The Girl and the Wolf (Paranormal Shifter Romance) (Sanctuary Book 2) Read online

She slipped inside the tent, somewhat assured by the man’s confidence. But she couldn’t help but notice that Santiago didn’t join her inside the shelter.

  He sat outside, upright and alert, keeping watch in the darkness.

  ***

  Santiago waited for her breathing to even out, signaling sleep. Then he shifted.

  The dark night bloomed with color. His night vision was good in human form, but it had nothing on his senses as a wolf. It was like someone had turned on a light switch.

  But it wasn’t just his vision that improved. His ears twitched as an entire symphony of sounds enveloped him. The whisper of rustling leaves. The scurrying movement of nocturnal creatures looking for food. The musical trill of a brook a mile away.

  It gave him a map of the world around him in a way that simple vision couldn’t.

  And the smells only heightened his awareness. Each different scent was like a thread, weaving together with one another to create a rich tapestry. He breathed in the smell of the dark soil greedily, along with the green scent of growing things, and the impending rain on the wind.

  Above it all, he became keenly aware of her. He breathed her in like a drug, unable to get enough. The scent of her filled his wolf brain with wild impulses. He wanted to howl into the night sky, to run until his legs gave out.

  He couldn’t remember the last time the scent of a woman had driven him crazy like this. Maybe never.

  She awoke a primal desire in him. A burning need. It was like a punch to the gut, overwhelming him. In his wolf form, with his human concerns stripped away, he knew with an absolute certainty that he wanted her. It was more than something he wanted. It was something he needed. As much as he needed the breath in his lungs and the blood in his veins.

  And with this wild desire, he also knew that he would do anything to protect her.

  The thought broke through the fog of desire like a sunbeam, reminding him why he’d shifted in the first place.

  It hadn’t been to enjoy the visceral sensations. He was looking for signs of danger. The gun shots they’d heard were closer than he’d let on. Close enough to make him worry.

  The poachers, if that was what they were, couldn’t be more than a few miles away. It was a fair distance, but not enough for Santiago’s comfort. He’d kept it from Amanda. There was no point in scaring her more than necessary.

  He took off into the night.

  A quick loop around the camp site reassured him that Amanda would be safe in his absence. No threats lurked nearby. And he wouldn’t range too far away from her. He just wanted to scout a bit. Whoever was out there, he needed to know who they were.

  Rule number one of battle was to know your enemy.

  Santiago ran swiftly in the direction the shots had come from. He flitted from shadow to shadow without a sound, a ghost in the darkness, at one with the night.

  It wasn’t long before he caught their scent. The acrid smell of spent gun powder stood out among the fresh, clean smells of the forest. It didn’t belong here.

  He followed their trail. Another smell tickled his senses as he moved deeper into the woods. The scent of wolves. He was entering their territory. They had marked this area with musky smells. A warning sign to other creatures not to intrude.

  The men with guns hadn’t noticed. Or maybe they had. Perhaps Amanda had been right after all. Maybe they were hunting the wolves. That would make her mission, their mission, much more complicated.

  A new sensation touched him. It brought him to a jarring halt. It wasn’t a smell or a sound. He couldn’t place it at all. But it was a strong, pulsing power like nothing he’d ever experienced before.

  It filled his head like the pounding of a giant heart. He got a sense it was ancient, as old as the forest itself. Whatever it was, it pulled at him. The desire to find it overwhelmed everything else.

  His legs were moving of their own accord. He didn’t remember when he started running, but he was bounding through the woods now. All thoughts of remaining stealthy were gone.

  His paws tore up huge gouts of soil as he raced towards the mysterious power. His breath burned in his chest and his muscles ached. But those sensations were dim and distant, like they were someone else’s pain.

  He could still sense the smell of guns and Amanda’s scent, but these, too, were muted by the energy tugging at him. He needed to find it. To answer its call.

