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Stephanie watched the wooden door pulse inward with every pounding it received. Deep growls echoed from the small space beneath the door, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She searched for something she could use to barricade it with. The exam table was an old one she’d bought secondhand, the kind that was on top of a solid wood cabinet. It was heavy enough to keep anyone out but also heavy enough that it couldn’t be moved. The chair was on wheels and wouldn’t do any good. There was no window since the back of the room shared a wall with the office area. She could hear Sherlock, Penelope, and Jacques going crazy. At least they seemed to be staying out of the way. “Tell them to hurry!”
“They’ve got someone on the way,” Annie assured her. “They’re staying on the line with me until—hello? Shit. The line is dead.”
“Oh fuck.” These guys knew what they were doing. Stephanie had tried to tell herself that the peaceful, quiet morning had meant these guys had given up or weren’t really after her at all. She’d been so wrong. A heavy sense of dread settled over her shoulders as a splinter of wood popped off the trim around the door. She touched her pocket, remembering that she needed to call Bennett. Her cell phone wasn’t there. Where had she left it? “We’ve got to think, Annie. Is there anything in here we can defend ourselves with?”
Annie gestured helplessly at the cotton swabs now lying scattered on the table. “Not unless we can hit them with a tranquilizer, but I’d rather not get that close to them.”
A heavy crack split the air as the door began to give. The metal knob was holding, but the wood around it was much more vulnerable. “We might not have a choice.”
“Why don’t they just leave?” Annie asked. “What could they possibly want from us?”
Stephanie’s throat was dry. She’d sworn to Bennett that she would keep his secret, but she was quickly seeing that there was an expiration date on that promise. “They’re not really after us, sweetheart. It’s Bennett. They want him.”
“What?” Annie asked shrilly. “I thought these were fugitives!”
“They probably aren’t. Bennett is in an interesting line of work, and he’s made some enemies along the way.” Annie was already scared. Would it really do any good to push her past her senses with the news of shifters? Stephanie thought not. They might very well die there today if the police didn’t come quickly enough. A new wave of guilt moved over her as she realized just what some poor officer was about to stumble into when he or she arrived. At least they’d have the advantage of a gun, but would that be enough? There were so many possibilities, and they were too hard to track. Her mind was firing off in all directions, but none led to the two of them getting out of there alive.
Annie’s eyes were wide. A white line of strain showed around her mouth, and her forehead was in danger of a permanent crease. “This is insane!”
That wasn’t even the half of it. “You’re angry, and you’ve got every right to be. The police are on their way, and we’ll have a very long talk once all this is over.”
The door burst into two pieces, now dangling pitifully from its hinges as the bloody wolf and the man posing as his owner came in. He grinned when he saw the two women cowering in the back of the room. “What a pretty sight we have here. A two-for-one deal.”
Stephanie moved in front of Annie. “Just let her go. She doesn’t know about any of this and has no idea what’s happening. She’s just my worker.”
“Oh, really?” He stepped closer, his fetid breath hitting Stephanie’s face as he spoke. “Then why did I hear her call you Mom?”
She gritted her teeth, regretting every mistake she’d ever made. If she could at least get Annie out of this, then it would all be okay. Her vision darkened around the edges as fear threatened to shut her down completely. “I think you were mistaken.”
His laugh was like sandpaper. “I don’t think so.” With a motion so quick she couldn’t avoid it, his hand reached out and snagged her chin. He turned Stephanie’s face from side to side, inspecting her with a frown. “So Bennett Westbrook has lowered himself to consorting with humans? Disgusting. He’s always been a pain in the ass, but it turns out he’s got bad taste, too.”
Stephanie didn’t care what this guy thought of her. She just wanted to live. Tears burned her eyes. “Let us go. We don’t have anything to do with this.”
“Oh, but you do. You might not understand it, but Bennett will. I’d tell you to give him a message for me, but you won’t live long enough to see him again.” He laughed as he took a step backward.
That small amount of space he created between them didn’t last long as he quickly changed shape. He fell to all fours, catching himself easily on wide paws and sturdy legs. His face stretched into a muzzle, turning his scratchy laugh into a low and menacing growl. Stephanie watched the transformation in horror. She’d already seen Bennett do this once but in the opposite direction. The man who’d stood before her a moment ago had no weapons on him that she’d been able to see. That was because his weapon had been inside him, just waiting to come out.
“What the fuck was that?!” Annie cried.
He charged. Stephanie dodged to the side, pushing Annie behind her. The exam room was small, with hardly any room to maneuver. These wolves were too fast and too strong. His teeth snapped an inch from her face. Stephanie knew he was only toying with her.
The bloody wolf went for Annie. She screamed as she fended him off with the wheeled stool, the only thing she’d been able to grab. He lunged again, his growl filling the room.
Stephanie’s mind raced. She’d gone through tons of training about how to calm an aggressive or scared dog, but none of that would help her now. This wasn’t just a dog there for an exam. This was a wolf who was hell-bent on killing her. Now that he was in his animal form, she had the same wave of psychic information she’d received from the other wolf. His yellow eyes bored into hers, and she knew he was still laughing at her.
In her peripheral vision, the bottle of sanitizing spray stood out. Stephanie grabbed it and pulled the trigger, aiming the liquid right at those yellow eyes. A horrible noise emanated from his throat as he thrashed, giving her just a moment of time. Stephanie moved backward around the exam table, grabbing Annie’s arm on the way. They bolted out of the exam room, scrambling for their lives as the wolves came after them.
She’d had nightmares in which she couldn’t run fast enough to get away from whatever was chasing her. Now, it felt like all those nightmares had come to life. The wolves were too fast and too determined. They wanted blood, and they were going to get it.
Annie screamed, a noise that sent a whole new bolt of terror through Stephanie’s blood. Stephanie turned just in time to see the bloody wolf sink his teeth into her daughter’s leg, just above her knee. The force of it sent her flying forward. Stephanie pulled hard on her arm, willing her to get back up and keep running. They had to keep going. They had to keep trying. She didn’t want to die there.
The glass in the front door shattered, flying into the lobby. Stephanie’s blood was heated, but the sound sent a chill up her spine. Were there more of them? Was this truly the end? No. No. It just couldn’t be.
“Stephanie!”
She turned to see Bennett burst through the broken door. His eyes were dark with anger as he charged across the floor. His fangs descended as he headed for her, and she watched in dismay and relief as his wolf erupted from his body. He leaped past her, landing on top of the bloody wolf. They locked together, biting and clawing as they tumbled down the hallway.
Another wolf followed closely on his heels. Stephanie hardly had a chance to see the police officer in his human form before he raced after Bennett. It was only then that she realized how close her own pursuer had been to closing his teeth on the back of her arm.
