r, and another male appeared. Then, the wave of a wolf's tail as the lupus garou made a hasty retreat. She should have heeded the instinctual warning. Instead, sh

most dangerous sound known to wildlife-a trigger clicki

upright, and the hair on her

the creek, her heart thundering. Her ears twisted bac

a sharp pain stabbed her in the left flank. She stumbled... t

l going! I've never seen a red

ldn't kill her wi

the men splashed across the creek in hot pursuit of her. She sprinted north toward her cabin, miles away. Exce

his voice rife with enthusiasm, bu

red. Ripping out their throats came to mind if they got close enough. The primal instinct for self-preservation voided out the ruling drummed

he river! We don't want him d

She stumbled when her back legs gave out. What had they shot her

mpacting with the earth radiated outward and the tremor cent

said, wearing camouflaged gear, his dark hair chopped short, the bill of a

legs to push her forward, she couldn't manage. She sat, panic driving her to run, but unable to oblige as a strange numbness slipped

both drew closer... cautiously... the smell of fear cloaking them. He w

e effort cost her precious energy. Exhausted, she dropped her head

ing from her hip. A dart, not bullets. Damn.

e get here? I mean, he couldn't have traveled all the way from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park." Joe smelled of swea

but he wore no artificial sweeteners to attract the female variety. She c

d, but the sound, muffled in sleep,

. How'd a female e

d wolf, and small. Sure, for a real wolf sh

it, as numb as her leg was. "Long legs, best looking red pelt I've ever seen on a feral wolf

with a real red wolf . . . ohmigod, they

, we got her! Yeah, the wolf's a she, not a he as I'd assumed. No

se men? Smelled their pu

her guard, and n

ost terrifying growl, but it sounded more like a sickly, low moan. "Maybe 110pounds, more the size of a gray." He chuckled. "I know, I know, I

each were set for a 40-pound-wolf, not one as big as she is. But we didn't want to overdo it. And let 'em know Big Red can have a mate now. N

d by the response to his comme

oaned i

ems a shame if she's doing so well in these woods

find any of her kind around

she hadn't been so doped up,

*

lders for her to rest on, tree-shaded areas, and an indoor exhibit w

, a growl rumbled in her throat. How could she have been

to climb up above. Even if she changed into her human form, she'd never make it,

ind her. She growled. He backed off. The poor old thorny red wolf was dying to mate with her. She smelled

ing with a pure wol

over the wrought iron railing across the moat. The breeze carried their scent to her, musky and wild. But she recognized the scent of one of them from

t-short, and watched her with intrigue. But they both had small chins, not a nice square m

e hadn't seen her kind in human form since

and tilted their noses up slightly,

, who appeared to be in his late twentie

d like he advertised teeth whitener. "Yeah, Alfred, she's one of us

d of a bind, eh?" He glanced around, and seeing no other visitors nearby, turn

nd he burst out laughing. His

t his chest. "She surely can't want him." He pointed at Big Red. Fold

rkened eyes. "From all accounts, she's the one." He grabb

er and make her his mate. The wolf's urge to mark his territory overwhelmed his better human judgment. After he

hel

walked in with the dark-haired man. Thompson folded his arms a

ne maintenance, one-third frozen feline diet for the remainder of the week. She's eati

ter believ

the sun near the entrance to their faux cav

e to provide some more offspring. They're trying to introduce some more red wolves into the Smokie

back at them. If she could have

back off his forehead. "You

ady. She's jus

enough to take Ragnar on, and he did like wolves. But maybe he could be the one if she could get over the fac

ade from the sky? Damn. The waning crescent would pass shortly. T