Page 67 of His to Claim

Wolf.

I took a deep breath and the scent filling my nostrils was all testosterone, but there was also something else.

The coppery stench of blood.

Was I merely jumpy and nothing more, imagining lions, tigers, and bears? Possibly, but my hackles were raised, every synapse fully alive, my senses electrified but not in the same way as they were around Stone.

I was in danger.

I took two backward steps, moving from toe to heel in an effort to keep from stumbling over something in the darkness. And I could swear the creature mimicked my actions. I repeated the move, taking three steps. The beast did the same. What the fuck was going on? As I stood my ground, controlling my breathing, I could swear there was a low and husky growl permeating the blackness.

Vanessa…

Even though I knew my name hadn’t been spoken out loud, the single word reverberated in my mind. The terror was real.

There was no holding back. I took off running, narrowly avoiding slamming into a several boxes. An intense howl rushed all throughout the dark, the guttural sound unlike anything I’d ever heard in my life.

He was dangerous.

He was threatening.

He was prepared to rip me to shreds.

Oh, God. Please. Please.

I sprinted the stairs two at a time, struggling to block out the snapping and growling coming from mere feet behind me. I could almost feel his hot breath cascading over me, could sense the beast nipping at my heels. He was right behind me, although I gathered a sense of him everywhere.

The second I reached the landing, I shot my hands out in an effort to grab the door, the flashlight falling out of my hands. I heard the bulb pop, shoving me into another moment of darkness, only the moon streaming in from the outside door providing any light. Where the hell were the building lights? Where were the parking lot lights?

Another snarl indicated the beast was within two feet. I slammed the door a split second before tumbling backwards as the creature’s body thudded against the metal surface. I jumped away, struggling to breathe, clawing my throat with one hand as I aimed the gun smack in the middle.

What the hell?

I knew I had to get out of the building.

Stone. Stone, where are you? Help me. Find me!

There was no reason to call out to him in my mind, but if only he were here. I was shaken to the core, unable to think clearly. I called for him again, but in my mind, I knew I was going to die. Fear unlike anything I’d ever experienced before wrapped around me, dragging me into the very depths of hell I’d felt after every nightmare.

Only this time, it was very real.

Monsters do exist. Monsters do exist.

Nervous laughter floated from my mouth as I pushed my hands against the door, my chest tight from the paralyzing terror.

The moment I was outside, I heard an explosion and I didn’t need to look back to know the door was been thrust off its hinges. Seconds later the sound of splintering glass erupted into the night. I was still thirty feet away from my car. The horrible grunting and growling permeated my eardrums. There was no way I would be able to escape.

I reacted to the training I’d received, turning as I removed the safety. I was thrown by the color of his eyes, the golden glow permeating my mind, digging into my very soul. He was powerful and vicious, his muscles bulging as he raced across the parking lot. Everything about him was regal, his fur glistening in the moonlight.

Come to me.

He couldn’t be speaking. I blinked, almost paralyzed from the sight of him. Then my need for survival kicked in.

The beast was closer, maybe fifty feet. I took aim, both hands on the weapon. I could swear I heard the sound of the beast’s racing heart, could almost tell what he was thinking.

The creature.

The wolf.

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