I heard the groan of wood under Adam’s heavy grasp and then a loud crack as the arm of the chair broke off. Adam glared at me with such anger my wolf whimpered. My eyes went wide when Adam shot up and the kitchen table went flying across the room where it crashed against the wall.

I jumped out of my chair and crouched on the floor—the equivalent of tucking my tail between my legs and exposing my stomach. Adam was pissed, and if I didn’t play what little cards I still held, I’d end up at the wrong end of his sharp teeth. Werewolf men’s anger was on a hair trigger, and a woman talking back was just the touch it needed to go off the deep end. While most men didn’t abuse their women for talking back or having an opinion, Adam didn’t appreciate being disobeyed by anyone—man or woman.

Adam stood over me, and I waited for my punishment. I anticipated him shifting into wolf form and grasping me by the throat so that I could barely breathe. Instead, he jerked me to my feet, slammed me against the wall, and leaned in so he towered over me.

“You piss me off so fucking much,” he bit out. I kept my eyes to the floor and tried to capture the breath I’d lost. The slam against the wall didn’t hurt, werewolves are difficult to injure. It was the pure essence of him that suffocated me. My alpha was pissed, and that power wrapped around me and demanded submission.

“I-I’m sorry,” I stuttered. “I didn’t mean any disrespect.”

Adam lifted my chin so he could look into my eyes. His stare searched for something on my face. “You don’t have to be afraid of me, Anna. I may talk a big game, but when it comes to you, I’m as dangerous as a kitten,” He took a moment to think. “It’s a new emotion for me, one that pisses me off actually.”

I gaped, my mind too confused to form words.

“I want you, Anna. I’ve always wanted you, but I knew I couldn’t have you. I thought once you mated with Sawyer I’d let the silly notion of me and you go, but seeing him with you, with his hands on your body…I wanted to rip his fucking head off. I deserve you, Anna, and you deserve me. I’m sure that if fate made it to where we could be together, our love would be so fierce they’d talk about it for generations.” His hand cupped my face. “I’m not a silly man. I don’t romanticize life or see the world through rose-colored glasses. I know how ugly the world we live in is, but I think…I know… that if I had you by my side, all the ugliness in the world couldn’t penetrate me. I don’t just want you—I need you.” Adam pushed off of the wall, glanced over his shoulder and left the house, the front door slamming.

I slid down the wall, hugging my knees to my chest and replayed every word he said over and over. His eyes were so frail that in that moment, he was just a man voicing his inner thoughts. Not my alpha that growled and snapped when things didn’t go his way. He was vulnerable, something I never expected to associate with such a powerful man.

Chapter Eight

Three days passed. The pack searched the mountain for signs of the rogue werewolf and always came back without a trace. Adam made himself scarce and wouldn’t even talk to me. I suspected the admittance of his feelings left him a bit embarrassed. Adam was strong, a leader, and that position didn’t include pouring your heart out to a female. Especially when that female was the lowest wolf on the totem pole. I was what they called a mutt, a made werewolf instead of bred. Girls like me didn’t end up with alphas. Yet there was something in my DNA that allowed me to defy my alphas. I wasn’t just an underling like the pack thought. Despite my tainted blood, I was an equal.

I spent my time on my chores during the day, and at night when I was alone in my bedroom, I’d think about the two handsome wolves who wanted to claim me. Being attracted to two men was hell on my brain. Love didn’t play into the scenario. I didn’t believe in love. It came down to guilt. If I continued seeing Sawyer, I couldn’t give myself to Adam. I couldn’t hurt Sawyer that way. If I gave in to Adam, I’d let myself down. I may not want love, but I still wanted the man I was with to be with only me. I couldn’t stand the idea of Adam leaving my bed to hop into the one he shared with Eve. It made me feel dirty just thinking about it. Still, my qualms did nothing to erase the attraction. He was a big serving of walking, talking sex appeal, and every time I was around him I craved his delectable body.

I’m a horrible person. Life would be so much easier if I could live on my own like before I became hairy. If I took myself out of the equation, everyone’s life could go back to normal. Sawyer and Adam would forget about me, and I’d be free of their charms. I needed to get out of the house. I’d been cramped up so long the huge place felt like a cardboard box. I needed room to breathe, to run, to feel the wind whip through my fur as I fled as far away from my problems as I could.

