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Lelandi s much revived

"Hmm, the aroma of hot cocoa You kneould stirnap, didn’t you, Jake? So whosefrom the cupboard, and Jake poured her a cup of chocolate

Neither Ryan nor Jake said, but they shared looks with each other

"Oh, Carol," Lelandi whispered and then frowned "Did you… you know, finalize things?"

Ryan shook his head

"They haven’t mated But he’s declared she’s his," Jake said with a smile "Better let Silva know so she can spread the word via the grapevine But there are proble her she’s got to learn our ways anyher"

"Where is Carol now?" Lelandi asked, her voice low

"Sunroo her a minute to be by herself I’ll see to her"

The door to the sunroom slammed open, and Ryan said, "Shit She couldn’t have run off by herself What the hell is she thinking?" He tore off for the sunroom with Jake and Lelandi on his heels

But when they reached the sunroom, Mervin raced inside to meet them "She, Carol… hell, she…" He motioned to her clothes piled up on the sunroom floor next to the couch

"Shifted?" Ryan couldn’t believe it

"Yeah and went out the electric wolf door I don’t have peruard post"

"She’s one of the ones we’re guarding!" Ryan squelched the urge to call Mervin an idiot Instead, he began ripping off his clothes

"I’ll call Darien," Lelandi said "Jake, you go with Ryan"

"I have to stay and protect you I’ll call in more help"

Ryan didn’t wait to hear what else Jake decided Instead, Ryan shifted and raced out the door Mervin ran outside after him and pointed in the direction she had run But Ryan could smell her just fine and took off after the footpad scent she was leaving behind

He hoped the hell North and his men were nowhere about and that Carol wasn’t too trau He had no idea how she ht cope with this aspect of her life, but he wished she’d let him be a part of it

He’d run for about a unfire Hell And then more A wolf yelped in the distance Then another

He paused Carol’s scent headed in a different direction from the sounds of the injured wolves Ryan lifted his head and howled He wasand deep and low

Except for the rustle of the breeze stirring the tree branches, nothing

He took off after Carol’s trail again He had to find her and then locate the other wolves Just as he ran doard the river, he saw her, a beautiful red wolf snarling, her nose wrinkled, teeth bared, ears and tail held high, as she stood backed up against the water’s edge, while threenet

It was North and two of his razed Ryan with a bullet

Chapter 22

THEIR BACKS TO RYAN, NORTH AND HIS MEN READIED a fishing net that was aimed at Carol Her wolf posture indicated she was ready to bolt, and the men’s bodies steeled with tension as they shouted to one another, "Don’t miss her this time, damn it!"

"Hell, I’m not a fisherman, North!"

"Yeah," another man said "If we fish, it’s with our teeth!"

Her red fur bristling and fluffed out to the , yet she had the sense to skitter out of the way of the net But she wouldn’t go into the water where she could have easily escaped capture Seeing this, the ainst the strea her, theher to make sure she didn’t attack Why didn’t she just jump into the water and say?

At least none of the toward the hard on Carol, not one of theat their backs Ryan could have growled to warn theht have guns and shoot hieted the e, North Even now, Ryan could see red, re how the bastard had left Carol wet and naked, shivering on the frosty grass near Darien’s house<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>