Page 8 of Wolf Betrayed
Sawyer was coming, and he would help. I just had to stay alive and keep everyone else here alive a little while longer. I took a few steps back from my mom, looked around, making sure the coast was clear, before I leaped forward, triggering my transition.
My wolf sprang to the surface. My bones snapped and realigned in a matter of seconds. I landed on all fours and focused my attention back to the window.
I could hear the crackling of other bones. Good. I wasn’t going to be fighting alone.
I hunkered down and licked my lips. My pulse roared in my ears as the two wolves approached the window. Almost here.
I couldn’t breathe. The room tunneled around me. The first wolf growled and then leaped toward the window. I lunged forward, launching myself at him.
We caught each other in midair. My attack surprised him and gave me an advantage. I twisted so that when we landed I was over top of him. The moment we hit the ground, I started to tear into him. He wiggled beneath me, fighting to get the upper hand. I had to be fast. He was a trained enforcer and much stronger than me.
I extended my claws and drug them down his torso.
He yelped in pain and fought harder. Somehow, he managed to get his bottom feet beneath my belly and pushed up, sending me flying off. I soared through the air and landed with a crunch on my right side.
It knocked the air out of my lungs, leaving me wheezing and my chest screaming. There was no time to lick my wounds. I scrambled back to my feet, the hair on my back rising as I snarled at him.
He sprang forward, and I darted to the left, barely avoiding him.
The wolf snarled at me and stalked forward. I snapped my gaze around the room, looking for reinforcements.
I blinked my eyes rapidly as every muscle in my body tightened. No one could help me. Only two other women had transitioned, not as many as I’d thought, and they were both taking on the second wolf together.
I gulped. It was up to me to fend this goon off by myself.
My mind spun, and the room closed in around me. The only thing I could hear was the frantic beat of my pulse roaring in my ears.
Sloane! I’m coming. Be strong. Almost there.
Sawyer’s voice grounded me.
I snapped my gaze to the wolf and growled. He surged forward. I hopped up on my back two feet, and we caught each other in a deadly embrace. I gnashed my teeth at him, but he was stronger than me.
He shoved me backward. My paws slid across the floor, scrambling for purchase, but he was too big. I was going down. My body tilted to the right. I made one last-ditch effort to keep my footing but failed.
The wolf snarled at me, his sharp canines inches from my throat. This was not how it would end for me.
I wriggled, getting my front right foot under him. I flexed my paws and swiped at his underbelly with my claws. They sank into the wound I’d already given him. I dragged my paw across it, sinking my nails in as deeply as I could.
He whined, winced, and then backed off me. He shook his head and took a few steps back, like he might be trying to decide if he was ready to go for round three. I twisted and got to my feet. He looked over his shoulder and then at me again. If wolves could smile, I’d say he was grinning. I darted my gaze around the room until I saw what he was so proud of.
The two women must have lost their fight with the other wolf, because he was stalking toward my mom and Willa.
They were trapped in a corner with nowhere to run. My mom stood protectively in front of Willa. They didn’t stand a chance against him as humans, and there was no way I would get over there in time.
The wolf ducked down, ready to lunge.
Three
Sloane
Time stopped. I couldn’t breathe. My heart hammered in my chest as I dove to the side and sprinted for my mom.
I was never going to get there in time, but I had to try. The wolf behind me launched himself at me and landed on my back. I yelped and ducked down, rolling to the right with my momentum.
It was enough to shake him off me. I sprang to my feet and bolted for my mom and Willa.
Another wolf flew through the open window. Its scent hit me, making my belly do a flip-flop.
