Howl For It
Page 61
Ready for hell, hunters?
He smiled and knew that his growing fangs would show. Your scream will distract them when they rush inside. Theyll want to help you. While he had the chance to attack them. Time to pick your side, wife.
Then the fire of the change swept through him. A white-hot explosion of pain as his bones broke, reshaped, as his muscles stretched and his body contorted. Fur burst along his flesh. His hands became paws. His body hit the floor, and when he opened his mouth again, the growl of a beast broke from his lips.
His gaze found Kaylas. She stood where hed left her, against the wall. Her eyes were on his. Wide. Deep. Afraid?
Another growl came from him as he took a step toward her. He could smell her fear. A hunter, afraid of the prey shed deliberately sought out. What the hell?
She could handle him as a man, but his beast made her shake.
A normal reaction for most humans, but Kayla was far from normal. Hed find out the rest of her secrets. He had to.
But right then he leapt for the shadows on the other side of the room. The hunters were closing in now. Three, two
The cabins door burst open. The men rushed inside. Still wearing their dark clothes and with ski masks over their heads. The muzzles of their guns swept the roomand froze on Kayla.
Bait.
I told you she didnt go willingly, one of the men said. The leader. The leader always talked first and stormed onto the scene like he was some big deal. Gage had learned that lesson long ago. He watched, still and silent, as the guy pushed past the others and hurried to Kaylas side. Where the hell is he? The masked guy demanded as he reached for Kaylas arm. Where
Gages snarl seemed to echo in the small cabin.
Three men. One wolf. Perfect odds.
Gage leapt forward. Clawed the weapon from the first dumbass. Used his teeth on the second. They screamed and yelled, and their blood flowed.
Too easy.
The wounded men tried to slip back out the door. Fleeing. He guessed the humans couldnt handle a little pain. Hunters werent big on courage.
Except for Kayla.
His head swung back toward her. That jerk with her was aiming his gun. The muzzle pointed right at Gage. Was that supposed to scare him? His hind legs shoved down, and he leapt into the air. He wasnt faster than a bullet, so hed take the hit, but then hed take out the fool who
No! Kayla shoved the guys weapon away.
Choose your side. It looked like she just had.
Kayla, what the hell The human began, but that was all he had the chance to say. Gages paws drove onto his chest as he took the hunter down. They hit the floor and the human tried to jerk away.
Gage wasnt letting him go. The leader wasthe one he wanted. The one that hed use to break the group targeting his pack.
Gage brought his mouth to the guys throat. He could rip the man wide open in less time than it took to breathe.
Dont! But, suddenly, Kayla was there. Coming right up next to the beast. Dont hurt him. Please. A ragged breath slipped from her. Hes my brother.
Gage felt an ice-cold pain in his chest. So cold. But . . . since when did the cold burn?
As the cold spread through him, the wolf slumped away from the hunter on the ground, and he knew hed made a fatal mistake. Hed been distracted. Hed heard Kaylas cry and his attention had slipped away from the hunter.
Second weapon. He should have known the guy would have one. All damn hunters did.
The asshole in the ski mask still had his gun up. When hed fired, the weapon hadnt made a sound, but its bullet had torn straight into Gages chest.
Kaylas presence should have distracted her team.
Not me.
Gages form convulsed, and he shuddered as pain lanced through him. The painthat was coming from the shift. His body was transforming rapidlytoo rapidlyback into the body of a man. Gage stared down at his chest. That wasnt a normal bullet.
Something was hanging out of the back of that bullet. Like afeather?
Then he knew. Fuck me.
Tranq.
Bastard . . . He managed to wheeze the word. Speech was near damn impossible.
He couldnt control his body. Couldnt stop the shift. Couldnt do anything but hit the floor as the tranquilizer poured through his veins.
What have you done? Kaylas voice came from a distance. She sounded afraid. Angry. Then she was there, touching him, holding him. Gage?
He couldnt speak.
The hunter could. So its true . . . Disgust flowed through the mans words. The others told me . . . they said you were getting too close to him.
Why couldnt he feel Kaylas fingers against his flesh?
I didnt want to believe it. The floor creaked as the hunter came closer to her. Not you. You couldnt be working with a dirty animal like him.
Things were starting to dim. Just how much of a dose had the guy emptied into him?
Help us, Jonah, Kayla said. She was pleading with the guy. Help me get him out of here before the others
Too late.
More footsteps raced from outside. More humans coming in, when the wolves should have been there to have his back.
Understanding hit him even as he fought to hold on to consciousness. Kayla had been telling him the truth.
