AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter One
“Move your ass,” Deputy Laura Novak yelled to the fox currently slipping and sliding through the snow and ice as she slowed her SUV, the back open, waiting for him to jump in.
He needed to be running as if his life depended on it.
Because it did.
Bullets hit the side of the vehicle, and she swore as she swerved around a downed tree and turned onto a road that led into bear country.
Technically, it was all Ac-taw country. Shifters lived in Cougar Falls, a small town off the map near Whitefish, Montana. Only those with connections to the Ac-taw could find the town. Unfortunately, being a shifter didn’t come with a guarantee of good character.
More gunfire ripped through the night, and she promised herself to make those jackasses pay. Guns were prohibited in town. With pretty much everyone able to shift into creatures with claws and fangs, firearms weren’t necessary. And for the humans living among them, bows and arrows and knives were the preferred method to dealing with threats.
The fox barked at her to go as he launched himself into the back of the SUV, and Laura pressed the accelerator to the floor, fishtailing as they sped up.
Fortunately, the brutal winter wind and approaching storm would slow some of the raptors. The larger birds of prey who could have handled the ferocious winds weren’t a threat, having months ago branched off into the steady, well-adjusted eagle clan.
That left the smaller winged predators, those of the current raptor clan, to attack.
But even for them, this had gone too far. She spotted two vehicles losing speed behind them, and a few feathered enemies trailing behind as well.
“You just had to defend Kyle even though I told you not to,” she said through gritted teeth and held onto the steering wheel for all she was worth.
The path grew uneven, juts and divots in the dirt road covered in snow and ice, making it more difficult to drive. But she could lose them this way, and she had a destination in mind.
“I’m a lawyer, Deputy Novak. I do my job regardless of the dickheads in opposition,” came the frosty voice of Gerald Winter. Aptly named, the fox shifter could turn that ice in his voice on and off at will. “Damn, it’s cold out.”
She glanced in the rearview and watched him dive into his clothes she’d brought with her.
He caught her gaze and glared, his golden eyes shining for a moment before the fox inside simmered down. For such a good-looking man, he did frost bitch like no one’s business.
For some reason, he’d never warmed up in Laura’s presence.
Then again, he had enough women in town panting for him that he probably didn’t care. Or notice. But Laura was used to that.
“Yeah, well, I hope that law degree provides a better protection than my I told you so.”
“You are such a pain in my—”
“Yes?” she asked sweetly, secretly hoping the normally unflappable lawyer would just let go for once.
But she was the one swearing as they went airborne.
Chapter Two
Laura heard Gerald hit against something, likely the ceiling of the SUV. She made a sharp right up a covered trail barely big enough for the SUV to fit through. It was a path only the bears took when planning to use the cabin ahead.
It was also tricky as hell to maneuver, and that was in good weather.
Then what she’d been hoping wouldn’t happen happened.
The vehicle tipped sideways on two wheels.
“Brace yourself!”
Gerald swore. Bingo, she thought just as the truck rolled.
And rolled.
