Chapter 94
We reach the river, its waters a black mirror reflecting the moon above. The other wolves close in, emboldened by the scent of fear and the promise of a she–wolf. They’re shadows flitting between the trees, circling, hungry for the hunt. As my eyes track them on the other side of the river, my bones snap, and I grit my teeth, forcing them to realign, knowing if I shift completely, Max stands no chance.
“Stay behind me,” I command, my words barely recognizable. My body moves of its own accord, instincts honed by countless moons taking over. Max’s eyes widen in terror, his breaths coming in quick, shallow gasps. He clutches onto my arm, his knuckles white, but he doesn’t move an inch.
“Bree, they can smell us, can’t they?” he stutters, and I don’t bother answering.
Max’s face is pale, his chest heaving with silent terror. He knows, as do I, that we’re no longer alone in these woods. “I’m sorry, I didn’t…” His words are cut off with a shriek as one wolf backs up and charges toward the water. A vicious snarl leaves it as it jumps from rock to rock, trying to cross only to disappear into the treeline further up the river.
The air vibrates with growls, a sinister chorus that chills my already fevered blood.
“Max,” I whisper urgently, my voice a rough echo of my human self. “Stay back.”
I let out an involuntary cry, dropping to my knees in front of a
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Chapter 94
288 Voucher
shocked Max. The shift is beginning, and there is no turning back now. My skin feels as if it’s on fire, and I can hear my bones dislocating and snapping as they rearrange themselves. Sweat breaks out across my forehead as I fight to keep conscious – not for myself, but for Max.
He is still too close… he is still not safe.
My human features are slipping away beneath fur and muscle as every bone in my body screams in protest. The phone drops from my hands and skitters across the concrete floor.
Max takes another step forward, his small hand reaching out for me. “I’m not afraid…”
“No!” It’s a roar now. My voice is distorted as my body bends and twists. Terror flashes in his eyes, but it’s too late–he’s seen too much. Two hulking forms emerge from the shadows, their eyes gleaming like molten silver in the moonlight. They’re here for me, driven by instinct and the allure of the full moon.
“Run…” It’s the last coherent word that makes it past my lips before the change is complete, ripping away my humanity.
I crouch low, teeth bared, as the first wolf lunges. Its jaws snap inches from my face, but I’m fast–fueled by desperation. Claws meet flesh, mine against it. Vicious and brutal. The second wolf joins in, aiming for my flank, but I whirl around. Teeth, claws, and snarls.
The fight is a blur of movement–fur, claws, and teeth. I can’t afford to lose, not with Max so close, his breath coming in sharp gasps. I feel a rib crack under the force of a massive paw, pain flaring hot and bright. But it only serves to sharpen my focus.
Chapter 94
288 Vouchers
With a ferocious howl, I tear into the throat of the attacker, the blood hot on my tongue. The other wolf hesitates, sensing the turn of the tide, and I seize the moment. Bones crunch beneath my jaws, a finality that echoes through the stillness as his neck snaps just as the one that tried to cross from the river suddenly steps out of the tree line too and barrels toward me, only to stop mid–jump.
Suddenly, the chaos pauses as clouds drift over the moon, casting a brief shadow. My form shivers, reshaping into something fragile and human. I collapse onto the cold ground, naked and slick with blood; each breath is ragged when the other wolf shifts back. Realizing what he was doing, his breath is ragged when the river wolf shifts back also.
“Fuck!” he curses, his gaze turning upward to the moon, and he rushes off for the trees, trying to put distance between us.
“You should know better than bringing a kid out in the woods on a full moon!” the other snarls at me as he, too, turns for the
tree.
“Thanks, asshole!” I growl, looking at the body of the other wolf. He shifted back, but I know I killed him. Guilt gnaws at me as I stare at the lifeless body, the weight of my actions settling heavily on my shoulders, knowing, like the other two, he couldn’t help himself. If given the chance he probably would have run away like the other two once the moon was obscured.
