Page 21 of Wolf Marked

He dropped the hammer, letting it fall behind him with a soft thud.

“Do you think—” When Bec’s head whipped toward Erec, his eyes were wide with panic. “Astrid?”

Terror rushed through Erec’s veins. “Get them free!” he shouted, and in his next breath, he was off running. He sprinted toward the cliff, his mind racing as fast as his legs. Instead of dodging branches, he plowed through them, not caring that the sharp twigs scratched his face and pinched his bare arms. The distance between him and the camp seemed to lengthen, but he didn’t slow. Maybe he’d get back only to discover her still in his bed, peacefully asleep. He prayed he would. And when she finally woke up to find he had left her behind during the rescue, she would scold him and he’d laugh it off. She’d be completely safe, and his worrying would have been for nothing.

He’d give anything for that to be what he found, but when he burst through the forest’s edge and skidded to a stop at the cliff’s face, he was confronted by stillness. The site was completely undisturbed, just like they’d left it.

He rushed to the cave and peered inside. It was dark and empty. Breathing hurt from the run, but Erec forced himself to inhale deep. Astrid’s flowery scent still hovered in the enclosed space. Thankful to have his wolf back, he followed the smell of lilacs tangling with a late-night’s breeze to the tents, across the camp, then to the woods on the opposite side.

Another bone-chilling howl bounced off the trees in front of him. Not too far away.

He dashed toward it. A set of dragging boot prints in the snow confirmed he was on the right track. Then he noticed the three sets of smaller tracks, wolf tracks, following the same path.

The power of the shift surged through him, freeing his animal quicker than usual. He almost couldn’t rip off his clothes fast enough. One moment, his human feet were flying across the ground, his breaths ragged, and in the next, he was on all fours, his lips peeled back over sharp fangs and skin covered in golden fur. There was no pain this time when his muscles reformed and his bones cracked and realigned. All he could think of was to run. Find her. Faster. Faster.

The erraticthump-thumpof his heart matched his every step, and the forest flew past him in a blur of muted grays. The strength of her scent stung his nose. He wasgetting closer.

He scrambled under a fallen log and barreled through a thorny bush, not even bothering to go around. Hundreds of needle pricks bit into his muzzle.

Faster…

His muscles cried out in protest, but he pushed them even harder. The icy wind whipped against him, making his eyes tear. He’d reach her in time. He had to.

Faster, dammit! Faster!

Chapter Eight

The trees smeared across her peripheral vision as she raced through the forest, but Astrid still wasn’t running fast enough. Hot breath brushed the back of her calves, confirming her fears, and her stomach dropped. The beasts were on her heels, their jaws inches away from her skin. If only she knew this part of the woods better, then maybe she could find a way to throw them off her trail and change into her animal form. But the forest in front of her was thick, dark, and unknown. As much as her wolf hated being on this end of the chase, it looked like the shift would have to wait.

Astrid used her spear to bat away branches as she dashed farther away from the cliff and deeper into the thick woods. As she picked up speed, the brush cracked to her right. Something big plowed through the thicket feet away. A flash of fur through the strips of silvery light made her heart falter. One of the wolves.

Astrid recognized the maneuver, and panic crawled over every inch of her skin. They weren’t just stalking her; they were playing with her, having fun with the hunt.

Twigs snapped on her left, and she gasped at the sharpness of the sound. A huge reddish-brown shadow flew behind the naked trunks. The thundering of paws hitting the frozen snowy ground echoed close by. Another wolf. But she had seen three at the camp. Where was the third?

Just then, a snort sounded behind her. Twisting around, Astrid saw a gray wolf gaining speed, closing the distance between them with a few long strides. The whooshing blood in her veins sounded like a waterfall behind her eardrums. The animal was inches away. It opened its mouth, exposing yellow teeth, and snapped at her boots. She jumped over a lifted root and jabbed the blunt end of her spear back at the same time, stabbing the beast square in the chest. With a loud whimper, it toppled over and sank deep into the snow.

Stay down, you mutt.Veering left, she noticed the trees opened up ahead,letting the moonlight spill into the woods. She sprinted toward it, her insides buzzing with a mixture of fear and anticipation. She was going to have to fight. There was no way she could outrun these wolves forever. Not even if she changed.

Her inner wolf grunted, liking the idea of a challenge. She had told everyone she could handle herself—time to test it. Hopefully training with Filip and his friends growing up would be enough. One way or another, she refused to be prey.

Suddenly, the elevation of the ground shifted, and as her boot sank into the snow, her ankle rolled. Her balance faltered, sending her stumbling forward. Her feet struggled to catch up with the rest of her body. When she fell, her face smacked onto the icy snow first, sending lightning bolts through her skull. Her vision fogged.

Astrid tried to blink the cloudiness away and lift her chin, but the jolting explosions in her temples made each movement difficult. Slowly, she pushed herself onto her elbows. Through her hazy sight, she saw the outline of an animal standing in front of her. Panic gripped her. Her wolf commanded her to get up. Fight.

Get your spear!

She clenched and unclenched her fists, grabbing only handfuls of snow. Where was her spear? It must have been thrown during her fall. As her hazy eyes refocused and the forest reformed around her, so did the image of the large shaggy brown wolf pacing nearby, its head low and stare trained on her. The one from the cliff.

Between them was her weapon.

The wolf’s auburn fur stood on end, adding a few more inches to its already enormous size. Its lips curled over long canines. A warning growl rumbled.

Ignoring the stabbing in her head, she dug her fingers into the ice and heaved herself forward. But the moment her fingertips brushed the spear’s staff, teeth sank into her calf. She yelped as the pain laced up her limb and her muscles seized. Glancing over her shoulder, Astrid saw the gray wolf she’d knocked back before now clamped down on her leg. Blood stained its muzzle red.

The wolf yanked her back and dragged her through the snow as if she weighed nothing. The farther away she got from the spear, the more terror set in. She kicked back with her good leg. Her heel met something hard, and immediately, she felt the release of the beast’s jaws.

Wasting no time, she threw her body toward the weapon. She snatched it with both hands just as another blur of white and silver burst through the thicket on her right andcharged at her. As the wolf leaped into the air, she swiped the spear. The sharp tip pierced its skin, slicing down its chest. Astrid had just enough time to roll out of the way before it fell onto the ground with a thud.

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