Winter Howl (Sanctuary) by Aurelia T. Evans Read Free Book Online Page A

something she had only heard maybe twice in her life, and never so close to the sanctuary. Part of the racket was the barking of the dogs—the sound both territorial and fearful. But over the barking, a single, extended piercing howl rent the air and literally made her hairs stand on end. She had heard of that phrase, but had never known the experience until that moment. It was too close, right-outside-her-house close. Too close for Renee to open the door.
    “What the hell?” Britt said blearily, running down the stairs.
    Renee was paralysed with her hand on the doorknob, but she whispered, “Wolf.”
    “Are you kidding?” Britt said.
    Jake did not even bother with the stairs. He swung down from the top stair and landed hard on the wooden floor. “She’s not kidding,” Jake said grimly.
    The howl keened again, and the noise from the dogs quieted for a moment before coming back in full force.
    Jake’s hand covered hers on the doorknob. “It’s okay. We’ll protect you.” She felt the muzzle of a rifle against her arm, cold even through the bathrobe sleeve. “It’s probably the animal that’s been doing all those killings. But if it comes after you, it won’t have a second thought. All right?”
    She nodded, but it took Jake’s help to break through her panicked paralysis. The warmth of Jake and Britt helped, and Ki, Max, and Malcolm were padding over to join them. Leslie was probably sleeping—he could sleep through almost anything.
    Heart jerking in arrhythmic beats, she pulled open the door and peeked out. She could not see anything in the yard but shadows, although the waxing silver coin of a moon at least made some shapes visible in the darkness. Jake pulled the door open some more and cocked the gun, ready. Renee cautiously stepped onto the wraparound porch, peering into the yard.
    There it was—a large, slouching shape, a hulking silver creature with eyes that mirrored the moon greenly in the glare. Britt fumbled with the light switch near the door, and she turned on the great room light before the porch light. For one terrifying moment, Renee could not see past the steps of her house, but then the porch lights came on, illuminating the part of the yard in front of it. Then she could see the creature even better, and that did not help at all.
    At first, Renee thought it was too large to be a wolf, but the mannerisms, the shape, the mouth…they seemed to fit. It looked a bit like a dark version of Britt in her malamute skin, though several times as large. Even as her mind interpreted what she saw as a wolf, she knew it was far too big. But she had no other explanation.
    From what she could see, there was no foam around its mouth, but foam was only one indicator of one disease, and its gaping maw seemed to be grinning hungrily at her, although she was silly to impart it with some kind of homicidal intent. If it was a wolf, it did not have homicidal intent—it had instincts and wants and needs, and that was all. It did not feel malice.
    Jake brought the rifle to his shoulder and pointed it at the wolf. The wolf just sat there, panting slightly. There was no apparent agitation, no anger or pain. Even knowing it was impossible, Renee thought that it did appear malicious.
    The animal began to walk towards the porch, still grinning. Its mouth was clean of blood, and that was encouraging, but wolves were not supposed to just walk up to humans. It should not have even been so close to the compound in the first place. Something was clearly wrong, and Jake muttered, “If he gets within ten yards of the porch, I may have to shoot.”
    “Go ahead,” Renee said quietly. They were all staring, unable to do much more, since as dogs they could only attack it in numbers because it was too big for them to attack singly. Not that they would want to attack, not with the indifference that the wolf seemed to have for the rising barks of the dogs in the dog barn, some of which had come out but not come any