Priceless by Shannon Mayer Read Free Book Online Page B

lowered my blade and felt the itch in my spine a split second too late as a hairy set of claw- tipped hands wrap ped themselves around my throat. I let out a strangled squawk, my hands first going for the claws , and then stopping to lower my blade.
    I couldn ’ t use it, not on this one.
     

9
     
    “ Gotcha! ” A familiar rough voice growled in my ear as the hands tightened around my throat for a heartbeat before letting go. I took a deep breath and turned to see my ever faithful werewolf , half crouched at my feet, tongue lolling out ; amber eyes wide and innocent, and his human wolf hybrid body covered in pitch black silver tipped hair.
    I let out a sigh, a mixture of irritation and relief. It could have been worse ; it could have been whatever had taken India on my tail, or even O ’ Shea and Mini-Me.
    “ Good job, you did it, you finally snuck up on me. But what are you doing all the way out here, so far away from home? ” I lay my blade on the bed and folded my arms across my chest, doing my best imitation of a scolding mother and repeated my question. “ Alex, what are you doing s o far from home? ”
    He cringed, his body , stuck between human and wolf because he wasn ’ t strong enough, and never would be, to switch between forms. Only the Alphas could do that ; only the Alphas could pass for human. Most of the pack w as like Alex, unable to switch between forms. To the contrary of what the world will tell you, being bit by a werewolf doesn ’ t automatically make you a powerhouse. It only strengthens the traits you already have, takes them to the next level.
    From what I could find out about his previous life, when Alex had been bitten he was a kind, quiet, submissive, harmless man . So he ’ d become the golden retriever version of a werewolf —l oving and faithful .
    He showed up on my doorstep one night, mauled half to death by his own pack members , and has been with me ever since. The pack didn ’ t approve , and we were still dealing with the ramifications of that.
    H e sat on his haunches, tail tucked between his legs, waiting for a beating.
    “ I ’ m not angry , Alex. But you don ’ t like to leave home — so what made you go? ” For something to make him leave was bad enough, but to make him run close to two hundred miles meant he would have left this morning and in a hurry. And yes, a werewolf could cover that distance in that amount of time, but it should have nearly killed him. I looked him over. He wasn ’ t sucked in and dehydrated ; he was chirpy and fresh, ready to rumble.
    He still wasn ’ t answering. Talk ing to a werewolf could be like talking to a large child ; the simplicity of the wolf ’ s mind regressed the human ’ s mind to a toddler ’ s state if their will wasn ’ t strong enough, which his definitely wasn ’ t.
    I changed tactics. Crouching down , I patted my leg. “ Alex, come. ” He still cringed. I remembered my dropped pepperoni. Retrieving it, I tried again. “ Alex, come here, see what I have? Pepperoni, it ’ s one of your favourites. ” That did the trick. He bowled me over trying to get the pepperoni. “ Wait! You can have it if you answer me. ” We were sprawled out on the floor together, Alex drooling all over my shirt, large canines dripping as he stared at the pepperoni I held just out of reach.
    “ How did you get here? Did you run all the way? ” My change in questions brought a light to his eyes.
    “ No, no. Didn ’ t run all way. Ran and jumped in noisy truck. Zoom down big road, jump out at other house. Wait for Ryl eeeeee e! ” He howled the end of my name and I shushed him. This wasn ’ t a motel that catered to pets and I was pretty sure even with John ’ s failing eyesight he wouldn ’ t miss a two-hundred- pound werewolf if it kept up howling.
    I handed Alex the pepperoni. I knew that the ‘ other house ’ was the motel . I had told him that sometimes I stayed at my ‘ other house ’ when it was too late to drive all