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For threeacross his open wound, ht like a wolf, damn you!

Another two miles after that At least Tessa and Rourke were safe now that Hunter had the gray on the run Hopefully, Rourke had only suffered a bu ? Weak? He was bleeding, too, leaving a trail of blood in the fresh snow But he didn’t smell like he was afraid, which confused the issue Maybe he was arou were crazy, just like their human counterparts

Another smell--another wolf No two Da seelanced at the cliffs One blackened pine stood naked in the snow at the edge of the outcropping of rocks Oh hell Here’s where he was thrown from the cliff

He sht hiotten the best of him the last time But why had they attacked him?

Which made hieted one of their females as his own Yet since this one wanted Tessa, had they thought Hunter would discover her and want her also? No matter how he tried, he couldn’t reht flank, the other behind hiht stayed where he was, panting, dog tired Hunter alh his veins again, preparing hi complacent now that his buddies were here to bail him out

He had a whiter mask on the underside, except for the blood caked on his nose and cheek The one to Hunter’s right was a darker gray The one behind him was a little heavier, but they all had a siuessed they were brothers, triplets Packs protected theircare of their own

His tail stiff like a flag of warning, Hunter kept his eye on the stalker, but listened with regard to the other two This time soe, would be taking a dive into the ocean, over the cliff side And then he would ood while afterward No sense in her dragging ho their remains if they didn’t survive

The wolf behind hi on the upper crust of snow The one on the right stepped toward Hunter, trying to box hiht as well put so to use At least if nothing else, he wouldn’t be pushed toward the edge of the rocks And he knew just who to target this time The weakest link He dove after the stalker

For an instant, the wolf’s ears flattened Hunter smiled inwardly The stalker was afraid of hiet his brothers to back hiht he could take Hunter down initially because of the way he was so "humanized"

The wolf fled Hunter whipped around so suddenly, he caught the wolf chasing hiray’s snout He yelped and dove away The re With a snap, he brought the wolf down The wolf howled Hunter again turned, prepared to take on the other, but he and the stalker had disappeared into the blinding snow like a couple of gray wraiths Calling for reinforceht a whole pack of grays

The ith the broken leg lay panting on his side Hunter knew he should kill him But he still couldn’t remember why they had thrown hi Not concerning Tessa though No ht to clairowled at the injured wolf The gray closed his eyes in sub blow Hunter glanced back in the direction of Tessa’s house What if the other tolves went back for her?

Hell He dashed back the way he had come, mile after mile A quarter of a , "Hunter!" Her voice was filled with tears

Crap Was Rourke with her? She wasn’t supposed to leave the house Soet dressed, and… No, he couldn’t risk her being out here in the event the other lupus garous were co him, Hunter shape-shifted into his human form He’d suffer frostbite for sure If Tessa and Rourke had just stayed in the house, he could have gotteninto their line of view, he found Rourke wielding the fireplace poker and Tessa ready to swing the bloody fireplace tongs

"Ohaze shifted from his face to his bloody shoulder as she rushed forward "Oh her back toward the house "You shouldn’t be out here I told you to keep her in the house, Rourke Didn’t I?" The threat in his voice was real, but Rourke was s Probably because of Hunter’s state of undress

SoTessa ould find you in pretty good shape" Rourke threw his parka over Hunter’s shoulders "I told you he’d have wrung the wolves’ necks and would bring their tails home as souvenirs"

Now that was a barbaric notion Tessa wrapped her arm around Hunter’s waist as they hurried to the back porch Tears strea more

Rourke wouldn’t shut up and handed Hunter Tessa’s ski cap "Sorry We didn’t think of bringing any of your clothes We should have thought of it, but all we had in ed you off, and the best weapons for the job But I kept telling Tessa you would be all right That we’d find you alive"

"None of this is to be reported to the newspaper," Hunter warned

"We have an obligation to warn folks that olves have taken up residence in the woods here We can’t allow the so hard when they reached the back porch, she dropped the keys Rourke retrieved the any of this" Hunter used hisrooht around Tessa

Rourke stared at him Tessa finally pulled away from Hunter and hurried down the hall