’d stop that if I were you, the bossy border collie warns through the link. Milady can hear your thoughts. I know she wouldn’t harm you, but Alpha would. Right now, he’s behind the exam table and she’s on my side of it, I retort menacingly.Behind the table where he can see your approach. Alpha is no idiot. You might be though, she adds unnecessarily.That was harsh. Offended, I glanced down at the dog, my brows drawn together. She turns in hobbling circles a few times, then eases herself stiffly to t

Darby“You’re my mate! MINE!”The roar is so loud it feels like my head will explode. My vision is tunneling rapidly towards darkness and I bang the heel of my palm ineffectually against his wrist at my neck. “I-Ian,” I gasp weakly.“Say it!” he snarls into my ear, loosening his hold on my neck just enough I can draw a shallow breath. “SAY IT!”“O-only you,” I breathe, shaking my head slightly. “N-no others.”Releasing my throat, he lifts his weight, grabbing my wrists and pinning them over my head. With the pressure off my diaphragm, the vacuum in my burning lungs heaves air into me painfully.Sucking it in despite the pain, I try to clear my vision, only to have the tunnel constrict again and burst with stars when he rams

Ian    I have never seen anything like what’s happening with Darby. The air around her is sparking and crackling like lightning and there’s blistering heat coming off her in waves. The ground’s shaking and wind is whirling around inside the house, but not outside. Outside, it’s still.Her wrath is palpable. Alive. A discrete existence with emotions and power—a whole hell of a lot of power—and deliberate designs of its own. Through Darby—inside her.And its eyes are staring daggers at Jack.Not that he’s faultless in this. I’ve about had enough of his shit too, and we’ve only been downstairs with him for a few moments. But he’s still part of my pack.Mate—or whatever this living

Ian    Darby looks a little green as she sits at the kitchen table with the three of us. Beside me, her plate is filled with mixed leafy greens, sliced fruits and chopped vegetables, but she can’t seem to take her eyes off the rest of us eating rabbit, even though we’re eating vegetables too.It’s one of my pet peeves—I insist on good table etiquette—so I know it’s only the adjustment to dining with omnivores, but I figure better here and now to introduce that change, rather than when we get to the pack house where the dining room resembles a small cafeteria circus and is often filled during at least one meal time each week with various leaders and prominent citizens there to sort community business with Jack, Ivan and me in a less formal setting than our main street offices.I lean o