Not only was Gwen wet and cold but her stomach kept rumbling. She dug through her backpack, sighed, and pulled out their last candy bar. “Here. Eat this. We’ll rest for a few minutes then follow the stream.”
Molly took the chocolate, broke a piece off and handed it back. Gwen smiled. “No, sweetie. You eat it. I can do without the extra calories. I’ve been meaning to go on a diet anyway. I might as well start now.”
Her sister—by love if not blood—tilted her head and glanced over Gwen’s body then frowned. She took the candy and ate it. Gwen’s smile widened. Molly might not have spoken, but she was interacting more and more. That had to be a good sign.
Gwen blew out a frustrated breath. She wished she was as strong as Lena. If her big sister was here, she’d know exactly what to say to snap Molly out of her mood. Lena was good at everything. She never second-guessed herself and always knew exactly how to act to catch a guy’s eye.
Gwen, on the other hand? She fumbled with everything, most of all her love life. Yes, she had a boyfriend. Only, he was more a friend than anything. They dated—movies, dinner, hanging out. That was as far as their relationship went. Neither of them felt that spark of desire. They used each other and for them it worked.
John needed a girlfriend so his parents would get off his back about getting married, and she wanted to make a sexy wolf notice her, not that it worked. Vader had absolutely no interest in her. He only had eyes for Lena. It was way beyond time she accepted the truth.
Gwen turned her attention to the most important person in her life. “Are you ready?”
Molly didn’t answer, but she stood and offered her hand. Gwen took it. They walked for several minutes before a chilling howl rent the air.
The hairs on her arms stood up. She froze while Molly dug blunt nails into Gwen’s arm. Molly’s distress meant one thing.
Another shifter had found them.
She’d gotten lucky with the last one. She wouldn’t count on it happening again, especially when a second animal answered the chilling call, followed by another.
Adrenaline heated her body, staving off the chill that had left her limbs heavy. She dug out the handgun, placed it at her feet and hefted the sawed-off shotgun she’d been lugging around. She motioned for Molly to get behind her then knelt and peered into the darkness. Every lesson her stepdad had ever given her came rushing back. Would it be enough?
Her hope for a miraculous getaway fizzled when three sets of glowing eyes broke the tree line. From behind them stepped a huge black bear. It opened its mouth on a low grunt, and the wolves snarled. Their white teeth gleamed in the light from the full moon.
Her chest squeezed.
The two outer wolves swept out in a crawling lope. They blended into the shadows. Only their freakish eyes showed their location.
Her heart pounded. Sweat slickened her grip on the handle. She waited for them to get closer then fired the shotgun at the one to her right. The kickback knocked her on her bottom. Her ears rang from the crack. She aimed at the animal on her left. It leapt, and she fired. A yelp met her efforts.
There was no time to celebrate. The third wolf rammed into her and bit her wrist. Pain swept up her arm. The animal whipped its head back and forth. She screamed. The gun fell from her limp fingers. Agony choked her. Her vision blurred. She wanted to curl into a ball and hide from the fire racing through her limb. She couldn’t. She had to save Molly.
“Shift, Molly! Run!”
Gwen couldn’t take her eyes from the animal gnawing on her to see if her sister complied. She searched with her free hand in the wet leaves for a rock, branch, anything to use against the wolf. Her fingers connected with metal. She gripped it and slammed the snout clamped over her wrist with the butt of the handgun. The wolf released her and snarled, a mouthful of bloody teeth inches from her face.
She lifted the gun and pulled the trigger. Hot blood sprayed over her face, blinding her. She shoved off the dead weight and rolled away. Liquid dripped into her eyes. She swiped at it with the back of her uninjured hand and blinked the moonlit world into focus. A man with a shaved head and piercings in his face peered down at her. He plucked the gun from her hand and pressed a foot to her chest.
“Aren’t you a tough one? You’re lucky I hated those wolves or I’d kill you for offing my business partners.”
He hefted her up, one hand holding her wrists. She shrieked. Her knees gave out. He let her collapse. With her arms held above her, blood running down their length, he reached forward and cracked the back of his hand across her face. She cringed, and his grin widened.
She twisted and yanked her arms, desperate to get away. No luck. He tightened his grip. Her vision wavered. A small cry escaped. She tried to keep the sound contained. No way did she want to give him the satisfaction. She couldn’t have stopped it, though. She’d never been in more pain in her life.
A demented glint brightened his eyes. “That hurt?”
She glared at him through the sheen making his face blurry. He dug sharpened nails into her abused arm. She whimpered, hating the sign of weakness, but couldn’t stop it.
“Good, little human. Get used to it. You got a whole lot more coming.”
Unable to look into his cruel face any longer, she swept her gaze across the small clearing. She choked back a sob at the scene of carnage—couldn’t think about it or she’d break down—and glanced around for Molly.
“Are you looking for the cub? She shifted and took off just like you told her to.”
“Well, what are you doing standing here? Aren’t you going after her?” So she could pull the knife in her boot and attack him.
“Nah, she’s no good to me now. Stupid thing you did, girl. Didn’t Shifter Affairs tell you why the little brat couldn’t take her lioness form?”
“No.”
“She was born with the spirit of a Royal pride leader attached to her soul. If she shifted before she matured, she’d release him.” He sighed. “It’s sad actually. That kind of trauma rips minds and souls apart. Trust me, I know. I’ve seen the failures.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“To torture you, I guess.” He grinned and the large, silver hook stuck in the middle of his cheek distorted the smile, turning it into a sneer. “You made me waste days chasing you. I have better things to do.”
The bear shifter tugged her across the ground. She dug her heels in, not caring about the pain churning her stomach or the blood dripping off her elbow. She had to get to Molly and convince her to shift back.
She was not lost. She was stronger than everyone gave her credit.
“Let me go. I’m no use to you. I’m not a shifter.”
He glanced at her hand. “Not to me. You’re right about that. But you might just be the answer to my little problem.”
“What problem?”
“I need to offer a prize. You’re going to be it.”
Gwen stared at the man, wide-eyed. She didn’t understand what he meant, but the way he looked at her promised more pain. She considered reaching for her knife, but dismissed the idea. He held her good hand. It’d be foolish to give up her only weapon.
She glanced over her shoulder once more, gaze locked on to the bloody and tattered clothes. The dead wolves littering the ground disturbed her, but it was the shifter’s words that chilled her the most.
She’d destroyed her little sister’s mind.