AllFreeNovel
Share Us
White-hot rage surges through me at the sight.
I’ll fucking kill them!
I tense, my claws digging into the soil as every instinct screams at me to leap into action. To rip those bastards apart and free the beast.
But I force myself to remain still, my jaw clenched so tightly it aches. As much as I want to tear into them, I know rushing in would only put the shifter at greater risk. I’m strong, but even I can’t take on that many armed men alone. Not without putting innocent lives in jeopardy.
Unexpectedly, the wolf catches my scent on the breeze, and its eyes lock onto me, wild and desperate beneath the muzzle’s restraints. For a heart-stopping moment, our gazes meet, a silent plea for help searing straight into my soul.
“Get along, fucker!” A jeering man breaks the moment as he jabs the wolf with the end of a baton. It roars behind the muzzle but bounds forward. They round the corner of the building and disappear from sight.
Don’t give up hope!
I want to shout the words after them, to reach out to the wolf. I can’t. There’s no chance of it.
It takes me a second to realize that I’m panting. It’s rage. My hackles are raised, my muscles coiled as tightly as a sprung trap.
I slink along the perimeter fence, sticking to the deepest shadows as I make another sweep of the sanctuary grounds. My nose twitches, sorting through the overlapping scents that linger on the air – the heady musk of the wolves in their enclosures, the chemical tang of disinfectant and motor oil, the stale reek of cigarette smoke.
Filtering through the jumble of smells, I catch the telltale odor of shifters. More than one, their scent sharp and unmistakable beneath the layers of human smells. My skin prickles with a fresh surge of unease.
They’re holding others captive, too.
It’s not just that one. But how many?
Keeping low, I prowl closer to the main building, drawn by the sound of raucous voices drifting from an open window. Harsh laughter punctuated by the occasional biker’s whoop.
“Did you see the size of that fuckin’ beast?” A gruff voice, thick with a Jersey accent. “Gonna fetch a pile of green from the right buyer.”
“Heard that,” another man grunts in agreement. “Boss’ll be stoked if we keep bringin’ in that kinda haul.”
I inch nearer, straining to make out their words over the clinking of beer bottles.
“Still ain’t sure how you fuckers managed to bag that monster.” This voice is deeper, laced with a Texas twang. “Goddamn Lassie on ‘roids; ain’t never seen a wolf that huge before.”
“Nah. Nothin’ I couldn’t handle,” the other one responds. “I just—”
“You? You didn’t handle nothin’,” someone else scoffs. “They’ve had those things locked up at Leadmills for ages.”
“Yeah, well, it was me who brung ‘em over, remember? Couldn’t’ve done it without me.”
“Sure. Whatever. You the big dog handler now. Sit, heel, stay. Asshole.”
“Less of an asshole than you, you dick. Didn’t see ya for dust when we opened that door,” the first one replies.
“Well, you can put your money where your mouth is when we track down the new animal you said you seen around.” The guy snort-laughs.
New animal?
“Screw you. I got it all set up. No way it’s gonna get away. Money in the bank.”
My mind races at this new detail. What new animal? Are there more out there we don’t know about? Are they talking about me? Can’t be. I wouldn’t be sitting out here if that was the case. They have their sights set elsewhere.
Raucous laughter erupts from the window, accompanied by a fresh torrent of curses and crude jokes I refuse to acknowledge. My fur bristles with disgust at their callous disregard for the trapped shifters.
“Hey, I got a helluva idea!” Jersey Voice cuts through the din, thick with malice. “We oughta make ol’ Cujo there watch while we put down one of his buddies. Just for fuckin’ kicks!”
My blood turns to ice in my veins as the bikers whoop and holler at the twisted suggestion. I inch closer, my muscles tensed and ready to burst into action at the first sign of danger to my kin.
