Page 23 of Hollow Moon

“I said you’re coming with me. You know something, and I’m going to find out what it is. March.”

He saw her look back, then move off at gunpoint.

From his vantage point, Knox pressed his fingers against his eyes. Was he off his nut again? Had he gotten this whole thing wrong?

He dropped his head into his hands, wishing he could think straight.

How long did the damn flashback delusions last? If he waited enough time, would he know for sure that he was back in reality?

He couldn’t afford the luxury of hedging his bets. No matter how this had looked at first, he had to assume Maggie was in danger. And he had to follow her and the men who had captured her.

They were already out of sight, but a wolf could certainly pick up her scent. Hell, he had gotten so close to her that he could do it now.

Ducking behind a tree, he ripped off the dressing over his wound, wincing as the adhesive tore hair from his leg. Ignoring the sting, he began to say the chant that would change him from man to wolf.

He pushed through the familiar words, and as the change came, sharper pain lanced his injured leg.

He came out of the transformation panting and sweating. And when he looked down at the wound, it was oozing blood onto his fur.

Well, there was nothing he could do about that. He just had to hope he could still walk.

Staying in the trees, he headed in the direction where Maggie and the three men had disappeared and quickly caught up. The brother was still holding her at gunpoint.

Knox couldn’t be absolutely certain, but he was pretty sure this was real and not an extended detour into fantasyland.

“Hurry up,” the brother ordered.

“I’m walking as fast as I can. Why don’t you tell me what happened when you were invaded?”

The brother made a snorting sound. “I don’t know exactly what happened. Either we all got wigged out, or we ran into a werewolf.”

Knox’s heart stopped, then started up in double time.

“A werewolf?” she asked, her voice going high and thin. “Why do you say that?”

“Because we locked a man in the shed, and when we opened the door, a wolf ran out. Or maybe we were all suffering from the same delusion,” he added, like he hoped that was true.

“And why would you all have the same delusion? What are you leaving out?”

“Okay, we were testing a new drug on the guy. When we opened the door, we all got a big dose of it.”

She seized on the first part. “What were you testing?”

His voice turned lofty. “A new drug that’s gonna make me millions.”

“So this is another one of your get-rich-quick schemes.”

Campbell rounded on her. “It’s not a scheme. This shit will sell like funnel cake at a county fair. Everybody’s gonna want it.”

“You mean like the stolen laptop computers you were selling at bargain prices?

“Shut up.” The brother looked like he wanted to send the other two men away.

Do it, Knox silently told him. I can take you down if you’re alone.

But the two guards remained, and the would-be drug lord said, “I haven’t stolen anything.”

“No, you’re just making an illegal drug,” she shot back

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