The Alpha's Choice Read Free Page A

mind.
    "Sorry," she squeaked. Her heart was pumping
so hard her sweatshirt moved to the pounding rhythm. Or maybe that
was just her body shaking uncontrollably. The animal snorted again,
a chuffing sound that almost sounded like a laugh.
    "I think I should warn you," she whispered in
the same squeaky voice. "I'm human. I read somewhere that we don't
taste very good and you don't strike me as a Red Riding Hood kind
of guy."
    She heard the animal chuff again and this
time she got the distinct impression of laughter. Did animals
laugh? She had a hamster named Bernie once when she was seven, but
he wasn't very personable. He bit her every chance he got. That was
the only up close experience Kat had with animals and it only
lasted about a month before Bernie ran away to live and die in the
living room sofa.
    She pointed to the field, lifting only her
finger from the arm of the lounge. "There are bunnies out there.
Big, fat juicy bunnies. I saw one earlier. I'm sure they taste much
better than me and they'd be a lot more fun to catch."
    The animal laughter sounded again.
    Slowly, ever so slowly, Kat turned her head
until she was looking directly at the beast behind her. As she
suspected, it was a wolf, a different wolf from the one that
watched her earlier and under any other circumstances she might
have admired this one's strength and magnificence.
    He was a beautiful animal. At first, with
only the moonlight to cast away the darkness, his coat appeared as
a solid gold mane, but when she shifted her shoulder and the
firelight flickered over his velvety fur, she could see a variety
of reds and golds and browns with a soft, silky sheen that made her
want to reach out and touch it. He was a golden god of the
wild.
    She didn't realize she'd swung her legs over
the side with her hand stretched toward the tawny head until the
animal curled his lip at her approach.
    "Why Grandma, what big teeth you have," she
whispered while she withdrew her outstretched hand.
    As if the animal understood, he showed her
more of them, a wolfish grin that almost made her laugh.
    "Uh, I hope that's not an
all-the-better-to-eat-you smile," she said nervously.
    The wolf cocked his head, first to one side
and then the other as if considering the idea. He licked his jowls
before giving her another wolfish grin. With a sharp shake of his
head and another chuff of canine mirth, the wolf sat, completely
relaxed and comfortable.
    "You're making fun of me."
    The great beast closed his eyes and bowed his
head.
    Kat took the opportunity to make a move
toward the safety of the house. The wolf was immediately on his
feet, taking a step to block her retreat. Kat stamped her foot.
    "Fine," she snapped, "Have it your way." She
crossed her arms over her chest and gave the wolf her coldest
stare, one that usually stopped teenagers in their tracks.
    It hit her then that she was no longer
afraid. Her initial terror had receded into simple cautiousness and
it was only a residual distrust that kept her from walking into the
house. This animal wasn't going to hurt her. She was sure of it.
Well... pretty sure.
    "I'm not sitting here all night. The fire is
dying and I'm cold. Some of us," she sniffed, "Don't have fur
coats." As if to emphasize her point, the towel slipped. She
snapped it back in place.
    The wolf snorted and Kat huffed right back
while recognizing how bizarre this situation was. Anyone with half
a brain would not be standing here talking to a dog, okay a wolf,
she corrected when the animal's head snapped up as if he'd heard
her thoughts. Anyone with an ounce of brains would be peeing their
pants.
    The wolf slowly closed his eyes and sighed.
When he opened them again, he turned toward the house. His haunches
collapsed and he laid down with his legs folded in such a way that
he could easily leap into motion should the need arise. The eyes
slid from the house to Kat.
    OMG, she thought in the texting shorthand
she'd picked up from the kids. The wolf's eyes were