Sea Wolf Magick (Highlander Magick Series Book 2) Read Free Page A

gaze locked with his. Biting her lower lip, a look of awe on her face, the stranger’s hand cupped the side of his face and her delicate fingers brushed against his skin. Like hot embers igniting a sizzling fire, glistening sparks flickered in front of their faces. An inner connection blazed between the couple, linking them together.
    Her lips parted as she glanced at the crinkled parchment clutched in her hand and studied his face. She winced in discomfort, her skin turning pale. Her bewildered expression suddenly turned into fear and suspicion. A heavy silence loomed between them.
    Damnation. He had run out of time. Thick black hairs sprouted on his hands. His fingernails grew long and razor sharp. “Hurry, lass. Run as fast as ye can to the nearest village and dinna look back.”
    He turned and sprinted to the nearest line of trees, hoping the attractive stranger had heeded his warning. His heart lurched, upset at the possibility of not seeing her again.
    His wolf growled. Furious with himself for feeling an overwhelming connection with the young woman in his human form, too, a flood of mixed emotions surged through him. What the hell was he thinking?
    He should have stuck with his first instinct and tracked down the stray wolf shapeshifter instead of worrying with this lass. Now that his wolf’s raging hormones had fully kicked in, the beast was determined to discover his new mate. Quinn wasn’t sure how to keep his beast from trying to track her down.
    A scream echoed overhead. Bloody Hell, she’s in trouble.
    Cold blood surged through his veins from the sound of her voice. United in body and soul in his wolf form, he was still conscious of the fact that once a wolf picked a mate, they were bonded for life. Even though his wolf hadn’t claimed the woman’s inner beast yet, it would fight to the death trying to protect her.

Chapter 2
    Beth raced toward the path that led to the nearby village. An enormous gray wolf hurdled from behind the line of sacred rowan trees. It crouched low to the ground and headed for her.
    She stopped, spotting the narrow lane leading to the ocean. Normally too treacherous to travel by night, it now proved her best means of escape. Hoping to hide, she bolted, making a run for it. The heavy rain made the trail slippery. Stumbling over slick rocks and broken shells, her feet slipped out from under her. She fell forward and tumbled downhill, scraping her arms against the sharp stones and cutting them open. Blood trickled down her wrist.
    The creature followed close behind and stopped. It raised its head and sniffed the air, probably smelling the fresh scent of blood. It growled, saliva dripping from its snowy white fangs.
    Beth searched for a sharp stick or rock. Anything within her reach to use as a weapon.
    “Go away,” she screamed.
    A hard lump swelled in her throat. Her body trembled. Like helpless prey, she drew in her breath, waiting for the predator to claim his kill.
    Beth froze and laid still. She remembered reading stories of people surviving wild animal attacks by playing dead, so she clamped her eyes shut and held her breath.
    A foul, hot breath hovered over her face. Something cold and wet prodded the side of her neck. She gagged as warm bile rose in her throat. Any second now, she expected its piercing fangs to sink deep inside her jugular vein. Her eyes opened wide, she stared at the enormous animal standing beside her.
    Like a cat toying with a mouse before the kill, the creature shoved her body with his nose, edging her toward the bank of a steep ledge overlooking the ocean. The roaring sounds of the crashing waves thundered in her ears.
    Her hands sweaty, she wrapped her arms around a skinny tree trunk rooted between thriving ferns and a moss-covered rock and held on for dear life.
    Like a raging bull, an enormous black wolf hurtled toward them. Ramming its head into the gray wolf’s side, taking the beast by surprise and propelling it several feet in the air. The gray