Page 24 of Hunted

The back of her neck began to prickle. The wolves were coming up on her; she could feel them, running silent.

A faint scent of musky fur teased her nose.

She was going to have to risk it.

Her foot was raised to step out of her hiding place when the truck passed into the shade. The glare cleared, and she saw the driver. Taser Guy—Boomer—with Gunn in the passenger seat.

Michelangela froze, barely breathing. The truck slowed, and she could see Gunn scanning the forest. Like he knew she was there.

He passed her hiding place, and ever so slowly, she melted further back into the trees. The truck moved on. She had almost started breathing again when she heard the engine pause. A moment later, it began to reverse.

Shit. She had to get out of here.

Michelangela turned around—and was face to face with a trio of wolves, big and muscular and poised to attack. Sneaky bastards. She hadn’t even heard them coming.

“Okay, guys,” she said. “You got me.”

All she got in return were growls. They moved to circle her, tensed to attack, and she realized with a sinking heart that this wasn’t a capture; it was a kill. Mikey prepared to Change. She didn’t know if she could take them all in her condition, but she was going to have to try.

And then a man in army fatigues stepped out of the forest to her left. Boomer, carrying a rifle and looking pissed off. He said, “Leaving so soon? And you didn’t even leave us a hostess gift. Your momma would be shocked at your manners.”

Mikey said, “My momma has a cache of military-grade weapons under her floor and pit traps in her yard. When she was pregnant with me, she helped fight off an invading wolf pack with a grenade launcher. So, probably not so shocked.”

“That explains a lot,” said a voice behind her. Gunn. Dammit.

The wolves growled louder. The biggest one—dark brown with light brown markings and feral eyes—Changed and became Sanchez. Of course.

He spoke to Gunn, his eyes still wolf-gold and his voice harsh. He wasn’t fully human, even now.

“This bitch needs to be put down. She screwed us over. Whatever that shit was she left for Dobe, it didn’t work. There’s nothing more we need from her. She should die.”

Oh, crap. She’d waited too long to give Dobe the antidote. She said, “I can give him another dose.”

Sanchez said, “Or we can just kill you and take it off you.”

And there was probably security footage of her getting it out of her vest. Once they knew where the hidden container was, the concealment spell wouldn’t work anymore.

They really didn’t need her.

The wolves’ growling got louder.

Gunn said from behind her, “No killing.”

The growls turned to snarls. Michelangela felt Gunn’s alpha mojo ramp up, but his bond with the trackers was thin, and they were fighting it.

She heard his weapon cock. “Don’t do it,” he said to the wolves. “I know she doesn’t follow my orders, but last I checked, you do.”

For a long, tense moment, Mikey felt her life hanging in the balance. The trackers backed off—about six inches—and Sanchez dropped his gaze.

“Give her to me,” Gunn said. “The rest of you, get back to the Ridge. Boomer, go with them.”

Even Boomer didn’t go without an argument. “You sure?” he said. “Because you lost her once, and she’s a threat to all of us. I’m not risking my neck here so you can have your own private wolf pussy.”

A truly terrifying growl came from Gunn, all the way down in his chest. “Shut your fucking mouth, or I’ll shoot you myself.”

An answering growl traveled through the wolves. Gunn’s growl grew louder, as he stared them all down.

Damn, he was dominant. But he was keeping control of this pack by brute force—and it was taking everything he had.