Protect Me (Sawtooth Shifters, #3) by Kristen Strassel Read Free Book Online Page B

sinister. A feral need to protect what little was ours. No holds barred. Family, that’s all we had. Everything else could be replaced. I shut down the part of my brain the dealt with the repercussions, and delivered justice in the only way I knew how. I could hate myself for this later, but I wouldn’t lose the respect of my brothers.
    The guards looked on in awe that someone had finally outsmarted the bastard. I wondered, seeing them as a free men for the first time, if they’d been captured, too. Why else would they have carried out Ryker’s orders, unless it was out of fear of having the same thing happen to them, or worse. With Ryker, it could always be worse.
    For now, they were cooperating with us. They were used to submission; a new master shouldn’t change that for them. But tonight, with the Beaver Moon at its fullest beauty, my shift was inevitable.
    When I’d been held captive, I would’ve done anything to be human again. Followed anyone who could make that happen. The ladies who worked at Forever Home were the only ones who came through for us, and I’d be forever faithful. But now, I needed to shed all the horrible things that had happened in the last few days, before this dark side of me took over everything else. A part of me wanted it to. The only way to avoid that was to go back to wolf.
    “Tonight’s the night?” Kiera asked. I’d never seen her look so worried. I met her at the shelter. Shadow was still wolf. Trina was nursing him back to health, along with the dogs we’d rescued from Ryker’s farm. The bastard had already begun restocking for more fights. These dogs had only been with Ryker a fraction of the time we’d been enslaved and were still in good shape. 
    “It is.” We held hands in the parking lot, the cool crisp night falling all around us. The air tasted like snow. This close to the shift, my wolf twisted inside me, looking for any escape.
    “What are you going to do?” Her eyes were wide, studying me for any sign of change. It wasn’t gradual. Once the wolf found its out, I’d be animal within minutes. “Please tell me you’re going up to Baldy to run. That’s what you want. And if I hadn’t wiped out,” she rubbed her head, wincing when she hit the bump, “you could’ve had the run of the place the other night.”
    “I wish.” I let go of her, walking to the edge of the parking lot. The shelter was on what used to be pack land, and the woods were thick immediately. My mouth watered at the thought of running through them, the feel of the dead brush scraping against my belly, the silence of the autumn woods humming in my ears. “We’ve got to go to Ryker’s farm, check on the men since Shadow can’t, and catch up with Major. We have to tell him that Shadow took out Ryker. Shadow’s so pissed he can’t do his victory dance.” He hadn’t healed one hundred percent yet. With all those open wounds he’d be like an all you can eat buffet in the forest.
    Kiera laughed softly, coming up behind me. “I’m envious of you.” I could barely hear her. “I’d love to know what it’s like to turn into something else. It’s freedom, Baron. Don’t waste it. For me.”
    Her words echoed through my soul, my mouth watered even more. She’d fought for freedom only to lose her own. I wouldn’t let her down. “I won’t.” I already couldn’t wait to come back. No more waste. Since Shadow killed Ryker, there’d be little dispute he was alpha. The other wolves would be startled when the Channings took humans as mates, but they wouldn’t be able to fight it. Kiera was my girl, if she’d have me.
    Pulling Kiera against me, she welcomed me in for a long, hot kiss. A delectable mix of desire and desperation, she’d never tasted so good. Kiera might not be able to put her feelings into words, but the way her tongue tangled with mine, playfully at first, then urgent, her hands gripping my shoulders hard, I knew she was terrified about what the night would bring for