Running with the Pack: Cannon Pack, Book 3 Read Free Page B

just need some rest.” But the rest would have to wait until she found the wounded shifter.

Chapter Two
    John hung around, waiting to make good on Lauren’s earlier flirty promise. But she wouldn’t sleep with him, hadn’t slept with him for two months. How could she when she planned on dumping him? She finally pushed him out the door an hour later, then peeked from behind the curtain and watched him hop into his Jeep.
    Good. Now she could get a move on. Although the likelihood of finding the wounded shifter was iffy at best, she had to try. Failing to keep the hunters away from the werewolf before John had shot it frustrated her, and she owed it to the shifter to help as much as she could.
    Lauren shrugged on her jacket, picked up the satchel she kept filled with medical supplies and extra clothing, then slipped into her battered-yet-trusty Beetle. Night was in full swing and although the moonless sky would make it more difficult for her to find the shifter, it would also give her cover, hiding her from any other hunters searching for prey.
    Making sure no one was around, Lauren slipped the gun over her shoulder, darted into the dark alley, and prayed she could get the werewolf to listen to her. She found the location where she’d had her “accident” and continued into the adjacent pathway. Breathing in the cool night air, she paused, gathered her bearings and took her best guess as to where the shifter had fled. Her flashlight’s beam streamed across the ground, and she moved slowly, checking for blood spots and finding enough to help her track the animal. Thankfully, however, the red splotches weren’t as big as she’d feared.
    “Where are you, shifter? Don’t worry. I don’t mean you any harm.” Like a shifter would believe her after seeing her with a group of hunters. Still, she hoped she’d get lucky and the werewolf wouldn’t recognize her.Lauren pushed on, scanning the area in case the wounded animal hid behind stacks of boxes, crouched and ready to attack. She hunched her collar around her neck, shielding herself from the cool night air. Putting one foot in front of the other, she gripped her rifle and prayed she wasn’t too late.
    A low growl froze Lauren to the spot, and she cautiously turned to face the threatening sound.
    “Hello? It’s okay. I won’t hurt you.” Her nerves jangled, bringing a giggle to the surface. Oh, shit. Not now. At least act as though you’re not scared. The answering growl, louder than the first, did nothing to calm her nerves. “I know you saw me with the hunters, but I’m not one of them. In fact, I helped you get away and I’m here to help you again.” She waited, the silence worrying her more than the fierce growls. She giggled, her nerves taking over. “If I had a hunting license I’d tear it up. Would that convince you?” Another weak titter escaped her. If only she could stop giggling whenever she was frightened. “Sorry. Bad joke.” Going all in, she took a deep breath and decided to take a big leap of faith. “I’m going to come over there, okay? Again, I won’t hurt you. Will you promise not to hurt me?”
    “I don’t promise scumbag hunters anything. Go away while you still have your skin.”
    Although that wasn’t the answer she wanted, at least it was an answer instead of an attack. She bit her lower lip to keep another giggle from popping out, then pushed away the fear edging along her backbone and took a step forward.
    “Will it help if I put my gun on the ground?” She dropped her satchel and gently placed her rifle beside it on the dirty payment, then raised her arms, palms facing toward the unseen shifter. “See? No gun. Now, will you let me get closer?” What else could she do to get the werewolf to believe she meant her no harm? “I’m Lauren and I’m a friend. How about telling me your name?”
    “Why the hell would you want to know my name? To put it on a nameplate under my hide?” After a long period of quiet, the