Highland Wolf Pact by Selena Kitt Read Free Book Online Page A

the words, but they still made no sense at all, no matter what language they were in. “Does she belong to you?”
    “Chan eil… er, nuh.” He shook his head, using his plaid to stem any further flow of blood. “Mo bràithair… ah… me brother.”
    “Ohhh,” she breathed, nodding. “He’s an animal trainer, your brother? He tames wild animals?”
    Raife stared at her for a moment, those blue eyes dancing again. Then he let out a laugh, loud and long, shaking his dark head. The wolf shook its white head too, whining softly, and then began to pant again. Raife turned his attention back to the animal, his big hand moving along her side, petting her gently.
    “Easy, easy,” he murmured, frowning, eyes troubled. “She canna change like this, when she’s so close to pup.”
    “Change?” Sibyl’s head came up, hearing something else. It wasn’t just the wolf she heard whining. Through the woods came the sound of dogs barking. They were still on the hunt, although this time, they weren’t hunting for wolves—or some imaginary half-man, half-dog the Scots called wulvers—they were hunting for her.
    “Do you mean… is she giving birth?” She stared at him with wide eyes.
    “I have t’get ’er back.” He cocked his head, frowning, and Sibyl knew he heard the same thing she did. The sound of men, shouting to one another. It was Alistair’s men. They had crossed the stream and had picked the scent back up again. “Laina, can ye move? Can ye get up?”
    “Laina…” Sibyl said the word and the wolf glanced at her, whining but struggling slowly to her feet. “Her name is Laina? The wolf?”
    “Wulver,” Raife corrected, taking the wolf’s giant head in his big hands. The animal looked into his eyes, whimpering, and he nodded sympathetically, petting her behind the ears. “Tha mi duilich.”
    Raife stood and the wolf looked up at him expectantly. Sibyl did too. She had no idea what came next. Without this man and his strange pet, she was alone in these woods with no horse and a posse of men at her heels. She knew she had to run, if she had any chance of escape, as far and as fast as she could. She’d already lost too much time.
    “The men’re close.” Raife seemed to read her mind. “They’ll find ye.”
    She nodded, heart thudding in her chest as she heard a clear shout, “This way!” and could have sworn it was Donal’s voice. Perhaps it was too late after all. Alistair’s men would find her and then what? She tried to imagine the consequences he would mete out for her actions and shuddered at the thought. But when she looked at the wolf and thought of her pups, she couldn’t for a moment regret her decision.
    “Ye choose.” Raife’s eyes lifted, scanning the woods and Sibyl knew what he’d seen before she even turned her head. She saw it in the momentary flash of anger in his eyes. Alistair’s men were in sight now. “Stay ’ere or come wit’ me.”
    She nodded, glancing through the trees, seeing the dogs running ahead. Was there a choice, really? The decision was a simple one. Raife, whoever he was, had been protective and, if a bit rough, kindhearted. His caring for the wolf had shown her that much. Alistair, on the other hand…
    “Ye must hold on tight,” Raife said over his shoulder, loosening the plaid around his waist and pulling the fabric free.
    “Sir, you mustn’t!” Sibyl gasped, covering her face with her hands, glimpsing far too much of his backside before she could turn away from him as he disrobed.
    “Climb on and hold tight!” He told her and she gasped when she felt him behind her, his mouth right next to her ear. “I do’na wanna leave ye here.”
    “Please,” she whispered as he stepped away from her, not daring to open her eyes. “Cover yourself. I don’t—”
    A howl rose up behind her, covering her whole body with goose flesh. Sibyl sank to her knees, giving up, hearing the men shouting, dogs barking. There was no escape now, unless the strange,