The Alpha's Choice Read Free

them into images only she could see and when
they disappeared with the motion of the wind, she had only to
reform them into something else from her imagination.
    These shadows did the same, but without her
mental manipulation. They formed and reformed, vague dark images
engulfed and released by the mists to finally coalesce into
darkened and undefined animal shapes travelling through the brown
and gold of the tall, dry grass.
    Kat blinked her incredulity and squinted into
the haze, only half believing the reality of a line of animals
trotting along in single file. They were too small to be horses and
yet too large to be dogs. She dropped her feet to either side of
the lounge and leaned forward to get a better look. The lead animal
stopped and turned toward her as if it heard the faint thump of her
feet touching ground. The others passed behind it in a steady line
into the woods while their leader stood guard.
    Like a curtain being parted for a stage
performance, the mist gave way, giving her a clear vision of a
great beast watching her as intently as she watched him. Moonlight
glinted off his head and massive chest as he raised his snout to
the heavens and Kat held her breath waiting for the long, mournful
howl that never came. It didn't matter. Just the sight of the
animal sent a fingernail running along the blackboard of her
spine.
    When he lowered his head, he looked across
the field again and Kat knew he was staring at her. She nodded
slowly in acknowledgement of the warning, blinked and the animal
was gone.
    They were wolves, she was sure of it, though
what wolves were doing here, she couldn't fathom. She'd read about
the reintroduction of elk in the higher elevations to the east, but
nothing of the predators that might endanger the new herds. On the
other hand, it wasn't the kind of thing she kept up to date on
though she had read articles about deer populations growing out of
control. This place was close to Federal lands. Maybe they were
introducing the predators through some program there.
    Not that it mattered. Except for the leader,
the animals showed no interest in her and stayed at the far edge of
the field and watching them, she felt no fear. Once there was more
activity around the place, she expected the wolves to give the
place even wider berth.
    A look at her watch told her it was late and
she rubbed her arms against the night air. Spring was already
giving way to summer, but the nights were still cool. Too lazy to
retire upstairs, she replenished the fire from the stack of wood
beside it and shifted her body this way and that until she was
comfortable again and closed her eyes.
    She'd just released that final sigh of breath
that passes into sleep when a scream echoed through the night. Kat
bolted upright, the hair at the back of her neck rising with the
chill that ran the length of her spine. Another shadow rose out of
the mist, rising into the night sky, great wings flapping silently
as it rose.
    As the huge owl flew across the field with
its rabbit dinner dangling from its talons, Kat tried and failed to
laugh away her city girl squeamishness. She pulled her terry cloth
cover more tightly about her shoulders and scrunched down into her
chair. As soon as she closed her eyes, visions of cute little
bunnies danced through her mind.
    "Poor baby bunnies," she pouted.
    Something snorted behind her and her breath
froze. Whatever it was, it was at the back of her right shoulder
and it was larger than a bunny. Much, much larger. The sound was
coming from behind her ear.
    She glanced down at the fire wondering if the
creature behind her could sense the movement of her eyes. A piece
of branch, a couple of inches in diameter, stuck out from the fire
and ended about two feet from the lounge. The tip was glowing
brightly with flame. Kat was calculating how quickly she could grab
the branch and turn, when the creature behind her snarled. It was a
low, barely heard growl, but it was enough to cause Kat to change
her