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

naked man who called himself Raife and his pet wolf behind her could somehow magically spirit her away. It was too late. Tears, hot and salty, fell through her fingers. She sobbed, knowing she would never be free.
    A soft whine made her look up. The white wolf stood in front of her, the Scotsman’s plaid secured around her neck, completely covering her wound. Then, another wolf, this one even bigger, its black fur as dark as night, eyes as blue as the sky, appeared beside the other. Sibyl stared at it in disbelief, her breath held as its big head cocked to contemplate her. The white wolf had been tamed, but this wolf was as wild as they came. She knew it, just looking in its eyes, those bright, clear blue eyes. Was this the white wolf’s mate? She wondered this, even as she heard the hunting party’s approach, the low growl emitting from the dark wolf’s throat, and thought, not for the first time since she’d woken up that morning, that this would be the last day she drew breath.
    Then the animal nosed her hands away from her face and gently licked the tears from her cheeks. His tongue was warm but she couldn’t help her instinct to move away from those big, sharp teeth.
    “Is this wolf tame as well?” she managed to whisper, too afraid to look away from the pair to glance over her shoulder at Raife. “Is it… your pet?”
    No answer. The black wolf gave a short, sharp bark and the white wolf howled, glancing through the trees at the horses. The horses had a much harder time negotiating the woods, the underbrush thick, the big stallions unsure in their footing. The hounds, however, had an easier time. They were drawing close. Too close.
    “Raife?” Sibyl swallowed, daring to look over her shoulder, forgetting for a moment that the man was fully naked, but there was no one there.
    No one at all.
    “Raife?” She frowned, whipping her head around, looking for the man. Her bow and quiver were on the ground. His plaid was around the white wolf’s wounded neck. But the Scot was nowhere to be found. “Raife!”
    She dared to call his name, even though it might draw the attention of Alistair’s men to her, jumping to her feet. Behind her, the black wolf barked again, a short, piercing sound. Sibyl grabbed her bow and quiver, slinging it over her shoulder as she scanned the woods. He couldn’t have disappeared into thin air!
    She gasped when she felt a cold nose against her palm, a warm tongue. The black wolf moved in alongside her, forcing her hand through its thick fur as it rubbed up against her, almost like a cat might, emitting a low growl, then a plaintive whine. The animal was enormous, making the big, white wolf look small in comparison.
    “They’re coming for me.” She whispered the words to the wolves—there was no one else there. Raife had disappeared, had left her alone with these animals. She knew she was alone. But if Alistair was going to catch her, she didn’t want him to kill the wolves. At the very least, she could save them. “You have to go! Run!”
    She pushed hard against the black wolf, its muscular body budging only slightly. The animal growled, turning its head to look at her.
    “That’s right!” she insisted, feeling tears burning her eyes. “Go! Shoo! Go away!”
    Beside her, the other wolf barked. The white wolf flanked her now, standing between Sibyl and the dogs. They were coming. They were all coming. The black wolf issued a returning bark, moving in closer, until she was pressed between the two of them, almost as if they could hide her.
    “Go!” she cried, trying to push at them, but they were too big, too strong. “Please! Go!”
    It happened so fast she couldn’t even react. The white wolf shoved her hard, knocking the wind out of her, and she stumbled against the black wolf. Sibyl was falling and, instinctively, she reached out for something to grab onto, and the only thing at hand was the neck of the great black wolf. Then they were running. Flying through the forest.