Pride's Pursuit (a Wolf's Pride novel, book three) by Cat Kalen

digest what he’s saying, he’s moving with purpose. Using predatory precision, he pounces out
the door and amoment later he’s airborne. Without breaking stride, he leaves a pile of clothes in
his wake, his body shifting and morphing into a powerful, streamlined wolf.
“Meet me at the vehicle,” is the last thing he says before he completes his shift and gets
swallowed by the dark, dangerous night.

Chapter Seven
    After hurrying back to the vehicle, everyone climbs inside, but I’m too antsy, too
frantic to
sit still. With a pile of clothes in my hands, I pace the dark forest, my ears perked for sound, my
wolf ready to take chase should she need to.
    I scour the dark woods and worry about
Logan and Stone’s safety. There is nothing I can do
to keep my anxious mind from conjuring up deadly scenarios, dangerous situations the two
could easily find themselves in. As I fret and my imagination kicks into high gear, I hear the
SUV door click open.
    “It’s okay, Pride,”
my father says in a hushed voice as he steps up to me.“Logan knows
what he’s doing.”
Even though I know Logan is a powerful, skilled alpha, one who knows his way around the
woods, my father’s words still fail to comfort me.
I flick him a glance.“Stone doesn’t. He’s reacting.”
While I know it’s not his fault, that he’s only doing what he believes he has to, I also know
if he’s going to survive out here, he has to start evolving, adapting to the way things are done in
the outside world.
Over the last month, Logan taught me all about survival, and after tonight I realizeit’s now
my turn to step up and teach Stone. Before he gets himself killed. Before he proves to the PTF
that we really are bloodthirsty beasts ruled only by our survival instincts.
In the far distance a shot rings out and the little bit of food I have left in my stomach clumps
together to form a heavy ball. Anxious and on edge, I wring Logan’s shirt with my fists and
while I listen to the bullet whisper through the wind, I also listen for the sound of a fallen wolf.
“I should have gone after him.” My feet crunch dead leaves as I hug the pile of clothes to
my chest, and when I spot a rabbit dart into the underbrush, it’s all I can do to keep my agitated
wolf from taking chase.
I catch another sound in the near vicinity, and I brace myself, my ears perked as both my
father and I stop to listen. With our wolves on guard, prepared to attack, I scent the forest,
pushing past the pine, moss and moist earth as I peer into the thick woods.
When I hear branches move and leaves rustle, I growl and hunker low. A moment later,
when two very distinctive scents hit at the same time, I nearly sob with relief. I sprint to my feet
and the second I spot the battle worn wolves emerging from the dark, I rush to them.
They step into the clearing and I hurry forward to examine them for injuries. A breeze
flutters their thick coats and the chill in my bones runs so deep that when they both brush up
against me, I take a quick moment to soak in the warmth of their fur.
Logan is the first to shift and we exchange a look as I hand him his clothes. He dresses and
I turn my attention to Stone. The second I see a sticky layer of blood coating his thick fur, I
gasp, and wonder if it’s his or Nova’s.
“Stone?” I ask, my eyes moving over his face as I feel a quick flash of panic.
“He got caught in a thorn bush,” Logan says, answering my unasked question.
I glance at Logan.“And Nova?”
Logan turns away from me, like he can’t bear to meet my eyes when he says, “She’s gone.”
I swallow.“Gone?”
“She got away,” he clarifies as Stone morphs and stands to his full height, his angry eyes
softening when they land on me.
I hand Stone his clothes and when another gunshot rings out, deep in the forest, I cringe.
Instinctively, the alpha wolf steps closer to me, as if to shield me from the danger.
I blink up at him and feel a measure of panic.“Do you