Reach for the Sky (Wolffe Peak Book 1) Read Free Page B

distance. She listened to the sound of his strained breaths, yet his pace never wavered.
    For the first time, she braved glancing back.
    A monstrous shadow rushed after her. Even with her heightened sense of sight, she saw nothing beyond his height and build. She contemplated shifting in the middle of the street, but the time it would take to change would cost her everything.
    So she did the only other thing she could think of. “Help!”
    His stride faltered and a slight hitch carried to her ears.
    Sky repeated her plea while dashing toward the park. “Somebody, help!”
    Not that there was anyone around to assist, but her outburst had gained her a few spare moments. While her pursuer stumbled over his steps and debated whether or not to continue the chase, she shucked her clothing and let her frightened wolf take over. Fear hastened her shift. Fur sprouted from her skin as her bones cracked and reshaped.
    Nails skittering against the pavement, she kicked off the last leg of her jeans and raced forward once more. Another curse zinged through the air as her pursuer realized what she’d done.
    The distance between them grew with every stride until she could no longer hear him. Still, she continued to bark for help. If the humans refused to answer, perhaps someone of her kind would. She tore through the secluded woods, zipping around trees and ruffling piles of leaves, all while howling at the top of her lungs.
    A final glance back revealed her success. The only shadows were those of the park. Heart in her throat, she turned, her chest heaving as she struggled to slow her breath. She’d done it. Thank goodness.
    Jubilant, she did a quick circle and chuffed her pleasure. Whoever had been following her was long gone. If only she could fist pump the air. Instead, she contented herself with a happy yip. She didn’t care that she’d lost an entire outfit along the way, she’d replace every article.
    With her tail held high, she turned to continue a light jog home when a large fist grasped her by the scruff and yanked her into the air.
    Terror squeezed her heart. Firm digits gripped her and dangled her five feet above the ground as though her weight was no concern.
    With a panicked breath, she squeezed her eyes shut and lashed out, kicking with all four paws while snapping her teeth. She couldn’t have cared less what she bit, so long as her captor released her.
    The moment her teeth sank into an arm, she rejoiced and dug in until blood gushed into her mouth. 
    “Jesus H. Christ, woman!” A savage growl rent the night air.
    Sky’s heart slammed against her ribs, but rather than release her target, she clamped her jaws down and shook her head like a dog. Her muscles tensed as she awaited retaliation. Instead, her feet continued to dangle, the fingers in her scruff holding tight.
    “Are you finished?” came a deep voice.
    Sky cracked open an eyelid and peered up from beneath her eyelashes at the scowling giant who held her hostage. She popped open her other eye and let her gaze sweep up his leather-clad length.
    Oh, crap!
    Swallowing past the searing blood, Sky unlatched her jaw and released the burly arm from her mouth. Now she was in for it. Though she hadn’t caught a glance of her attacker’s face, she highly doubted the alpha of the Colorado River Basin Pack had been the one following her. Though his scent possessed a familiar note of fur, it wasn’t the same as the one who stalked her. She swallowed and braced herself before meeting the alpha’s furious gaze.
    “I’m going to release you, now.” His jaw ticked his displeasure. “If you run, I will hunt you down.”
    Sky swallowed a slight squeak. Running was what she did best, but rather than test him, she nodded and braced for the slight drop. Instead, he lowered her gently, waiting for all fours to touch the concrete before releasing his grip on her scruff.
    “Shift.”
    One word, yet she knew this was more than a request. Her bones complied before her