CHAPTER 1
Her nose told her the pack was much closer than she should’ve let them get. Those familiar musky scents were as unique as a bite mark. Stefanie trotted, paws not making a sound on the soft ground of the woods. She might be able to lose them and get to safety, but she could also tumble right into a trap. The pack was herding her, and she’d been stupid enough to let herself get between the members.
She’d only wanted to stretch her legs. No one should be in the forest in the hours before dawn. The damn banshee had been screaming in the hall of the building, and Stefanie couldn’t sleep. Stefanie hadn’t shifted outside her apartment in months. One run seemed well deserved for not biting the banshee’s head off.
Movement to her right. A big wolf. Matt? Her nose twitched. No, Colin. Big, dumb, and ugly.
Three others were out there. She smelled them all. Her disloyal pack. Bastards and bitches every single one. Not one of them had helped when Wyatt defeated her in a vicious challenge for leadership and locked her away. Even her sister had turned her back on her. She swallowed a growl.
Stefanie could easily take any one of them down, but all of them? She might, but it would be one hell of a fight. It wasn’t worth the risk. She had a life in Carmine she actually liked, and none of these sons of bitches were going to scare her away.
She hopped over a log, paused, and breathed in again. Her ears pricked as Colin inelegantly drew nearer. Stefanie couldn’t smell their Alpha, but Wyatt was likely somewhere waiting for them to bring her like a virgin to sacrifice. In the twisted realms of nightmares, he tormented her. A hundred screams vied to escape her when she would awake. She refused to let him get his hands on her again.
She hadn’t attacked any of her pursuers yet no matter her superior strength. Wyatt would love for her to draw first blood, and then he would be the big hero saving his pack from her.
She growled in Colin’s direction, warning him to keep his distance. He was close enough for her to see his eyes reflect the moonlight.
Taking off again, she increased her speed. Stefanie didn’t know these woods. The lights of Carmine sparkled to her left, but a water way separated her from the city. She should’ve just stayed home and stuffed a sock down the banshee’s throat.
She couldn’t keep going in this direction. Time for a swim.
Stefanie darted left, zigzagging between trees. A small wolf leapt out at her and snapped at her tail. Scott the Omega. Every instinct screamed to snatch him by the throat and throw him to the ground. No Omega ever acted like that toward an Alpha. She’d done it before, several times, but not tonight. If she stopped, the others would attack.
Her mother always told her to play it smart. Don’t lose her wits when her instincts sang. Giving herself over to her wolf was easy, but staying in control took immense will power.
Run, water, swim. Focus on the plan.
The others thundered behind her. Any hint of subtlety was gone. One let loose a howl. Their prey was in sight.
Stefanie’s heart hammered as she pushed herself even more. The swoosh of the river filled her ears. The pack was getting closer. Seventy or eighty feet behind her, barking with the chase.
Bursting through a thick copse of trees, she tried to skid to a stop and slid down a steep slope toward the river. Not just a river, but a mass of water swollen and angry from the recent rain. Stefanie coughed out a curse as she managed to keep herself out of the water. Her paws dipped in before she could pull them back.
Damn, it was cold. A wolf wouldn’t be able to swim across, but she might if she shifted back to human. Above her, another round of howls erupted.
A soft chuff to her right startled her. Digging her paws in, she twisted and bared her teeth.
Walking upriver, a male wolf she didn’t know jerked his head to the left. She hadn’t seen him or even smelled him. It shouldn’t matter his fur
Her nose told her the pack was much closer than she should’ve let them get. Those familiar musky scents were as unique as a bite mark. Stefanie trotted, paws not making a sound on the soft ground of the woods. She might be able to lose them and get to safety, but she could also tumble right into a trap. The pack was herding her, and she’d been stupid enough to let herself get between the members.
She’d only wanted to stretch her legs. No one should be in the forest in the hours before dawn. The damn banshee had been screaming in the hall of the building, and Stefanie couldn’t sleep. Stefanie hadn’t shifted outside her apartment in months. One run seemed well deserved for not biting the banshee’s head off.
Movement to her right. A big wolf. Matt? Her nose twitched. No, Colin. Big, dumb, and ugly.
Three others were out there. She smelled them all. Her disloyal pack. Bastards and bitches every single one. Not one of them had helped when Wyatt defeated her in a vicious challenge for leadership and locked her away. Even her sister had turned her back on her. She swallowed a growl.
Stefanie could easily take any one of them down, but all of them? She might, but it would be one hell of a fight. It wasn’t worth the risk. She had a life in Carmine she actually liked, and none of these sons of bitches were going to scare her away.
She hopped over a log, paused, and breathed in again. Her ears pricked as Colin inelegantly drew nearer. Stefanie couldn’t smell their Alpha, but Wyatt was likely somewhere waiting for them to bring her like a virgin to sacrifice. In the twisted realms of nightmares, he tormented her. A hundred screams vied to escape her when she would awake. She refused to let him get his hands on her again.
She hadn’t attacked any of her pursuers yet no matter her superior strength. Wyatt would love for her to draw first blood, and then he would be the big hero saving his pack from her.
She growled in Colin’s direction, warning him to keep his distance. He was close enough for her to see his eyes reflect the moonlight.
Taking off again, she increased her speed. Stefanie didn’t know these woods. The lights of Carmine sparkled to her left, but a water way separated her from the city. She should’ve just stayed home and stuffed a sock down the banshee’s throat.
She couldn’t keep going in this direction. Time for a swim.
Stefanie darted left, zigzagging between trees. A small wolf leapt out at her and snapped at her tail. Scott the Omega. Every instinct screamed to snatch him by the throat and throw him to the ground. No Omega ever acted like that toward an Alpha. She’d done it before, several times, but not tonight. If she stopped, the others would attack.
Her mother always told her to play it smart. Don’t lose her wits when her instincts sang. Giving herself over to her wolf was easy, but staying in control took immense will power.
Run, water, swim. Focus on the plan.
The others thundered behind her. Any hint of subtlety was gone. One let loose a howl. Their prey was in sight.
Stefanie’s heart hammered as she pushed herself even more. The swoosh of the river filled her ears. The pack was getting closer. Seventy or eighty feet behind her, barking with the chase.
Bursting through a thick copse of trees, she tried to skid to a stop and slid down a steep slope toward the river. Not just a river, but a mass of water swollen and angry from the recent rain. Stefanie coughed out a curse as she managed to keep herself out of the water. Her paws dipped in before she could pull them back.
Damn, it was cold. A wolf wouldn’t be able to swim across, but she might if she shifted back to human. Above her, another round of howls erupted.
A soft chuff to her right startled her. Digging her paws in, she twisted and bared her teeth.
Walking upriver, a male wolf she didn’t know jerked his head to the left. She hadn’t seen him or even smelled him. It shouldn’t matter his fur
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