Tiptoeing out of my bedroom, I made my way to the sliding glass doors in the kitchen. With delicate hands, I unlocked the door and shut it quietly behind me. The night was a bit cool, but felt amazing on my heated skin. My wolf scratched at the surface. My bones contorted and shifted as my body changed forms. It only took a few seconds between changes. Once I was on four paws, I bolted from the deck and disappeared into the tree line. I ran without purpose, stretching my muscles against the burn that surged through my blood. Whipping around trees and leaping over large rocks, I pushed forward. The wind ruffled my fur, cooling the heat that rose from my body. I leapt over a downed tree and when I landed, something clamped around my back leg. I yelped in pain and tried to pull free, but whatever had me sunk its teeth in. Turning, I saw the bear trap fastened around my hind leg. I immediately shifted forms and cringed when the pain intensified. Blood seeped down my ankle, the skin torn from my thrashing. Bending over, I used my strength to pry the mouth of the trap open. I slipped my leg out and tried to stand, but the pressure made me collapse.

I heaved myself up, using the support of a tree. You’ve stepped in it this time. Just had to sneak out, didn’t you? Leaning against the tree, I took a moment to catch my breath. My eyes scanned the perimeter, seeing only dense forest all around. The trees were so thick that the diamond encrusted sky wasn’t visible. I knew the area around our compound like the back of my hand, and this wasn’t it. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been running before the hunk of metal attacked me. Deciding I needed to move, I hopped from one tree to the next. At this rate, I won’t get home until next week! Lifting my leg up, I inspected the wound. I healed at an exceptional rate, but it wasn’t an instant healing. The wound was deep, and I could see bone through the flaps of skin. It looked like my leg had lost a fight with a meat grinder. It’d take at least a week before the skin and bone healed back to normal—a thought that didn’t help me right now.

With each hop, electric agony shot up my limb. I gritted my teeth and continued my journey back to the main house. My body grew weak as I trudged on; my movements becoming slower than they already were. For the healing process to begin, I needed sleep. My body was shutting down, and no matter how hard I tried to keep my eyes open, they grew heavier by the second.

A deer crossed my path, its big brown eyes laughing at the helpless wolf. Even though in human form, the animal knew what I was. I’d killed countless of its brethren. Because God has a sense of humor, the deer stepped closer to me and sniffed my belly and then trotted away.

“I’ll see you soon, Bambi,” I said to it as it went about its business. I could feel my energy draining and my legs growing weaker. I slid down the tree I used as a crutch and fell to sleep.

Chapter Nine

The man had a gun slung over his shoulder as his flashlight swayed from side to side. I crouched down behind him and waited for him to turn towards me. His walkie talkie chimed, and he pressed the button to speak. “Okay, heading back now.” He didn’t know how wrong he was. As the man turned around, I pounced. My teeth made contact with his throat. With a tug to the right, his blood filled my mouth, causing a shiver of delight to soar through me.

My eyes snapped open. Daylight caused me to blink a few times. Squinting, I could make out the outline of a man’s face and realized I was being carried.

“Adam?” I croaked.

“Shh, save your energy.”

I nestled against his warmth, my naked body no longer producing the amount of heat I was used to. The jostling of his movements caused the pain to pulse through my leg. Gritting my teeth, I fisted his shirt in my hands and focused on his heavenly scent rather than the fire that crawled up my calf. I must have passed out because when I opened my eyes again, I was laying in my bed. My leg was propped up on pillows and bandaged.

“You’re awake,” Elle said with a smile and sat on the edge of my bed. “What happened?” She grabbed for a washcloth and trailed it over my forehead, a concerned smile on her face.

“I need something to drink.” My throat burned. Elle retrieved a glass of water and handed it to me. I gulped the entire contents.

“Oh my gosh, Anna, what happened?” Sawyer burst through my bedroom door, kneeling beside the bed. His hand cupped my face. As much as I hated the reaction, I blushed at seeing his concern. He placed a kiss on my forehead and held my hand. It’d been almost three days since I’d seen him. Adam kept him busy with tracking.

“I went for a run,” I began and then looked over when Adam walked through my door. “I needed some air from being cooped up. The hunters must have set traps. I leapt over a downed tree and landed on a bear trap.”

Elle cringed and Sawyer’s grip on my hand tightened.

“Have you started healing?” Sawyer asked.

“I think so. My body shut down in the forest. I tried to hop back, but my strength drained too quickly. I guess I’m lucky our alpha found me and not a hunter or hungry mountain lion.” I looked over at Adam and smiled. He’d saved my life twice now.

“I need to speak to Anna, and she needs her rest. You guys can see her later,” Adam told Elle and Sawyer.

“I’m going to the video store to rent movies. We’re having a girl’s night tonight,” Elle smiled and left my room. Sawyer leaned over me and pressed a soft kiss to my lips.