Claiming His Need by Ellis Leigh Read Free Book Online Page B

chest. “My name’s Sandman, and I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise. Me and Gates”—he pointed to my mate—“will get you back to the pack.”  
    Lanie nodded and wiped her face before taking a deep breath. She appeared calmer, which made my heart happy. Rex would have her back in his arms soon enough. I had no doubt in the men who’d been sent to save us.
    Sandman held Lanie close as he addressed the rest of us. “Once we turn this corner, we assume everyone is the enemy. Gates, the extraction plans have changed. You’re shifting and taking up the rear. I’ll stay human to keep our new friend here out of trouble so Rex can get his mate back like I promised. Shadow, you’re with me. We need to lead these ladies over the ridge and safely to the extraction team. Pup,” he addressed the wolf next to me, his gaze sliding over my face before he clenched his jaw. “Your sole mission, your one goal in life, is to do whatever it takes to keep her alive. There’s no room for error here, understood?”
    The wolf by my side growled loudly, the hair on his neck bristling. He was awfully brave for a wolf named Pup.  
    “On the count of three, we shift and run. Ready?” When we nodded, Sandman took one last look around the corner. I glanced over my shoulder at my mate, Gates. He watched me in return, a fire burning behind his eyes that let me know his wolf was close, ready to take over. I couldn’t wait to see him in his animal form.
    “One.”
    I pulled my tank top over my head as Helina dropped her cloak. Nakedness was not something we’d been taught to be ashamed of, and yet I felt anxious. I’d never felt so nervous removing my clothing in preparation for a shift as I did at that moment, knowing the man fate had chosen for me would be seeing my naked body for the first time. He’d eventually know every inch of me, but stripping with my back to him made my heart race and the burn in my veins flare.  
    Once my top was lying in a heap on the ground, I closed my eyes. Ignoring the sudden tension buffeting my bare skin, I opened my mind to the wolf within, taking a breath as the power surged through me.
    “Two.”
    I stepped out of my pants, reveling for a moment as the cool air caressed my body. I could hear the rumble of my mate’s growl behind me, and I hoped it was a good growl. One of want and desire, of lust. Yes, I wanted him to lust after me. I wanted him to desire me as much as I suddenly desired him.  
    “Get ready.”
    Ignoring my naughty thoughts about my new mate, I focused instead on my shift. I’d been fighting my need to protect myself in wolf form since my kidnapper had told me he’d hurt Lanie if I shifted. It would be a relief to finally be on four paws. Fur forced its way through my skin, the tingling sensation spreading across my back and over my hips. It was always the most uncomfortable part of my shift. My body morphed from two feet to four so quickly, the bones and muscles barely registered the change, but the fur seemed to take forever.
    “Three!”
    With a yip, I called upon my wolf spirit and fell into the explosion of light that always signaled a successful shift. The second my paws hit dirt, I ran for everything I was worth. The world flashed by in a blur as I followed the two gray wolves in front of me, one of whom I recognized as Helina. Pup ran by my side, his shoulder brushing mine, keeping pace and growling with every step. I had no idea where Lanie and Sandman were, but I trusted him to take care of her. What he’d said about Rex was true—my brother would kill anyone who hurt his mate.  
    When we reached the top of the embankment, there was an awful roar, bringing me to a sliding stop. Just below me in the clearing, Gates stood and stared. It didn’t matter that I’d never seen his wolf form before; I would have known the look in those eyes anywhere. I would have felt the connection between us from across the globe.  
    Black as a night with no moon, lean