This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening.
She shook her head, her aim remaining true. Either she’d just suffered a psychotic break, or this was happening. The people of Lost Lake were wolf shifters.
Ben pawed the ground, angling closer, his gaze on her jugular.
The air swished, and a snarling black wolf jumped between them.
Seth.
Raised fur covered his back as he faced Benjamin with a low-pitched snarl.
Ben snarled back in warning.
They were going to fight over her.
Hissing, Ben leapt for her. Seth instantly countered, a loud crunch filling the night as muscle smacked into muscle. Ben fell back several feet, and Seth landed on all fours. His back vibrated, but he didn’t move as he shielded her.
Ben angled to the side, a series of low growls rumbling from his chest. Seth growled back.
Then silence ruled as the wolves stared at each other. Seth suddenly shook his head. They stared some more, and then Ben snarled. Seth snarled back.
Were they somehow communicating? Mia kept her hand on the gun, her aim on Ben. If he went for her again, she’d shoot him between the eyes, regardless of Seth’s presence. Wolf shifters. Real wolves. How was this possible?
Finally, Ben turned and bounded back into the forest.
Seth turned and faced her. The fur receded on his body. He slowly stretched onto his back legs, and his features narrowed. The air popped, and he stood to his full height in human form—buck-ass naked.
And seriously pissed.
He grabbed her arm and jumped for the trail. “Run.”
She dug in her feet, halting him. Her mind reeled. “No way. Explain.”
He whirled on her, grabbing her shoulders, his face a hard mask. Ice swirled in his eyes. “Fucking run, or you’re going to die. Ben won’t be back alone, and I can’t take all of them. We need to go.Now.”
Her body reacted to his panic, and her legs sprang into action. She followed him along the trail and into the forest where a barely visible path lay. Branches scraped her arms, and brush slammed against her calves, but she kept a firm grip on her gun. Finally, they arrived at a small clearing that held Seth’s truck.
He opened the driver’s door and tossed her across the seat in one fluid motion. Firing the ignition, he jerked the truck into drive and careened down the dirt road.
Mia clutched the dash, her breath panting out. “How is this possible?”
His jaw snapped shut. “What the hell are you doing on our property?”
Anger flew through her veins. “My job. One of your people stole Ruby’s body, and that’s a crime.”
“I stole the body.”
Damn it. “Great. You’re under arrest.”
Seth slammed the brakes and jerked the truck around a tree, somehow increasing his speed. The forest blurred outside. “You have no proof. The body is gone by now.”
Plus, she’d been trespassing without a warrant. Not that the law mattered right now. “How are you wolf shifters? I mean, are you werewolves?” She didnotjust ask that question.
He snorted, and the sound was much more irritated than amused. “No, we’re not werewolves. We’re wolf shifters who have been on this Earth, and this continent, a lot longer than your people.”
“Native Americans? I mean, the whole burning of the body thing so the spirit is released is an Indigenous custom.”
He flipped on the headlights. “We’re just who we are. No affiliation to any particular tribe.”
