Read Betraying the Pack for Free Online Page A

and her breath left her in a whoosh. Fingers scrabbling at the dirt,
limbs thrashing, she only managed to turn herself until she lay on her back.
The wolf unfortunately followed, his heavy body astride hers.
    Instinct made her push her
hands up to grasp at the underside of the creature’s jaws as it snapped at her.
    Foiled, it growled, low and
menacing. Bailey whimpered in fear, struggling against the heavy body and
fighting to keep its slavering jaws away.
    Hysteria made her eyes water,
and she keened, a forlorn sound that she scarcely recognized as coming from
her. She didn’t know how long she could keep the beast at bay and wondered why
she bothered. Did she seriously think she could outwrestle a wolf?
    The thought no sooner crossed
her mind than the body atop hers went tumbling sideways as something hit it. Bailey
lay there panting for a moment, incomprehension not allowing her to register
what she saw at first.
    Eyes adjusted to the darkness
to a certain extent, she peered in disbelief. A second wolf, or a huge dog, had
joined the fray, but instead of aiding the first beast, the new wild canine
snapped at it. Even more peculiar, her furry rescuer’s eyes shone a vivid
green. The black-haired beast caught her gaze and tossed its head at her, as if
signaling her away.
    Impossible, and surely a
product of her wishful mind, but Bailey obeyed anyway, scrambling to her feet
and taking off again. The sounds of primitive battle receded as she resumed her
race through the forest. However, she hadn’t left danger behind. The number of
baying voices seemed to treble, and the wetness of her fearful tears almost
made her blind.
    The sound of pursuit, crackling
leaves and snapping branches, approached once again, and she whimpered.
    She’d gotten lucky once. She
doubted she’d get lucky again.
    Head craned backward, her eyes
darted about, frantically seeking the approaching menace. Distracted, she ended
up missing the solid trunk in front of her, but she felt it as she hit it full-on
and bounced back. Not a tree, she belatedly realized, but scorching, smooth
skin.
    A shriek escaped her as hands
grasped her before she fell. Caught! Her
strident wail almost sounded like a howl.
    “Shh, darling. It’s okay now.
I’ve got you.”
    The soothing words didn’t
penetrate her panic, and she thrashed against her captor. He tightened his arms
around her, plastering her to his chest, murmuring softly, until finally, with
a deep sob, she stopped fighting, and she realized who held her.
    A familiar musky scent surrounded
her, one she clearly remembered even though she’d only briefly encountered it
once before. “G-Gavin?” she hiccupped.
    “Yes, darling. It’s me. I’ve
been looking for you.”
    “Why?” The simple question
slipped from her.
    “Because you needed to be
rescued.”
    She met his words with a
hysterical laugh before tears flowed anew from her as his words touched her and
lifted some of her despair. Who’d have
thought someone cared enough to look for me?
    However, the warmth of his
words proved fleeting as a chill ran through her. The reality of what she’d run
from crowded her mind. “We have to leave,” she sobbed, trying to turn her head
and peer into the darkness.
    He wouldn’t let her glance
away. Cupping his hands around her face, he held her gaze. “You’re safe now,
darling. I won’t let anyone hurt you. You have my word on that.”
    Bailey ignored the inner voice
that wondered what he was doing wandering around the woods in just the right
place and pretended to not notice the fact he was just as naked as she was. Even
amidst her panic and fear, she couldn’t help noting his smooth, muscular body
pressing against hers, and his . . .
    A noise distracted her, and he
released her face, allowing her to turn and peek. Mouth hanging open, and her
belly clenching into a now familiar knot of fear, she noted the black wolf that
came trotting out of the woods with familiar green eyes. Even in the