  Dark blurs slid into the edge of his vision. Wolves. Undoubtedly the pack that Amanda was looking for. He was in their territory, after all.

  But they didn’t appear to be challenging him. They ran beside him, almost like they were welcoming him. Santiago couldn’t communicate with them, at least, not in the way he could communicate with humans.

  But he could sense a feeling of brotherhood. Could they feel the thrumming power of this place, too?

  His spirit soared as he ran. It felt like he was exactly where he needed to be. Like he was coming home, even though he’d never been here before.

  The source of whatever he was feeling was close. So close he could feel the air vibrating with energy. It crackled like electricity. He threw his head back and howled into the night. The other wolves joined in, filling the sky with their exultation.

  In the distance, he heard a scream. It was Amanda.

  Santiago skidded to a halt. Her cry had broken through the trance he’d been in, shattering it to pieces. Whatever had drawn him out this far would have to wait.

  He turned around and ran back in the direction of the camp. The other wolves did not follow.

  He cursed himself for getting distracted.

  He’d left the camp with the intention of keeping her safe, but now he’d put her in danger by leaving her alone, unprotected.

  His legs churned through soil as he ran back to Amanda. Twigs and branches tore at his flanks, but he ignored the pain. Getting back to her was the only thing that mattered.

  ***

  Amanda had gotten up to pee when she heard the voices in the darkness. Now she was running for her life.

  She ran without direction. Shadows lay heavy in this part of the woods. Tiny slivers of moonlight through the tree tops provided almost no illumination. The world was a mass of indistinct shapes, like everything had darkened and melted while she slept.

  It was impossible to navigate through the woods with any grace or stealth. The ground seemed to rise up at every step to trip her up and slow her down. She muttered curse words under her breath with every misstep.

  Amanda had no idea how close her pursuers were, and she wasn’t about to stop running to find out. She’d watched them from behind a tree as they infiltrated the camp. Dark figures against the darker backdrop of the night.

  She watched with baited breath, hoping they were hikers like herself, just passing through. Then one of them unsheathed a vicious looking blade. Its sharp edge caught the dim moonlight, almost like it was drinking it in. Then the person wielding the knife lunged into the tent where she’d been sleeping just moments before.

  Had it not been for her restless bladder, she would have been killed.

  That’s when she screamed.

  She’d clamped her hands over her mouth immediately, knowing she’d messed up badly. But it was too late. The damage was done. Now she was being hunted.

  Santiago had been right. The poachers had seen their campfire. It must have shined like a beacon in the inky night. It had led them right to their position.

  Thinking of Santiago, she cursed him for not being there when she’d needed him the most. Some guide he turned out to be. Who knew where he’d gone off to while she slept? Leaving her defenseless and alone.

  She was going to tell that man exactly what she thought about him when she saw him again. If she saw him again.

  The thought sent a shudder through her that had nothing to do with the cold. Although she was cold. She hadn’t bothered to put on all her gear when she’d left the tent. All she had on was her jeans, t-shirt, and the pink jacket Santiago had given her. The
cold night air cut through it all and chilled her to the bone.

  She just thanked the stars that she’d decided to put on her boots before peeing. If she’d been barefoot, she’d have been screwed.

  The run was starting to get to her. Her whole body burned with exhaustion. She wasn’t in terrible shape, but after hiking all day and getting no sleep, her body was turning on her. The spirit was willing but the flesh was raising the white flag in surrender.

  She had to stop.

  A lumpy shape in the darkness looked like it might give her some cover. She thought it was a bush or a small tree. It would have to do.

  She scrambled underneath it, ignoring the branches scratching at her cheeks. If the men were still following her, she hoped the darkness that had been fighting her this whole time would be her ally now, keeping them from seeing her.

  She searched the impenetrable darkness with her eyes and strained her ears to hear sounds of pursuit. Her harsh, ragged breathing made it impossible to hear anything. She gulped down huge breaths, hoping to calm her pounding heart enough to hear.

