Page 62 of Wolf Cursed
This was nothing like Kai’s shift. When he’d shifted, it had been graceful. Fluid. And maybe I should have been terrified then, but Kai didn’t scare me. Not even as a giant wolf. Not like Presley did.
I screamed, and Idrissa whirled
An enormous wolf with a coat the color of vanilla crème stood staring back at us. It bared its teeth, first at Idrissa, then at me.
Idrissa cursed and then shoved me, whispering, “When I attack him, run. Get back to the Throttle, and lock the doors.”
I didn’t even have time to nod before she shifted too.
Idrissa’s wolf was a dark, dark chestnut, so brown it was almost black. Her tail brushed my hand, a silent signal, and then she jumped at Presley.
I didn’t wait to see who would win the battle before I fled for my life.
Chapter Thirteen
Heart racing, I rounded the corner, slipping past Presley while Idrissa distracted him. A hand closed over my arm, yanking me sideways. I screamed, the sound muffled as another hand clamped over my mouth.
A body pressed in close.
I inhaled the scent of pine and broody male.
Kai.
He loomed over me, wrapped in shadow from where he’d pinned me against the side of the building.
“Don’t scream,” he mouthed.
I nodded, eyes wide, and he dropped his hand. Despite his intimidating posture, relief flooded me. Kai was an asshole who spoke his mind without thought to other people’s feelings. But he wasn’t a killer. Or, at least, not when it came to me. I wasn’t even sure how I knew that. Especially since Silas and Presley probably wouldn’t hesitate to do just that. But Kai Stone was safe for me.
I didn’t know how I knew it; I just did.
“Follow me,” he said, his voice barely a whisper.
He grabbed my hand and led me through an opening barely large enough for me to squeeze through sideways.
On the other side was a motorcycle parked facing the street.
Kai hurried to it and handed me the helmet hanging off the handlebar.
I shoved it onto my head, and Kai reached over and snapped it underneath my chin, his fingers practiced and agile. His knuckles grazed my chin, making me shudder, but he didn’t seem to notice as he turned and swung a leg over his bike, motioning for me to climb onto the back. I slid a leg over the side, pressing my body to Kai’s.
My hands fumbled a bit as I tried to figure out how to hold on.
Kai reached back and grabbed my wrists, wrapping my arms around his chest in silent instruction. I grabbed fistfuls of his shirt, heart pounding in both fear and excitement. Kai started the bike, the engine rumbling to life around us.
My body hummed with the vibration of the engine. It was thrilling, the feel of the powerful machine. And Kai’s body pressed hard to mine. Adrenaline coursed through me but not from fear. My arms squeezed his torso as Kai kicked us into gear and shot out of the alley. He didn’t even slow or stop to check for traffic before zipping onto the main road. A car honked, and I held my breath, braced for impact, but none came.
When I let myself look up again, we were speeding through town, weaving in and out of cars with an ease that took my breath away—this time out of pleasure.
The wind whipped my hair until it stung where it hit my cheek and collarbone. A chill snaked up the back of my shirt, but I didn’t mind it. The sensation of being on the back of Kai’s bike felt like flying. Here, I was safe. Here, I was free.
Kai drove us out of town and down a series of windy back roads until I had absolutely no idea where we were.
As the chill on my skin worked its way toward cold, I thought briefly about the bags of clothes I’d dropped in the garden in my haste to get away. That sucked. Then again, losing a few clothes seemed like a small price to pay for keeping my life.
Finally, Kai pulled off the road and cut the engine.
The sudden silence echoed around me, and I reluctantly peeled my hands off Kai’s chest so I could climb off. Kai did the same, and for a long moment, he just looked at me, his eyes searching mine. Then, he reached up and unhooked my helmet.
