Page 27 of Bodyguard Wolf Shifter
I groaned into the palm of my hand.
A voice called out to me, but it sounded like it was coming from the end of a very long tunnel. Focusing when I was in the middle of a transformation was impossible.
I ground my teeth together and forced myself to stand. It felt like hot pokers were being pressed deeply into the side of my ribs. The fire burned out of control.
Something ricocheted off the bumper next to my head. The spark made me blink.
An overzealous police officer had taken a shot at me. The echo of the recoil was lost to me. He must've warned me to stop and I didn't hear him.
I shook my head from side to side. The wolf wanted to come out to hunt. We were forever linked and had a tentative arrangement. The full moon was his Christmas and birthday all rolled into one.
The power running through my veins corrupted my mind and body. The animal side of my psyche wanted to lash out.
It craved the taste of blood.
"I'm not going to ask you again. That was a warning shot." The officer converged with his gun drawn and the barrel still smoking from his previous shot. The footfalls of other police officers were getting closer. Detective Coleman could be heard over the rest of them.
The familiarity I felt to him made it easier to pinpoint his voice in the noise. He was ordering them to take me alive. Nobody said anything about arresting me.
I got down on my hands and knees with every loose pebble digging into my palm. It helped a little to alleviate the pain in my ribs. It wasn't long before that pain encompassed my entire body.
I stayed on all fours where I was the most comfortable. It made it easier to slide under the vehicles to keep the police officers and Detective Coleman at a distance.
"Fan out. Let's box him in. Keep your heads on a swivel," Detective Coleman commanded their attention.
Their fear carried on the wind. The wolf wanted to turn back and give them something to worry about. It took every ounce of willpower to move further away from the danger persisting behind me.
They would see me the moment I came out of hiding. The alternative would be to set the wolf loose on them. Nobody would survive the altercation. They would be torn to ribbons without getting a single shot off.
That had to be avoided at all costs.
"You haven't done anything you can't come back from. Just give up peacefully. Your house is currently being raided. Come out with your hands up. Don't make any sudden moves. I'm trying to give you a chance. Take it," Detective Coleman urged when his gun clicked with one in the chamber.
The open space in front of me would give them a clean target to fire on.
"Don't make this harder than it has to be. We have a warrant and it's being carried out as we speak. What do you think they're going to find when they breach? You already know and we are about to find out," he said smugly.
I didn't think there was any reason to respond. He wanted me to wave the white flag to surrender. The last thing they wanted was the wolf in captivity. It needed to run free in the wild with other animals of like mind.
The wolf sniffed the air with its nostrils flared. The pine scent called out to the wolf. It anxiously pushed against my frail human side. It wasn't used to me pushing back. That resistance angered him, and he wasn't about to take no for an answer. His influence was growing stronger with every passing second.
I somehow convinced him without words to work with me rather than against me. We combined forces and suddenly bolted without looking back.
A moving target was a whole lot harder to hit than a stationary one.
I moved back and forth evasively. The bullets kicked up the dirt around me. Small particles of sand danced in front of my eyes.
"Stop shooting," Detective Coleman ordered, but they were now relying on their basic training.
They considered me a threat and were quick to neutralize anything that jeopardized their safety and well-being.
I didn't blame them for their overreaction.
The minefield of deadly projectiles stopped the wolf in his tracks. He turned and growled. Nobody noticed how the wildlife became quiet. You could hear a pin drop. They were terrified and had every right to be.
The buttons on my shirt came off.
I grabbed the wolf by its metaphorical tail in the hopes of winning the internal battle. The temporary victory opened up a window of opportunity. Letting it slip from my grip wasn't an option.
