Wolf Fur Hire(41)

Standing over the wolf’s body, she looked from it to the others lying limp in the snow. What the hell? How would it know about guns?

Because that’s not a wild wolf.

The thought brushed her mind and sent ice shooting through her middle.

They would know about guns if they were McCalls.

Owooooooooooooooo.

The hairs lifted on the back of her neck. Link’s howl was the song of her heart, and that wasn’t it. That was the broken battle cry of a monster.#p#分页标题#e#

Turning slowly, she looked in horror as a dozen wolves melted out of the trees in a line of defense between her and camp. Between her and the snow machine and the extra rifle. Between her and salvation.

“Link, help me!” she screamed as the first wave bolted for her.

She picked off two before the awful clicking sounded that said there were no more bullets to load into the chamber. With a sob, she spun and sprinted through the snow. It was too deep, and the wolves were too fast, better equipped for the terrain than her.

She hadn’t gotten to say goodbye to Link. He would find her half-eaten by the same creatures that had killed her dad. Who would be his anchor now? Link would be no better than these wolves after she died. He would be doomed to the curse, just like the McCalls who were hunting her.

Her arm hurt so badly, and she used that pain to keep her in the moment. She had to think. Had to use her head and buy herself every second she could. She wanted to live! She wanted Link to live! Link, Link, Link. Help me!

A thick grove of alders blocked her escape, their trunks so close together they created a wall. She gasped in horror as she skidded to a stop and crashed into them. They’d planned this. They’d herded her here. It’s why they hadn’t attacked before now, why they’d loped behind her silently, waiting for her to trap herself.

Nicole swung the rifle upside down and held it like a bat. “Come on, you murderous mother fuckers. Who wants to die first?”

A white wolf with a gray tail and bright blue eyes melted out of the pack, head down, eyes hungry, teeth bared. The others hung back behind him, as if they were waiting for this odd-colored wolf to ring the dinner bell. The alpha. Kill him. Scatter the others. Buy time.

Nicole tensed and prepared to swing her empty rifle as the wolf bunched his muscles to attack.

A blur of gray ghosted through the woods and barreled into the white wolf. Link latched his teeth around the smaller wolf’s throat and shook him off the ground. His eyes blazed the color of snow, and the snarl in his throat held an intensity she’d never heard from Link before. No. Not Link. This was all Wolf.

The other wolves shied away, but then charged the fight at the first yelp from their alpha.

Nicole ran for them and hit the first attacker across the face as the blur of violence continued beside her. The wolf under the butt of her rifle went flying, but another caught the sleeve of her jacket and yanked her down to the ground.

Link turned and latched onto the wolf’s leg and jerked his neck, tossing him away like he was weightless. The black wolf slammed into a tree.

Link stood over her, hackles raised, making him look even bigger. She’d never seen him next to another wolf, but as she laid here, frozen and gasping for breath, she realized what a beast her mate was. He was bigger than every one of them, almost twice the size of some. In shock, she turned her face and met the empty gaze of the dead alpha. His fur wasn’t white anymore. It was red.

Link let off a low growl to command the attention of the wolves who were looking at the dead alpha with half-crazed, brightly-colored eyes in every hue. Link took a step toward the closest one, but it held its ground. Link took another step, and when the wolf didn’t give, he hit him so fast he blurred, and after a volley of brutality, Link tossed another limp body aside and leveled his white gaze on the next closest wolf. This one hunched down and made whining sounds deep in its throat as Link approached. It wagged its tail slightly against the snow as Link stood over him, head high, ears erect, eyes on the others.

As Nicole sat up, clutching her arm to her chest to ease the searing pain, silence descended upon the woods.

Link let out a soft woof, and the wolves backed away. One by one, they slunk off into the woods until she and Link were alone.#p#分页标题#e#

Nicole heaved breath as the realization of what had just occurred here slammed down on her.

Vera had told her to keep Link away from the McCalls.

And now he was their damned alpha.





Chapter Fifteen




“Are you still with me?” Nicole asked softly as Link wrapped the last layer of gauze around her bitten arm. He’d used most of the first-aid kit on her, and it still wasn’t enough to fix the damage that had been done. She needed stitches. Lots of them. If she didn’t take her mind off her ruined arm, she was going to pass out.