He smiled and knew that his growing fangs would show. Your scream will distract them when they rush inside. Theyll want to help you. While he had the chance to attack them. Time to pick your side, wife.
Then the fire of the change swept through him. A white-hot explosion of pain as his bones broke, reshaped, as his muscles stretched and his body contorted. Fur burst along his flesh. His hands became paws. His body hit the floor, and when he opened his mouth again, the growl of a beast broke from his lips.
His gaze found Kaylas. She stood where hed left her, against the wall. Her eyes were on his. Wide. Deep. Afraid?
Another growl came from him as he took a step toward her. He could smell her fear. A hunter, afraid of the prey shed deliberately sought out. What the hell?
She could handle him as a man, but his beast made her shake.
A normal reaction for most humans, but Kayla was far from normal. Hed find out the rest of her secrets. He had to.
But right then he leapt for the shadows on the other side of the room. The hunters were closing in now. Three, two
The cabins door burst open. The men rushed inside. Still wearing their dark clothes and with ski masks over their heads. The muzzles of their guns swept the roomand froze on Kayla.
Bait.
I told you she didnt go willingly, one of the men said. The leader. The leader always talked first and stormed onto the scene like he was some big deal. Gage had learned that lesson long ago. He watched, still and silent, as the guy pushed past the others and hurried to Kaylas side. Where the hell is he? The masked guy demanded as he reached for Kaylas arm. Where
Gages snarl seemed to echo in the small cabin.
Three men. One wolf. Perfect odds.
Gage leapt forward. Clawed the weapon from the first dumbass. Used his teeth on the second. They screamed and yelled, and their blood flowed.
Too easy.
The wounded men tried to slip back out the door. Fleeing. He guessed the humans couldnt handle a little pain. Hunters werent big on courage.
Except for Kayla.
His head swung back toward her. That jerk with her was aiming his gun. The muzzle pointed right at Gage. Was that supposed to scare him? His hind legs shoved down, and he leapt into the air. He wasnt faster than a bullet, so hed take the hit, but then hed take out the fool who
No! Kayla shoved the guys weapon away.
Choose your side. It looked like she just had.
Kayla, what the hell The human began, but that was all he had the chance to say. Gages paws drove onto his chest as he took the hunter down. They hit the floor and the human tried to jerk away.
Gage wasnt letting him go. The leader wasthe one he wanted. The one that hed use to break the group targeting his pack.
Gage brought his mouth to the guys throat. He could rip the man wide open in less time than it took to breathe.
Dont! But, suddenly, Kayla was there. Coming right up next to the beast. Dont hurt him. Please. A ragged breath slipped from her. Hes my brother.
Gage felt an ice-cold pain in his chest. So cold. But . . . since when did the cold burn?
As the cold spread through him, the wolf slumped away from the hunter on the ground, and he knew hed made a fatal mistake. Hed been distracted. Hed heard Kaylas cry and his attention had slipped away from the hunter.
Second weapon. He should have known the guy would have one. All damn hunters did.
The asshole in the ski mask still had his gun up. When hed fired, the weapon hadnt made a sound, but its bullet had torn straight into Gages chest.
Kaylas presence should have distracted her team.
Not me.
Gages form convulsed, and he shuddered as pain lanced through him. The painthat was coming from the shift. His body was transforming rapidlytoo rapidlyback into the body of a man. Gage stared down at his chest. That wasnt a normal bullet.
Something was hanging out of the back of that bullet. Like afeather?
Then he knew. Fuck me.
Tranq.
Bastard . . . He managed to wheeze the word. Speech was near damn impossible.
He couldnt control his body. Couldnt stop the shift. Couldnt do anything but hit the floor as the tranquilizer poured through his veins.
What have you done? Kaylas voice came from a distance. She sounded afraid. Angry. Then she was there, touching him, holding him. Gage?
He couldnt speak.
The hunter could. So its true . . . Disgust flowed through the mans words. The others told me . . . they said you were getting too close to him.
Why couldnt he feel Kaylas fingers against his flesh?
I didnt want to believe it. The floor creaked as the hunter came closer to her. Not you. You couldnt be working with a dirty animal like him.
Things were starting to dim. Just how much of a dose had the guy emptied into him?
Help us, Jonah, Kayla said. She was pleading with the guy. Help me get him out of here before the others
Too late.
More footsteps raced from outside. More humans coming in, when the wolves should have been there to have his back.
Understanding hit him even as he fought to hold on to consciousness. Kayla had been telling him the truth.
