Page 98 of His to Claim

“He’s already in jail. Where the hell could she have gone?”

I took a deep whiff, my skin tingling as myriad sensations washed through me. The craving my wolf felt was nothing like before. The scent was rich and strong. “She’s close. I can smell her.”

“Wait… Do you mean…”

Max didn’t need to finish the sentence. “Yes.” I closed my eyes, my nostrils flaring. I also gathered the stench of the wolf. The bastard was baiting me, daring me to come and find her. “She’s been taken.”

“You’re certain?”

“Absolutely. She’s on our land and I know exactly where.”

“Then we hunt.”

I stood where I was for a solid minute before tipping my head back, allowing my anguished howl to be heard. The bastard had taken the woman I loved and he would pay.

There was no emotion left with the exception of anger as I mentally prepared, minutes later racing into the forest. Max and others would follow my lead. While we would have strength in numbers, the fight was mine alone.

I stood in the bank of trees as twilight set in, drinking in the sights and sounds of the forest, my senses already heightened. I eased my hands down my chest, allowing my beast to begin clawing his way to freedom. Almost immediately, the rush of adrenaline ripped at my breath, my heartrate soaring. Within seconds, a slice of pure anguish settled in, forcing me to drop onto all fours.

I tossed my head from side to side as my muscles stretched, fighting the human skin surrounding them. Cells popped, my blood racing. Tendons lengthened, creating another wave of agony. I let off a series of growls as my spine shifted, breaking through to the chilly air. Blinking, I pawed the ground as the crackling sound of bones shattering filtered into the sky.

Then I could hear them, dozens of pack members as they all began their transformation. Within seconds, the sky was filled with the sound of battle cries, angry howls preparing for a fight.

I arched my back, struggling against the pain, my vision suddenly cloudy. My wolf was furious, his rage forcing the transition at a rapid rate. I had difficulty breathing, my throat constricting as my canines elongated, piercing through my gums.

As quickly as the anguish had surfaced, it was over, the joy of my wolf letting off a series of howls giving me peace. I pawed the ground once again, enjoying the cool earth before I took off running, darting through the trees in my search. The others soon joined me, their raucous cries a chilling sound for anyone who happened to hear.

We were beasts of the night.

We were protectors of the city.

We were Wolfen.

With Max and Gregor flanking my side, we raced into the shadows, the hunt almost as joyous as what we knew we’d find. The scuttling of other species was inviting, my jowls aching in an almost desperate need to feed, but tonight there was only one prey.

A wolf.

Vanessa’s scent grew stronger, the mixture of fear and rage unsettling. Something else was wrong.

We raced through the trees, one mile turning into two until we neared the lake, the very location where I’d seen the wolf the first time. I padded toward the edge, swinging my head toward the others. Only Max and Gregor followed. When I took another deep whiff, the realization was unsettling.

A second human.

Confusion settled in.

The three of us moved closer, snarling as we gathered sight of him, standing on the knoll. He tipped his head back, allowing his own howl to float toward the heavens. He was beckoning us to follow.

I took off running, jumping through the water until I was able to race to the top of the hill. While Max and Gregor moved to my side, others within our pack formed a circle. There was no way for the wolf to get away.

Not without dying.

As I padded closer, I was finally able to see her, my beautiful mate. She’d been tied to a tree, her long hair flowing in the breeze. I sensed her increasing fear as well as her hunger, but I knew the longing had dual meaning.

“Stone…” she said in a calm voice, her face serene.

Growling, I shifted closer until I came face to face with the beast. Then I heard laughter and bristled, swinging my head in the direction of the sound. What I’d read on the paperwork had left me shaking.

“Don’t come any closer, Stone,” Vanessa encouraged. “She’s insane.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com