Page 57 of Cuffed By the Wolf

“What was that?” Carson asks.

“I don’t know,” Jenny says.

The bunny I almost set on fire hops through the grass in their line of sight, twitching its nose like nothing at all just happened to it.

“It’s a bunny,” Jenny announces, relief in her voice.

“Is that smoke?” Carson asks.

I peek down, noticing the grass is on fire — a small, guilty curl of it, orange eating through green not two feet from my shoe. My feet work quickly, stomping it out, the smell of scorched earth rising up sharp and acrid, catching in the back of my throat.

“Show your face,” Carson demands.

“Oh, fuck,” I mutter.

Chapter Fourteen

SASHA

Itake off running through the woods. Even though I ran track in college, my legs are shorter than Carson’s.

Branches whip at my arms. My sandals slip on wet leaves, and twice I nearly go down, catching myself on tree trunks that scrape my palms raw. Behind me, I can hear him — not sprinting yet, just a fast, unhurried lope, like he knows exactly how this ends and isn’t in a rush to get there. That’s almost worse than if he were screaming.

Desperate not to get caught, I push my earbuds into my ears and press play. I turn and release magic from my fingers, zapping Carson and Jenny, who’s on his heels.

For some reason, I remove one earbud to listen as I continue on.

“Ah,” she screams, falling to the ground, crying in pain.

Carson yells curses as he peeks at the charred hole burned clean through his shirt, but he barely slows down.

“What the fuck? You’ve got magic? I should let my wolf go and make you give me what I came here for before I rip you to shreds.”

My heart beats faster than ever. Terror rises up my spine like ice water.

No wonder my magic didn’t affect him the same. He’s a fucking wolf shifter. How did I not know? We were together for three years.

I shove the earbud back in as I reach my car. I can’t risk Carson using his alpha bark. He’s unhinged. I’ve never seen him this angry.

As soon as I slide behind the steering wheel, I lock the doors and start the engine. He’s banging on the window, both fists, hard enough that the glass shudders in its frame.

I notice Jenny holding her stomach, hair falling all over her face as she limps toward us. I peel off in the dirt, fishtailing as I U-turn. Pressing the pedal to the floor, I speed down the dirt road toward Lupton, gravel kicking up behind me like buckshot, the whole car shuddering over every rut and root.

Headlights fill my rearview mirror. Then they’re closer. Then they’re right on top of me.

Thankfully, my phone connects to the car.

“Call Sheriff Asshole,” I order the phone system.

Yeah, I may not have gotten around to changing his name to Gavin.

“Sheriff Drake speaking.”

“Gavin, Carson and Jenny spotted me.”

“What? Spotted you where?”

I peek in the rearview mirror. Headlights, too close, swerving with every turn I take like they’re stitched to my bumper.