Page 1 of Their Mate
PROLOGUE
London, England
Logan Yorke
“Help!”
The scream shattered the silence of the woods like a gunshot. One second, I’d been stalking quietly through the woods hunting rabbits, lost in the rhythm of my own breathing and the soft crunch of damp leaves beneath my boots. Now, I stood frozen, my grip tightening on the bow in my hand as I listened for the scream to come again.
It did.
Another cry, this time higher and more desperate, rang out from deeper in the trees.
“Help! Please!”
I broke into a dead run, plunging headlong through dense underbrush, heedless of the branches clawing at my face andarms. Each ragged breath matched the pounding rhythm of my feet, my pulse a frantic drumbeat in my ears.
I burst into a clearing, and the sight before my eyes nearly made me falter. Pressed against the thick trunk of an ancient oak stood a girl, no older than eight or nine, terror etched vividly across her tear-streaked face.
Right in front of her was a wolf.
Not just a regular run of the mill wolf, not that those even existed in England. No. This was a different creature altogether. It was much bigger. Far stronger. More powerful.
This was a wolf shifter.
“Hey!” I shouted, stepping boldly into the open space, aiming my bow to distract the monster. Its yellow eyes snapped toward me, wild and ravenous. “Eyes on me, ugly. Leave the kid out of this.”
The wolf crouched, muscles rippling beneath mangled fur, and lunged without hesitation.
I released the arrow. It sliced through the air, but the beast twisted out of range, impossibly quick. The projectile grazed its shoulder instead of lodging deep. A roar of fury erupted from the creature as it closed the gap between us, its massive paws hitting me square in the chest. The impact was like being hit by a truck, driving the air from my lungs as we crashed to the ground.
Rolling, clawing, fighting, I struggled under the beast’s immense weight, its rancid breath hot on my face, jaws snapping inches from my throat. My fingers scrambled for the knife at my belt. Ripping it free, I plunged it deep into the creature’s side, feeling flesh tear and hot blood spray.
“Run!” I barked at the girl. “Get out of here! Now!”
I shoved the creature away, staggering to my feet even as pain lanced through my ribs, but it was already turning back toward me, snarling with renewed fury.
I hadn’t really hurt it, not even in the slightest.
I’d just made it angry.
I braced myself, knife held tight, eyes locked with the monster’s gleaming yellow gaze as it charged again.
“You want a fight?” I growled, fingers tightening on the handle of my knife. “Come pick on someone your own size, asshole.”
The beast lunged.
Time slowed. My heart thudded in my ears as my body moved on pure instinct. I dove sideways, feeling the hot whisper of the beast’s jaws snapping inches from my throat. I landed hard, rolling to my feet in one smooth motion and pivoting to face the creature as it spun to charge again.
I didn’t have time to think. The beast launched itself at me, a blur of fangs and muscle. I ducked low, driving the knife upward with all my strength. My blade scraped its ribs, biting deep into muscle and sinew. The shifter howled, a sound that shook the trees, yet the pain seemed only to enrage it further.
Before I could recover, a massive paw slammed into my side, knocking the air from my lungs and sending me sprawling into the dirt. My body hit the earth hard, agonizing pain jolting through me as my ribs protested sharply. I rolled onto my side, gasping as I scrambled to push myself up. Blood streaked my hands, slicking the grip on my knife as the creature circled me, its glowing yellow eyes locked on mine.
“Come on then!” I shouted, fighting through the burning in my chest. “Is that all you’ve got?”
The beast snarled in response, lips curling back to reveal teeth long enough to rip a man’s throat clean out. For a heartbeat, we stared each other down, predator and prey. Then it sprang at me again, a force of pure fury.
I dodged, barely, feeling the wind as its massive body whipped past me. Whirling, I lashed out with the knife again, slashing deep into its shoulder. Hot blood gushed wet across my face, dripping into my eyes, but still the creature showed no signs of slowing down.