  Every time she’d skipped going to the gym came back to haunt her, along with every pint of ice cream she’d had after a hard day. Every bag of chips she’d eaten for dinner after a late night of work. Of course, she never expected to be in a position like this, being hunted through the woods by armed men.

  If she’d known, she would have lived her life very differently. Oh, well, there was no going back. All she could do was figure a way out of this mess. She’d have time for regret later, if there was a later.

  As her breathing slowed, she heard the snapping of branches. It was the kind of sound heavy boots would make stomping through the forest. The sound of her hunters.

  Come on darkness, my old friend, she thought. Keep me hidden. Keep me safe.

  Two green orbs hovered in the darkness, like the eyes of some evil, supernatural creature. The image tickled something in the back of her brain. It wasn’t something she’d seen in real life, but something from a movie.

  And then it clicked.

  There was this movie about Navy Seals. Some forgettable war flick with cheesy one-liners. She’d seen those green eyes then. Night vision goggles.

  Fuck.

  These poachers weren’t messing around. She ducked her head into her coat, hoping to pass for a lump of dirt. It was a desperate act, but it was all she could think to do. It was too late to run.

  Dried twigs snapped as the man moved. At least the man seemed to be alone. Amanda held her breath and prayed to whatever gods would listen.

  A laugh, dark and grim, sounded in the night. “You might as well come out. I can see you.”

  The man’s voice was low and gravelly, like he’d swallowed a handful of rocks. It was not a kind voice.

  She didn’t move. Maybe he was bluffing. And even if he wasn’t, she didn’t need to make it easy for him.

  The man sighed. “Fine, we’ll do this the hard way.”

  A rough hand grabbed her coat and dragged her from beneath the bush. Amanda struggled to resist, but the man’s grip was like iron. He yanked her to her feet with surprising strength, depositing her roughly on the uneven ground.

  “Really?” he asked. “You’re gonna fight me? After you made me chase your dumb ass through the goddamn woods?”

  His features were hidden in the darkness. She stared into the glowing green orbs as if they were his eyes. They were his eyes at the moment, in a manner of speaking. He was seeing the world filtered through an infrared green glow.

  It gave her an idea.

  She hitched up her jeans and left her hands lingering at her waist, like a gunslinger about to draw.

  “It’s cold out here,” she said, shivering and thrusting her hands into her jean pockets.

  “No shit,” the man growled. “I can go back to my warm camp once I’m done with you.”

  The casual way he talked about killing was terrifying. She would have to be quick.

  “If it’s any consolation,” he said. “It’s not personal. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  He lifted the muzzle of his gun. Amanda yanked her phone out of her pocket and activated the flashlight function, filling the little clearing with bright white light.

  The man screamed in pain, the light blinding him through the night vision goggles. He tore the glowing green headgear from his eyes and threw it on the ground.

  Amanda ran, hoping her little stunt had worked well enough to save her life.

  Chapter 5

  The soldier crashed through the underbrush behind her like a charging bull. She no longer worried about being quiet. This was no longer a game of hide and seek. This was a race.

  Adrenaline fueled Amanda’s tired limbs, but her strength was failing her. She couldn’t keep this pace up for long. Outrunning him didn’t seem like an option. Not in this thick undergrowth.

  She had to turn and fight. Although it was still a mystery how she would be able to take on a man with a rifle. He wasn’t shooting at her yet, probably because his night vision was now as bad as hers. But if he caught up to her, if the moon broke through the overhanging clouds, she was toast.

  The thick clumps of trees would keep her safe. As long as she could keep the trees between her and her pursuer, he wouldn’t be able to get a clean shot off. For once, the heavy undergrowth would work in her favor.

  Amanda ducked beneath branches that seemed to appear out of nowhere in the dark night. She darted around bramble patches that dragged at her clothes like grasping claws. The effort sapped her strength.

