Wild Wolf by Jennifer Ashley Read Free Book Online

loneliness, the weight of his position as alpha. On top of that, a tenderness for her.
    Misty stilled a moment, soaking it in. She’d never seen any kind of sentiment in Graham for her. Liking yes, and he’d charged out here to rescue her today, but she’d never seen this flash of stark feeling.
    She hated that this might be the last time she saw it. If he died today . . .
    Misty wouldn’t let him. She kissed Graham one more time then rose and brushed herself off. Graham watched her, still frowning. “You be careful, understand me?” he rumbled.
    â€œI will.”
    â€œIf I have to come looking for you, I’ll be pissed off.”
    â€œI know.” She sent him another smile. “Be right back.”
    Graham didn’t answer. He moved a little, grunting in pain, but Misty made herself walk away from him.
    She started for the ridge above them, finding a narrow wash that gave her a clear path upward through the scrub. She went slowly, picking her way along, the wash full of loose rocks. If she fell and broke something, they could both die out here before Dougal returned.
    Misty made for a fold of rock that jutted out into the slope from the desert floor. These mountains looked smooth from the distance, but close to, they were clumped with boulders, tough weeds, creosote, and critters. The critters were mostly lizards and birds for now—not too many bugs liked the hot, dry afternoons. But in the evening, crawly things would be everywhere, including snakes. Snakes liked dusk, when they slithered out in droves to soak up the last warmth of the rocks. When the snakes emerged, so would the coyotes.
    Misty rounded one particularly large clump of boulders and was rewarded with the sight of a narrow opening between two big rocks. Going carefully, keeping an eye out for snakes that might have come out early, she squeezed herself through the niche.
    It was a tight fit. Misty held her breath and inched along, promising herself she’d go back if it got too tight. She couldn’t afford to get stuck, and if Graham couldn’t fit, the shelter would be useless to him.
    Once more step, and Misty popped through. She stopped, looking around in surprise.
    A giant cave opened out from the rocks, lit by sunlight streaming through a hole in the granite wall high above. Reflections danced everywhere, caused by a burbling spring that spread out into a pool at the far end of the cave.
    â€œA nice cool cave with an underground spring,” Misty whispered. “What do you know?”

CHAPTER FOUR

    M isty moved forward cautiously. The sound of trickling water made the thirst she was trying not to think about soar to life. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, and her lips were aching and cracked. She
needed
that water.
    Misty wasn’t stupid enough to rush to it, scoop it into her hands, and gulp it down. Water in wild places was likely to be contaminated, especially out here, between a city and a nuclear testing site. Misty might be dying for the water, but she’d be foolish to drink it.
    The cave, however, was blissfully cool. If she could get Graham this short distance, they could wait for Dougal here.
    The cavern was gigantic from what she could see, as though the whole inside of the mountain had been carved out. The cut in the rock high above, letting in light and air, kept the place from being too damp, but the water cooled it. The faint chill felt like the one in her flower room, always pleasant on a hot afternoon.
    Her flower room was nothing but smashed glass and petals now, Misty thought in sorrow. But she’d have to deal with her destroyed shop later. First, she needed to get Graham here where he could rest and cool down.
    â€œHey,” a voice said.
    Misty jumped, her hand going to her chest, her heart banging. A man rose from the other side of the pool of water, where he’d been crouching in the shadows. He wasn’t one of Flores’s gang boys, she