Page 3 of Wolf Mate

Acid inched up my throat as I started to hike back toward the campus. I had an inkling where the person was, thanks to my deer friend, so I made sure to move to the left of that area.

The woods were supposed to be my salvation, not a place where I didn’t feel safe. This was the one place I could go to find a little sanity and feel as if I belonged.

Gritting my teeth, I listened hard for sounds that the person was following me or trying to cut me off. All I could hear was my rapid heartbeat.

Adrenaline shot through me, and the jolt turned into the fizzing sensationagain. Something like sinister curiosity rolled over me, and sweat pooled under my arms. Something wasdefinitelyout here with me.

The trees thinned, and I was almost free.

My skin tingled as my blood hummed within me. I glanced over my shoulder, searching for the cause. Any pretense of calmness was gone, and I sensed that someone was nearly on top of me. I began to jog, often glancing over my shoulder for anyone behind me. Then I crashed into something that felt a damn lot like a brick wall.

CHAPTER TWO

My body bounced off the wall, and my feet slipped from underneath me. I winced and was preparing for the inevitable crash landing when strong hands gripped my shoulders.

Heart dropping into my stomach, I forced my eyes to look straight ahead and found myself staring at a chest.

The gray polo shirt was molded to muscle, and I shook my head to clear it. It didn’t help. I couldn’t get over the way the muscles curved and tensed, and something inside meyanked.

Between the hard chest and the run-in, my blood calmed to a jolt.

I knew people could be strong, but I hadn’t realized running into someone this fit would feel like hitting a wall. Like, what the hell? I ran my fingertips over the muscles, reveling in the heat and smoothness, then froze. Two snickers sounded from Muscular Chest’s side.

Oh my God.

My face burned, and I dropped my hand like I’d touched something hot.

In fairness, I had. This chest alone had jumbled my thoughts. I needed space and air.

Fast.

I took a step back and stumbled all over again, but the hands were still on my shoulders, keeping me upright.

“Uh … thanks.” I jerked my head up, hoping to pull myself together, but when I locked eyes with the brick wall and his scent invaded my senses, my thoughts vanished entirely, and my mouth dropped open.

He was more than handsome but gorgeous didn’t sound manly enough—because this guy wasall man. He had at least six inches on me, and his black hair hung into his crystal-blue eyes, emphasizing their color. I wanted to get lost in them, and his amber-sandalwood scent made me want to rub myself all over him.

Which would make this situation even more embarrassing; otherwise, I wouldn’t have restrained myself.

His eyes warmed as he looked me over, but then he sniffed. His jaw clenched, and his full lips mashed together in a grimace. “Do you think you can stand without falling now?”

I was used to getting that look from almost everyone I met, but it cut deeper coming fromhim.Seeing the warmth vanish from his eyes hurt, which was preposterous. I didn’t evenknowhim.

“Man, I think you broke her.” The guy on my right chuckled. “I swear she’s got drool puddling in the corner of her mouth.”

That snapped me out of my stupor. I looked at his friend, who wasalmostas hot as Sexy Chest. His friend’s milk-chocolate-brown eyes danced with mirth as he ran a hand over brown scruff that was a shade darker than his short hair. His dark skin crinkled around his eyes—further proof that he was trying to hide a smile.

“Leave her alone, Keith.” The man with lighter-brown skin on the other side of Sexy Chest scoffed. “She’s scared.” He stepped toward me, his shaggy, curly hair ruffling in the breeze.“She was running.” His honey-brown eyes seemed warmer than the others, but his body was stiff, giving off clear stay-back vibes. He lifted his head to scan the area behind me. “It looked like something was chasing her.”

These three were the sexiest guys I’d ever seen, and I’d proven that neither my mouth nor my balance was stable, but I despised being talked about as if I weren’t standing right here. I had to saysomething. “I saw a deer.”

Keith laughed, not hiding his amusement anymore. “And you thought it was chasing you?”

“What? No!” Deer weren’t aggressive toward humans. Even nonanimal people knew that, so I was still speaking nonsense. “I meant, I …” How did I salvage this? At least I wasn’t exposing myself as a freak …sorta. “I wanted to take a picture, but I forgot my phone.”

As if there were a higher being that hated me, my phone dinged in my pocket.

“I believe we all found it.” Sexy Chest’s deep, husky voice rumbled.

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