Read Wolf on the Hunt for Free Online

Not a good sign.
    “We should go inside.” She held the door open but Shadow ignored her and growled again.
    She was about to order him inside when she heard an answering growl. Shit, there was something out there. Shadow stopped growling and gave a small whimper before bounding off the porch.
    “Come back here,” she ordered. She might as well have been talking to the wind. Shadow was gone. Gunshots sounded again. No way could she leave her beloved companion out there. With his size and heritage, he could easily be mistaken for a wolf, especially with this trigger-happy bunch.
    Swearing under her breath, Gray hurried after her pet. She’d scold him to within an inch of his life as soon as she got him to safety. “Shadow,” she called in a loud whisper. “Where the hell are you?”
    He answered with a soft woof. She hurried toward him, all the while praying the animal he’d gone after wasn’t dangerous. Although any animal was dangerous if it was hurt or cornered.
    She skidded to a stop and almost ended up on her butt when her sneakers slid on the pine-needle-covered ground. Shadow was standing over a wolf that was sprawled out on the ground. A really, really big wolf.
    She shook her head. It had to be a cross between a wolf and some big-dog mix like a Mastiff or Great Dane or something. He was bigger than Shadow, and that was saying something.
    Shadow whined, and it was then Gray saw the red on the wolf’s side. It had been shot. She knew it wasn’t safe or smart to approach a wounded animal, but she couldn’t stop herself.
    “Don’t kill me,” she crooned as she crept closer. “Please don’t eat me.”
    The animal was magnificent with a pelt that consisted of many different shades of brown. It growled as she approached, and she held out her hands in supplication. “I won’t hurt you.” Another gunshot echoed in the distance. “But they will. This is so stupid,” she muttered under her breath, but no way could she leave the wolf here to die.
    She felt mildly surprised when she reached the creature’s side and it didn’t immediately snap at her. She did a quick visual scan of the wolf’s large body. It was definitely male, and he was bleeding from several different places.
    “I won’t hurt you,” she promised. “You’ve got to come with me. Can you stand?” She knew the creature couldn’t understand her, but it helped her to talk, kept her from freaking out. Her heart was pounding even as she tried to project calm, knowing the animal would sense her emotions. She slid her hands beneath his flanks and shoved, grateful when he didn’t bite her hand off. “Please get up. I can’t carry you.”
    The animal seemed to understand she was trying to help and struggled to his feet. “Shadow get on his other side,” she ordered. The dog seemed to know what she was trying to accomplish and allowed the wolf to lean against him. Between her and Shadow, they got the wolf moving. The three of them staggered toward the house. It wasn’t pretty, but she didn’t care as long as they got there.
    The animal hesitated at the base of the stairs until another gunshot broke the silence. “Come on. Come on.” She was panting hard now. It wasn’t easy to get such a big animal moving in a direction it didn’t want to go in. But she was stubborn and determined and shoved at him until he took the few steps. He staggered in through the door before collapsing on the floor.
    “Shit.” She leaned against the wall and sucked in a breath. “Stay with him, Shadow. I’ve got to try to cover the trail of blood leading here.”
    She took one last glance at the wounded animal and ignored the voice of reason that told her she was nuts for bringing it into her home. A woman had been attacked by a wild animal last fall. Could this be the same creature? Even if it was, she knew she couldn’t leave it out there to be slaughtered by the hunters. It just wasn’t in her. She had a natural affinity for animals, and her