Page 1 of Broken-Hearted

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Lungs burning, sweat dripping down the side of my face, and my T-shirt on back to front, I scare the shit out of a woman driving a red Volvo when I burst out of the forest and fling myself into the road.

A scream tears from her throat as she slams on the brakes.Thankfully, I bounce off her bumper instead of winding up under her wheels.

The second my ass hits the road, I scramble to my feet, cast a hasty look behind me and rush for the passenger door, yanking it open as the woman stares at me.

“A-are you okay? Did?—”

“Perfectly fine,” I say, sliding into the seat. “I’m like an elastic band. I bounce off things and get right up again.”

She stares at me, breathing hard.

This is not good.

I donothave time for this woman’s panic attack.

“I’m Clara, by the way, and I need to get somewhere.” She jumps when I slam the car door shut. Again, not a good sign. “Do you mind giving me a ride?”

“A hospital?” Her fingers tighten around the steering wheel. “Oh God. You probably have internal bleeding and I?—”

“I’m good. Perfectly fine. Not a scratch on me. Where were you heading?”

“Uh, Colby. To see my brother. He’s getting married.”

Colby?

“Good for him. Where’s that?” I glance into the forest as I buckle up. No one has followed.Yet. But that could change any minute.

I’ve literally spent years bouncing across the country with my big sister Martha ever since shifters wiped out our pack, yet geography has not and probably will never be my strong suit.

“Kansas. About two hours away.”

Wish it was further, but I’ll take what I can get.

“I don’t have any cash, but I can choose music and I’m not a serial killer. Do you mind if I joined you?”

“To see mybrother?” She frowns.

“Uh… just somewhere between here and there is fine.”Herebeing Dawley, southern Colorado. Another peek into the forest reveals the coast is still clear. I’m wasting time, though. Someone is going to catch up to me sooner rather than later.

“Is someone after you?” she whispers loudly.

I seize on an excuse like a drowning man just discovered a desert oasis.

“Yes, actually. That’s why I was running. My boyfriend and I were camping in the woods. Honestly, boyfriend is being generous. We met through an app. I’m hoping he won’t catch up to me, but…”

“Apps are the worst. Some of those guys…” She shakes off her shock and puts her foot down. “This one guy dropped his fork, and I caught him trying to take a picture of my feet with his cell phone. Then he ran out of the restaurant and left me to pay for his steak.”

“Talk about creep behavior.” I breathe out a sigh of relief as she drives away.

Ivy, the twenty-two-year-old grad student who nearly ran me over, turns out to be a pretty decent driving partner. Her taste in music is a little too poppy for my liking, but she doesn’t ask probing questions, is generous with her snacks, and even better, drives me much farther than I could’ve run as a wolf.

Do I regret running out on Martha, my beloved big sister? Definitely.

But I had to go. She’ll understand.

Eventually.

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