Abducted by the Alpha (Wolf Shifter Romance) (The Crestwood Chronicles) by Julia Chase Read Free Book Online

by now.
    Dad scooted up the bed and put his arm around me. "They aren't giving up," he said. "The cops are on it and some animal experts are coming in from other states."
    "I need to go," I said. I stood up and started pacing in my room. I had no plan.
    "Go where?" he asked. "I think your mother and I would appreciate it if no one ran off for a while. Maybe you could watch some TV with her? Like everything was normal?"
    "No," I said. "I need to go. I really do. I promise I'll be back." I leaned in a gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then I ran out of the room, and thumped down the stairs.
    "Be careful out there," he yelled from my room.
    ***
    The sky was overcast. Mom was sitting on the couch where she always sat when we watched TV, but the screen was blank. I leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek as well.
    "I will be back," I said, "I promise."
    She didn't respond.
    I grabbed for my jacket, but I guess I hadn't unpacked it yet. So I just grabbed the closest one. That stylish brown one that Daisy had been wearing when I'd gotten home.
    And then I was out the back door. Through the field, walking at a pace that almost counts as jogging. Just hoping beyond hope that this plan would somehow work out. I needed to come back in one piece, and I needed to have Daisy with me.
    I found the place where the cow had been killed not long ago, and I looked into the forest. Like I had just a couple nights ago. This time hoping to see some huge scary animal. And hoping that scary animal would be Darriel.
    At first I saw nothing. Then a pair of eyes opened. Brown. Wolf. I smiled. "Darriel?"
    He let out a bit of a whimper, then ran back further in the woods. I followed
    Once he was fully out of sight of the house, he phased into a human. "You smell different," he said immediately.
    It wasn't the kind of weird wolf comment that I wanted to hear right then. "My sister. She's gone missing."
    The look on his face became stone serious in an instant.
    "And there were bear track right near where they think she last was."
    "Bear tracks?" he asked.
    "Yes," I said. I bit my lip. I had to keep it together.
    "And there wasn't a bloody carcass or anything? Bears aren't really known for their civility. Or for bringing their prey home before devouring it."
    A tear rolled down my cheek. I didn't like hearing about that kind of stuff. Not when we were talking about my little sister.
    "But what I'm saying is that didn't happen. So it wasn't a normal bear."
    In an excited whisper, I said, "A werebear?"
    "Well the moon's not full, and a werebear is even more violent than a normal bear. So no. This would be a shifter, like me. But one who turns into a bear, not a wolf."
    "I knew you could help me."
    "What do I get in return?" he asked with a sly grin.
    "Now is not the time," I said.
    "Alright," he said. "Let's go find those bear tracks. It's near the perimeter of the woods?"
    "Yes," I said, pointing. "That way."
    "Good," he said. "Hop on."
    Then he was once again a wolf. And I straddled him. And then we were off.
    There were a few straggling flashlights in the forest, but that did not slow Darriel down. He ran right past them, moving fast enough that they wouldn't know what they'd seen. I held myself close against him, because if anyone saw me riding a wolf they'd understandably have some questions to ask.
    His body was so warm. And that rhythm was so breath taking. And just the skill of it. Jumping over bushes. Dodging around trees. The whole thing was amazing. And on top of that, he seemed confident that he could help with Daisy.
    I worried about what my parents would think right now. I'd run off into the forest again . I hoped that they believed me when I told them that I'd be back.
    I pulled his fur hard when we got to the playground. He skidded to a stop, I got off, and he phased into a human.
    "So this is where she was when she was taken?"
    "Probably," I said. "That's what people are saying."
    "Alright," he said. The nostrils on his wide nose flared. Then