Page 32 of Secret Wolf Baby

“Thanks,” I said to the cashier.

“Hank’s a bit of a creep,” she said, rolling her eyes. “One of only a few in town. Sometimes he just needs someone else to step in before he gets the hint.”

“I appreciate it,” I said.

“Us girls have to stick together,” she said with a wink and a smile. It almost took me by surprise after years of being more or less invisible in the Blood Moon pack. I smiled back.

As I gathered my bag, I considered how just a few years ago, I may not have needed someone to interject for me. My past self could tell creeps to knock it off without hesitation. Hell, I was the one who used to step in and help out other women. Now, I barely seemed capable of getting them to take me seriously.

I walked out of the store and made my way back to the car. Or at least, that had been my intention. It sort of got derailed when a familiar voice hollered after me.

“Hey, Audrey!”

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Hank trotting up toward me. I kept moving, speeding up, hoping that he would finally leave me alone without me having to confront him.

I heard footsteps trot up next to me. I kept my head straight, only increasing my pace.

“Hey, c’mon, wait up,” Hank complained. “Don’t be like that.”

I ignored him, but apparently, without breaking into an all-out sprint, I wasn’t fast enough. He came up next to me, matching my pace.

“What part of ‘leave me alone’ don’t you understand?” I snapped. The anger boiling inside me continued to rise.

“I get it. You like playing hard to get,” he said with a slimy grin. “That’s okay. I like a challenge. You’re cute enough for it to be worth it.”

“And you’re nowhere near worth playing hard to get for,” I shot back. I sped up, creating a gap between the two of us, hoping that I might be able to get away and he would lose interest. But his footsteps pounded after me as he continued to hound me.

Panic began seeping through me. This guy was moving beyond creepy and into disturbing. At that moment, all I cared about was getting away from him.

Ignoring his continued chatter behind me, I turned down a road, only to find myself facing a dead end and a completely deserted alley. I spun back around to find the exit blocked by Hank’s hulking figure.

“Leave. Me. Alone.” I said, but my voice wavered.

“C’mon,” he sneered. “We all know that you women don’t actually mean it when you say that.”

“I do,” I said as firmly as I could, glaring at him.

He gave a dismissive snort and kept strutting toward me. I kept backing up, trying to get away. But there was nowhere for me to go.

I gritted my teeth. There was no way in hell I was going to let myself get cornered. I had no idea what he was planning, but I had no intention of finding out.

I looked around, trying to figure out the best way of getting around him. My only hope was dipping around him.

Taking a deep breath, I darted forward, hoping that I could thread the gap between him and the wall. I skirted around him, and for a wild moment, I hoped that I had gotten away. Instead, fingers wrapped around my wrist, clenching it in a vice-like grip.

I snarled, baring my teeth as they lengthened to fangs. Equal parts panic and rage raced through me as I tried to jerk my hand away from him.

“Let me go,” I hissed.

“I’m just trying to talk to you,” he said with a creepy grin. “What? Just because you’re new, you think you’re too good for the rest of us here?”

I didn’t answer, instead trying to wrench my hand from his grip. He held on tight, continuing to crush my wrist as I tried to free myself. My wolf growled in anger, her fur bristling. She wanted to come out, to tear this asshole to shreds.

His eyes blazed as I remained silent, still trying to pull myself free. Terror flooded through me as I looked into his face, suddenly reminded of my father and Reacher. For a moment, I was transported back to my old pack, to being pulled into Reacher’s office and bullied relentlessly over and over again for ten years. My breath shallowed, growing ragged as fear rendered me paralyzed.

“Well?” he snarled. “Are you too good to answer me, too?”

“Let go of her, or you’ll lose your hand,” a familiar voice called out. It was full of icy calm.

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