  She was slowing down.

  It felt like she’d burned through her adrenaline, along with whatever reserves of energy she had left after the hard day’s journey. She kept moving by pure strength of will alone. And even that was starting to fail her.

  It was only a matter of time now. But that didn’t mean she was about to give up. Better to die on her feet than on her knees.

  She burst through a dense cluster of trees and stumbled into a moonlit clearing. The bright light was jarring after running through the darkness for so long. She spotted a thick, gnarled branch near her feet and snatched it up.

  The man would be hot on her heels, most likely emerging from the trees through the same small gap she’d used. She couldn’t be a hundred percent sure he would come that way, but it was a gamble she had to take.

  Hefting the branch like a club, she positioned herself to the side of the opening, ready to swing the moment the man appeared.

  Amanda did her best to steady her breathing so she could hear. Sure enough, the man was still crashing through the brush, heading straight for her.

  This is it, she told herself. All or nothing. She thought back to the times she’d played softball as a girl and what it felt like to swing the bat. The man chasing her was a hell of an easier target than a softball so she prepared herself to swing for the fences.

  The man emerged and she swung with all her might. She caught him square in the chest. The knotted end of her makeshift club slammed into his rib cage with a terrible crack. She’d broken something inside him, although she couldn’t say what.

  She expected a scream but the man gasped soundlessly, like he had no air to scream. He crumpled to his knees, clutching at his chest in agony.

  Amanda’s first instinct was to run again, but she resisted the urge. The man could still follow her. Still find her. Still kill her. She needed to end this here and now to make sure she was safe.

  She grabbed the assault rifle hanging at his side but it wouldn’t come free. The strap attached to the gun was looped around his torso. She’d have to get it over his head to take it away.

  Even in his weakened state, the man fought her. He clutched the gun to his side with one arm. With the other, he grappled with her. He managed to grab the front of her jacket and fling her to the side.

  She tumbled to the ground. Her head collided with a sharp stone, leaving her dazed and shaken.

  The t
wo of them struggled to get to their feet. Amanda’s world rocked on its axis, making it difficult to find her balance. Somehow she managed to stand up before he did. She bent down drunkenly and heaved the stone from the soft earth. It had been good enough to throw her for a loop. She figured it would work well enough to finish the man off.

  She lifted the rock over her head, feeling like a cave woman, primitive and savage. She never imagined she’d be willing to kill someone, but in that moment, she knew she was capable of it.

  Amanda stepped toward the kneeling man, ready to deal the final blow. He lifted the rifle and aimed it at her.

  “Enough,” he groaned through gritted teeth.

  His breath was ragged and wheezy. She must have broken a rib or two when she’d hit him. It was making it hard for him to breathe. The fact was of little consolation considering he was still able to point his gun at her. He didn’t need to breathe well to squeeze the trigger. Amanda felt stupid for bringing a rock to a gunfight.

  “Drop it,” he said while he staggered to his feet.

  Amanda let the rock tumble from her hands. It landed with a hard thud in the dirt.

  “You know, I told you before that this wasn’t personal,” he said. “It is now. I’m going to enjoy this.”

  Blood rushed to her head, blurring the edges of her vision. Time seemed to slow down. In the corner of her eye, she saw a white blur. She couldn’t focus on it. It moved too fast.

  She thought she was imagining things until the armed man howled in pain and fell to the forest floor. He clutched at the back of his leg with both hands. There was blood everywhere although it looked black in the moonlight.

  Well, that’s odd, she thought dreamily. Maybe I hit my head harder than I thought.

  The white blur appeared again and pounced on the screaming man like a sliver of moonlight come to life. She could see now that it was a wolf, but it was unlike any wolf she’d ever seen.

  It was massive and white, reminding her of the dire wolves on Game of Thrones. It was also the size of a small horse. She could probably ride on its back if she wanted to. Maybe he’d give her a ride back to camp.