Enslaved by the Alpha: Part One (Shifters of Nunavut Book 1) Read Free

limb by over a dozen bloodthirsty wolves the size of lions, she felt sublimely disillusioned. Every muscle in her body seemed to lock into place, even her breathing stopped. All of the sounds—the screaming, the snarling, and the gunfire—seemed to meld together into a single deafening reverberation.
    The wolf that had tried to attack her regained its footing and prepared itself for another lunge. Astrid knew that this was the moment that she was supposed to come to her senses, shake off her fear, and act. In fact, as an animal, she only had two choices: fight or flight.
    But apparently, she was as bad at being an animal as she was at being a hero, because she watched the wolf come at her again, and was still unable to react. The entire situation felt so surreal, as though it was happening to someone else and she was just watching, like a passive viewer on one of her sister’s documentaries.
    Once again, Noona came to her rescue. This time, the husky grabbed the wolf by the tail, biting down hard enough to make the wolf yelp in pain. The wolf turned and snapped at Noona, who barely managed to evade the large predator. When biting failed, the wolf kicked its hind legs back, sending Noona sprawling backwards.
    The sight finally tore Astrid from her stupor and she managed to regain control of her body. Even so, she still wasn’t sure what the hell to do with herself. Fighting against these beasts seemed entirely futile, but then again, so was running. She desperately looked around for something to use as a weapon. Might-Be-Named-Freddy’s gun lay on the ground by his severed arm, but her chances of reaching it before the wolf were slim to none.
    Just as she thought that, the wolf sprung at her again. This time, Noona wouldn’t be able to stall it. So, Astrid did the only thing she could do. She spread her arms, looked the wolf dead in the eyes, and let out a loud roar.
    Early in her career, before Ginnifer had become a freelancer, she had done half hour nature documentaries for television. One of her first documentaries was on the top ten defense mechanisms in animals. Astrid had only seen the episode once—begrudgingly—but she remembered that several of the animals, when threatened, were able to make themselves look bigger than they were. Some were even able to imitate the sounds of other, scarier animals. In lieu of weapons, that seemed her only choice.
    The wolf’s jaws were open wide, displaying two rows of sharp, shiny white teeth. The teeth came at Astrid, aiming right for her throat. She stood her ground, not out of courage, but out of the knowledge that there was no escape.
    Abruptly, the wolf skidded to a halt. Its alabaster body seemed to fade against the snowy terrain, leaving only its black gums and green eyes behind. Astrid stared into those brilliant eyes, fear, confusion, and the barest twinge of hope ricocheting through her mind.
    Did it work?
    No. The white wolf wasn’t staring at Astrid, it was staring past her. Which meant that there was something behind her that was even more of a threat. Astrid took a step back and then to the side, careful not to expose her back to either threat. She prayed that she would see Gerald behind her, brandishing a shotgun. But the wind and sounds of gunshots had died down, blanketing the tundra in a deep, ominous silence.
    The snow was stained crimson and burgundy. Extremities and innards lay strewn about in a manner so macabre that once again, Astrid was struck by the surrealism of the night. This wasn’t an attack. This was…a slaughter.
    Just beyond the bloodbath, the wolves had gathered in a triangular formation. She gasped in a breath as she saw their leader—a creature so formidable, so horrifying, and so magnificent that he couldn’t be anything but their alpha.
    He was twice the size of the next largest wolf. He held his head high, displaying a lush mane of ebony hair. The long, silken locks spilled down his neck, gradually shortening into the dark, sleek