Pack Justice (Nature of the Beast Book 1) by RJ Blain Read Free Book Online Page B

of all.

    The full moon rose, and a wolf stalked me through the trees. The animal made no noise; it was only due to my cheetah’s heightened senses I noticed it at all. While my cheetah wanted me to assume his form, I didn’t dare, not with Idette somewhere in the forest with me. After her final, taunting call, she had vanished into the darkness, leaving no trace of her passage.
    My wife’s disappearance infuriated my spirit beast, as did the wolf who dared to consider us prey. As a human, I was prey, but if Idette found out about my cheetah, being prey would be the least of our problems.
    I’d rather die to a wolf than live as the research subject of a scientist determined to figure out how a man could transform himself into a beast.
    If I didn’t figure out how to fight off a wolf, I wouldn’t have to worry about stalkers or anyone finding out about my magic. Frustration and anger burned through me, and while I was aware not all of my emotions were my own, I embraced them all the same.
    No matter what I did, I couldn’t seem to catch a break. My cheetah growled, but unlike most animals, the wolf either ignored his presence or was unaware of him. Running wouldn’t do me a lot of good. While I was fast, thanks to my cheetah’s influence on me, I couldn’t beat an animal who had spent all of its life hunting in the forests.
    I cursed myself for being stupid enough to cater to Idette’s preferences. My version of a good time didn’t include becoming prey. When—if—I made it back to the lodge, I had a feeling I would become a threat to the local wine supply, and I didn’t care what Idette thought about it.
    If she didn’t like it, she could go out into the woods on her own and get eaten by a wolf.
    I made my way into a clearing littered with the scattered ruins of old fires ringed by stones and sand. The loose ground gave under my feet, and I turned to face the animal stalking me through the trees. A faint luminescence surrounded my cheetah, and he snarled and swiped at the approaching wolf.
    When I stared at the wolf, tracking its movements through the trees, it turned its ears back and showed me its teeth. During my efforts to evade the animal, I hadn’t noticed its size.
    The wolf was twice as large as my cheetah. In the moonlight, its golden fur was mottled with red. My eyes widened, and I jerked my head up to stare at the full moon overhead.
    Wolves weren’t gold and red, nor were they the size of a pony. They also lacked glowing eyes, although I considered blaming the moonlight for the vibrant yellow gleam.
    Werewolves weren’t supposed to be real, but I had a ghostly cheetah haunting me, so who was I to say what could and couldn’t exist? I swallowed. A sane man would have been afraid, but my fear was smothered by my cheetah’s fury, although I didn’t understand why he was so enraged.
    Something about the wolf set my spirit beast off, and he yowled his rage.
    The distant cry of another wolf answered him, but the animal hunting me showed no signs of hearing its kindred’s call. It prowled closer, skirting the clearing to circle around me. Instead of the lithe movements I expected, it pranced, its tail lifted and head held high, its gaze fixed on me. My cheetah swiped at the wolf and yowled at his inability to rend his prey. The distant wolf howled again.
    The relationship between predator and prey often shifted; as a cheetah, I had run into prey who became predator when cornered, which made the hunt more enjoyable. For the moment, I was the prey, and I had no idea how to become a predator using the thin skin and dull teeth of a human. My lack of claws didn’t work in my favor, either.
    My cheetah, however, gave me strong legs. When the wolf lunged for me, I was ready for it. I wasn’t proficient in any specific martial art, but I went to lessons from time to time to delay returning home. I didn’t study any one form, instead participating in whatever class could fit me in.
    I never would have