Read Ties to the Blood Moon 2nd Edition for Free Online Page A

darkness. I stopped in the middle of the path and swallowed hard. My heart raced and fell at the same time when it hit me—I was completely alone.
    I flipped open my phone to text Luna. “Shit,” I paced around, waving my phone in the air. “No signal … that’s just great.” Okay, I thought as I looked around me. I was, maybe for the first time in my life, lost.
    I started to slip my phone back into my pocket when I remembered it had a built-in light for taking pictures at night. So, my three hundred dollar phone was now a flashlight—and a real crappy one at that. The light barely illuminated the ground a few feet out, but it was way better than no light at all in the dark abyss of the woods.
    I stopped and listened, trying to hear Luna and her friends or at the very least which direction the music was coming from, but sounds bounced off the trees making it seem like the music and voices were coming from everywhere. The darkness blanketed everything around me, making me feel like I was the only person in all of Alaska.
    Suddenly, it was as if all the typical noises of the woods at night were amplified. I felt eyes on me, sending cold chills up my spine. My pulse started to climb. I turned slowly in a circle, shining my light toward the darkness, and froze when my light hit across what appeared to be red fur through the trees beside me.
    “Oh, God,” I threw my hand over my mouth after it dawned on me that this was all very much like the reoccurring nightmares I’d been having. Hot tears filled my eyes and I tried blinking them away so I could see. My fight or flight reflexes obviously weren’t up to par, because I just stood perfectly still waiting for a rabid creature to leap out of the bushes and kill me.
    I shook violently and held my breath after hearing what sounded like a low growl. I knew if it was an animal, I would never escape with my life. I shined my light at the ground until I found a large rock, which I picked up and then ran.
    When I thought that maybe I’d outran it or scared it away, which both were highly doubtful, I stopped. I quietly stood still for a minute, and listened. I heard the sounds of dead twigs snapping under the weight of something stepping on them and it was growing louder. I slowly stepped backwards until I bumped into a tree. I laughed nervously at myself, but even that was short-lived when I heard a series of low throaty growls coming from somewhere close by. I was obviously too frightened to scream because when I tried nothing came out.
    I slowly shined my light around until I saw it. A huge wolf-like creature with his head lowered a bit, but staring me in the eyes. I watched helplessly as it inched its way closer. It had bared its teeth, snarling, revealing fangs dripping with saliva in anticipation of the kill. Just as it crouched its front legs low, readying itself to pounce, another larger one leaped at it from the side, taking it to the ground. They were rolling around, teeth locked onto each other
    As I turned to run, I tripped over a tree root, felt something rough scratch across my face, and then heard a ferocious howl. I scrambled to my feet, and kept going. I wasn’t about to stick around and wait for the victor to claim its prize—me. While running, I still heard the growling and other noises like ripping flesh and cracking bones. All of a sudden, there was this ear piercing series of yelps and cries. I couldn’t see what was still out there, but I just knew the fight had been over me. One animal had maimed or killed the other, and now was going to take his reward … me.
     
    Chapter 7
     
    Exhausted, I leaned back against the trunk of a large tree and slid down until I my bottom settled on the cold, damp ground. After crossing my arms over my knees I buried my face and began to sob. I was too tired to move, so I couldn’t run anymore no matter how hard I tried. Not only was I lost in the woods, but I was about to become dinner for a crazed animal, and was