hurt. Yeah, I know what I look like. Get over it, guys . Go kiss a moose. She shrugged back into her coat and
went outside to follow Dominic Farrell.
Chapter 2
Alex could track anyone or anything. And with Dominic’s
scent burned into her brain, finding him wouldn’t be tough, not with the
tracking chip she’d slapped on his black pickup. Before he’d entered the bar,
she’d watched as he’d climbed out of the truck’s cab with a graceful,
lean-hipped swagger in his tight black jeans.
In her sleek SUV, Alex followed her quarry, keeping a safe
distance behind. After a few miles, she caught the flash of taillights. She
slowed as the truck pulled into a hayfield. He cut the engine and got out,
walking alongside the road.
Several yards behind him, Alex parked. She tailed him, making
no noise in her soft-soled boots, watching as he vaulted over a chain-link
fence.
Words on the gate proclaimed “See the Wild Wolves of
Alaska!”
Bile rose in her throat. She’d heard of this roadside
attraction’s cruelty. Her breath fogged the air as she climbed over the fence,
dropped down and followed Dominic. A ribbon of gravel drive threaded through a
thicket of pine trees and led to a small, darkened building. On the building’s
right side was another fence. A few men gathered outside the building. Alex
donned the glamour of a brunette with rosy cheeks and an apple-fresh look.
Then she hid behind a thick pine tree and watched.
“Let’s do it,” she heard him say quietly.
Breaking open the gate, the six vanished behind the compound.
Alex dashed after them and ground to a halt, shoving a fist into her mouth to
stifle her gasp.
Silver moonlight showed six gray wolves tied to a short length
of chain. Ribs jutted out from their lean bodies. They paraded around a pole,
their desperate whines echoing in the night. The scent of animal tinged the air,
along with the sharp taste of helpless fear.
Ducking behind a tree, she watched Dominic’s face tighten. He
and the others worked quickly, as the wolves closed around them, tails wagging
eagerly as if sensing friends. As each wolf sprang free and ran across the open
meadow, through the gate Dominic had opened, Alex felt a quiet, peculiar joy. As
if her own spirit were set free and bounding across the field.
“Damnit. Hold on, boy. Almost got it,” Dominic muttered.
Her throat closed as she watched him try to free the last wolf.
The chain wrapped around his throat, the gray wolf whimpered. Alex fought back
the miasma of pity. She had to focus on Dominic, not these poor creatures.
A light flicked on inside the nearby cabin. Someone stepped
onto the porch.
Dominic gave a low curse and with brute force, broke the chain.
The wolf, seemingly traumaticized, did not move. Not until Dominic slapped it on
its hindquarters. Dominic sprinted away as the man left the porch.
Alex followed. In the near distance to her left, metal glinted
in the moonlight. Wicked steel teeth lay below the leaves. Suddenly the wolf
headed toward the trap.
The wolf’s leg would snap under the pressure. Not if she could
help it. With a preternatural burst of speed, she passed the wolf, stepped into
the trap. Metal jaws slammed into her ankle. Pain shot through her bones,
rattling her teeth. She collapsed, fighting shock and burning agony.
The wolf bounded across the field, vanishing into the woods.
Safe! He was safe. Alex sat up, pushing past the pain and chanted a spell to
release the trap.
Nothing. She touched the trap and a blue arc leaped up,
shocking her nerves.
Magick. The trap was laced with it. And she was helpless.
The man coming toward her laughed. Boots crunched in the
crushed grass as he advanced.
“Here.”
The man sent a blue arc of energy into the trap and the jaws
sprang open. Alex pulled her ankle free, biting her lip. Burning pain seared her
skin. Crab-crawling away, she eyed her rescuer.
Moonlight glinted his silvery hair. He had a handsome face, but
a flicker of cruelty shone
went outside to follow Dominic Farrell.
Chapter 2
Alex could track anyone or anything. And with Dominic’s
scent burned into her brain, finding him wouldn’t be tough, not with the
tracking chip she’d slapped on his black pickup. Before he’d entered the bar,
she’d watched as he’d climbed out of the truck’s cab with a graceful,
lean-hipped swagger in his tight black jeans.
In her sleek SUV, Alex followed her quarry, keeping a safe
distance behind. After a few miles, she caught the flash of taillights. She
slowed as the truck pulled into a hayfield. He cut the engine and got out,
walking alongside the road.
Several yards behind him, Alex parked. She tailed him, making
no noise in her soft-soled boots, watching as he vaulted over a chain-link
fence.
Words on the gate proclaimed “See the Wild Wolves of
Alaska!”
Bile rose in her throat. She’d heard of this roadside
attraction’s cruelty. Her breath fogged the air as she climbed over the fence,
dropped down and followed Dominic. A ribbon of gravel drive threaded through a
thicket of pine trees and led to a small, darkened building. On the building’s
right side was another fence. A few men gathered outside the building. Alex
donned the glamour of a brunette with rosy cheeks and an apple-fresh look.
Then she hid behind a thick pine tree and watched.
“Let’s do it,” she heard him say quietly.
Breaking open the gate, the six vanished behind the compound.
Alex dashed after them and ground to a halt, shoving a fist into her mouth to
stifle her gasp.
Silver moonlight showed six gray wolves tied to a short length
of chain. Ribs jutted out from their lean bodies. They paraded around a pole,
their desperate whines echoing in the night. The scent of animal tinged the air,
along with the sharp taste of helpless fear.
Ducking behind a tree, she watched Dominic’s face tighten. He
and the others worked quickly, as the wolves closed around them, tails wagging
eagerly as if sensing friends. As each wolf sprang free and ran across the open
meadow, through the gate Dominic had opened, Alex felt a quiet, peculiar joy. As
if her own spirit were set free and bounding across the field.
“Damnit. Hold on, boy. Almost got it,” Dominic muttered.
Her throat closed as she watched him try to free the last wolf.
The chain wrapped around his throat, the gray wolf whimpered. Alex fought back
the miasma of pity. She had to focus on Dominic, not these poor creatures.
A light flicked on inside the nearby cabin. Someone stepped
onto the porch.
Dominic gave a low curse and with brute force, broke the chain.
The wolf, seemingly traumaticized, did not move. Not until Dominic slapped it on
its hindquarters. Dominic sprinted away as the man left the porch.
Alex followed. In the near distance to her left, metal glinted
in the moonlight. Wicked steel teeth lay below the leaves. Suddenly the wolf
headed toward the trap.
The wolf’s leg would snap under the pressure. Not if she could
help it. With a preternatural burst of speed, she passed the wolf, stepped into
the trap. Metal jaws slammed into her ankle. Pain shot through her bones,
rattling her teeth. She collapsed, fighting shock and burning agony.
The wolf bounded across the field, vanishing into the woods.
Safe! He was safe. Alex sat up, pushing past the pain and chanted a spell to
release the trap.
Nothing. She touched the trap and a blue arc leaped up,
shocking her nerves.
Magick. The trap was laced with it. And she was helpless.
The man coming toward her laughed. Boots crunched in the
crushed grass as he advanced.
“Here.”
The man sent a blue arc of energy into the trap and the jaws
sprang open. Alex pulled her ankle free, biting her lip. Burning pain seared her
skin. Crab-crawling away, she eyed her rescuer.
Moonlight glinted his silvery hair. He had a handsome face, but
a flicker of cruelty shone
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