To Right a Wrong(21)

“You were a cheerleader?” Ethan sounded interested, but Dani shut him out in favor of talking with Shelley.

“Did he come back here…with you?” Shelley crossed her arms and gazed around the parking lot. “Do you think that was wise? You’ve just lost your parents. Maybe you need some time to heal.”

“I know perfectly well what I am doing. He’s my mate.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Just wait. You’ll soon learn what really happened years ago.”

“Dani, what have you got yourself in the middle of?” Shelley suddenly dropped her gaze.

“Never mind. I should go. Brad’s probably waiting for me.” She scurried over to a beefed-up truck.

Dani swung around and stared after Brad, who strode across the parking lot from the back of the store and climbed in the truck. She frowned. Despite Shelley’s concern over her safety, her friend’s sudden shift of mood seemed odd. “Dani! What’s happening?”

“Sorry.” She turned her attention away from the truck, which was burning rubber out of the parking lot, and headed toward the doors. “I’m going in now, babe.”

Dani grabbed a bottle of soda out of the cooler beside the checkout counter and smiled up at the cashier. “How are you today, Mrs.

Danielson?”



The slim, gray-haired woman glanced behind her before scanning the soda. “I-I’m fine. Thanks for asking, Dani.” But Mrs. Danielson refused to raise her eyes and her hands trembled.

Dani leaned against the counter. “Are you okay? You look upset.”

Mrs. Danielson took pulled a small brown paper bag and slipped the bottle inside. She glanced behind her again and lowered her voice.

“Dani, don’t come back here. It’s not safe. I cared about your mom, and I don’t—”

“Mrs. Danielson!”

“Yes, Mr. Lehman.” Mrs. Danielson turned around, her hands fisted at her sides.

“It’s time for your break.”

“But—”

“Now.” Mr. Lehman glared at Dani with angry eyes, but spoke to his employee. “Do not go outside. You can take your break in the back room.”

Mrs. Danielson nodded and shuffled out of the room. Dani reached for the bag, but Mr.

Lehman caught her wrist in a painful grip. She moaned as his claws dug into her skin. She jerked her gaze up and came face to face with a half-shifted werewolf.

Sharp pain shot from her wrist up her arm.

She reached behind her back for the .38 Special loaded with silver bullets.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Mr.

Lehman snarled. His teeth elongated, his eyes narrowed and took on an unearthly menace of a rabid animal, and yet, his body remained human.

Dani gasped and recoiled in disgust. Bile bubbled in her throat. She’d never witnessed any of the werewolves she knew in mid-transformation who were able to halt the shift between human and wolf. The result was terrifying and evil.

“W-what do you want?” She tamped down her own desire to shift. Something was very wrong here. There was no way Mr. Lehman should be able to get the upper hand on her, but his speed and strength overpowered hers.

“We’re gonna have a little talk, you and I.” Mr. Lehman pulled her around the counter toward the backroom. “You shouldn’t have brought Tolene back.”

“Oh God, Ethan. Help me.”





Chapter Nine

Rounding the front of the car, Ethan sailed through the air and landed flat on his stomach.

A powerful force knocked the breath out of him.

He shifted to his wolf and flung the sudden, heavy weight off his back.

He lowered his head and growled at the man who’d tackled him. The man shifted, bared his teeth, and lunged at him again. Worried about Dani, Ethan grabbed the wolf’s throat in his jaw, flipped him over, and clamped down. Ethan wished like hell he would have had time to remove his clothes before shifting. He couldn’t run with the extra length of his pants puddled around his back feet.

The animal flailed his legs in the air looking for traction, but Ethan had him in a death grip faster than the wolf could react.

“Ethan! He’s got my—”

“Dani!” His blood boiled inside his veins hearing her scream of pain.

He savagely bit through the fur, tore out the wolf’s throat, and spat. The animal twitched, but lay still, his eyes were unfocused.

Ethan hadn’t killed the werewolf—not given how fast he’d heal—but he wouldn’t be charging Ethan from behind too soon.



“Hold on, Dani.” He leaped over the curb and shifted in midair before landing on his bare feet.

There was no time to put his tennis shoes back on. “I’m coming in.”