Page 85 of Stealthy as a Wolf

When I peered down at him, I saw why. One of the branches had impaled him right through the chest. Wide, sightless eyes stared up at me. I waited to feel remorse or horror for killing a man, but all I felt was vicious satisfaction.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to gloat. A wolf howled in the distance—a signal that he’d found my scent. And he was much too close for comfort. I took off running in the opposite direction, knowing that the others would’ve heard his call and would follow.

And of course that was when I got a stitch in my side, and I cursed for letting myself get so out of shape. At this rate, they would catch me in no time. As if my thoughts conjured them, I could hear the thud of paws hitting the forest floor.

The fuckers had shifted!

Even though I was fast in human form, I wouldn’t be able to outrun an entire wolf pack. Being in their animal forms gave them an edge. I debated shifting for all of two seconds, battled against the urge, then dismissed it. They had years of experience fighting as a wolf. I would be like a toothless pup against them.

No, my only hope was to let them get close enough and show them what it meant to be an alpha. If they shifted, that meant they would be vulnerable to my voice.

It was my only hope.

I put on another burst of speed, hating that I was already flagging. They were so close that I could practically feel them breathing down my neck. I glanced around the trees, searching for the perfect place to stop and wait for them.

I was so distracted that I didn’t notice a wolf had gotten close until it let loose a vicious snarl. I guessed this place was as good as any for my ambush, but as I whirled, I realized I’d seriously miscalculated. Before I had a chance to open my mouth, a body plowed into mine with a force that sent us sailing through the air.

I raked my claws down the asshole’s face and chest, smiling in satisfaction when blood spattered me. Then the ground seemed to reach up and smack me stupid. I landed on the bottom, the air knocked out of me, but even before I had a chance to process anything, his body crashed against me hard enough that I felt like he was trying to plant me in the ground.

We skidded across the forest floor, rocks and twigs gouging into my spine, but I barely felt any of it. I was too busy trying to pry the heavy asshole off me so I could breathe.

But maybe I didn’t need to bother.

All I needed was his ear.

Literally.

I lurched up, grimacing at the thought of what I was about to do, then shook it off and took a huge bite out of his ear. He bellowed and squirmed, trying to jerk back, but I just clamped down harder.

My teeth slid through flesh until blood coated my chin and gushed into my mouth, threatening to choke me, but I refused to give up. I was both grossed out and triumphant when the man reared back, tearing his ear clean off his head.

I spit the floppy appendage out of my mouth, giving him a spiteful grin. Without the device in his ear—without his ear at all, really—there was nothing to block my alpha bark. But just when I opened my mouth, he shot me a vicious glare, then had the audacity to punch me in the throat.

What a fucking loser! He cheated!

But fuck me sideways, that hurt!

I instantly began hacking and coughing, struggling to get enough air. Knowing that I needed to get the big lout off me before backup arrived, I shimmied and scrunched up my body, getting into position. While the man cast me a gloating look, I slammed my feet on his chest with every ounce of my strength and outrage.

He went soaring through the air, then smacked into a tree hard enough that I heard bones crack, even from a distance. Using all my concentration, I dragged my ass to my feet, determined to finish him before he came back for more.

Only to stumble to a stop when I found myself surrounded.

Well, fuck a duck.

While I could possibly take one or two, I didn’t stand a chance against five wolves, especially when one was an alpha. One beast remained in his wolf form, but the others had shifted back and stood before me totally naked. They strutted around like they had something to show off, but I grimaced at the sight of their floppy, flaccid, dangly dicks.

Eww!

Only Timothy seemed to get a rise out of the situation—literally. I couldn’t help but smirk at his pathetic attempt. “You were never one to figure out how to get it up without help. You can’t even manage to take out one little female on your own, huh?”

My voice emerged as nothing more than a low rasp, barely louder than a mouse. Even if I’d wanted to order them to dance around like a ballerina, I didn’t have the juice.

At least I could still annoy Timothy. A muscle ticked in his jaw, his pecker wilting a little at the challenge, and his whisky eyes took on a dangerous glint that always meant I was in for the beating of my life.

I braced my legs, rolled my shoulders, ready to give as good as I got. I needed to buy the guys enough time to find me.

And I had no doubt that they would be coming for me.

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