Page 59 of The Mating Need
She lifted herhead.
“I’m going out for supplies. We need food for tonight. Stay inside, lock thecabin.”
After he left she knew the truth. Troy couldn’t stay with her. He was too used to the Skin life with apack.
Jenny went for a walk tothink.
In the distance, she saw what looked like ominous figures in robes. The stench of evil invaded her nostrils and her hackles rose. Notagain!
She shifted into wolf and began running toward the threat when suddenly something snapped on her leg. Bone broke and she howled in terror andpain.
Blood poured from her wounds, pooling on the muddy ground. Jenny screamed inside, but in wolfskin, the sound came as a low howl. The trap’s steel jaws sank deep into flesh and bone. Her leg was broken. She’d heard it snap like atwig.
Fighting against the instinct to pull free, shake the trap loose, she forced herself to remain still and use her intellect. She was at least a mile away from any outbuildings in the ranch. Even if she could force herself to shift into Skin, Jenny knew she lacked the strength to set herselffree.
She listened instead, panting, trying to assess her surroundings. If only Troy were closer! He could easily spring the trap. But Troy was far fromhere.
Anguished, she howled in pain and fear. Couldn’t work her extraordinary powers inwolfskin.
Nothing answered, but the rasp of tree branches rustling in the wind, and dry, dead leaves stirring at herhead.
No,wait…
In the distance, a low wolf howl answeredback.
Hope leapt up, and then died. Probably a realwolf.
Jenny licked the air, her wolf senses kicking into overdrive. Harder to fight them now that she grewweaker.
Leaves and undergrowth crunched. The smell of male Skin rose in her nostrils. Growling, she turned her head and saw a handsome man, about thirty, wearing a plaid shirt andjeans.
He had an air of concern and didn’t carry a rifle.Still…
She growleddeeper.
“Easy now,” the Skin soothed. “I know it hurts, girl. Easy. I’m here tohelp.”
Right. And I’m the big, bad wolf.Instinct made her snap her jaws athim.
The Skin stepped back. “I don’t want to muzzle you. You’re in pain and if you move any more, you risk losing that leg. So let’s make a deal. You keep your jaws to yourself and I’ll work down here, on thistrap.”
Jenny went still, watching, alert for any sign this Skin wanted to further hurt her. But he knelt down, his big hands working at the trap and released it. Pressureeased.
With extreme gentleness, he lifted her leg from the steel jaws. He sighed. “That looks bad. Broken, most likely. I have materials for a splint and something to stop that bleeding. My Jeep’s not far. Hang inthere.”
He picked up the cell phone hanging from his belt and punched some numbers. He frowned. “Aiden, it’s Professor Jeff Chance. I know you’re probably on the range, but call me soon as you get this message. I found a female wolf caught in a trap near the den. She’s injured badly and I may need your help movingher.”
He hung up, eyed her. “Aiden has a way with wolves. I’ll beback.”
This was Professor Chance they mentioned, the one studying the Timberlinepack.
A friend. A rescuer, not the one who set thetrap.
Don’t leaveme.
Every cell in her body knew something worse than the wolf trap was coming forher.
But her mind was fogged and she couldn’t think straight. Professor Chance stood and ran off through thewoods.
She watched him leave, and then pushed aside the wolf instinct. Jenny forced herself to shift to save herself. Pain coursed through her body. Whimpering, she clothedherself.
Jenny crawled away through the dirt, dragging her injured leg behind her. From a short distance away, she heard low laughter. Whoever set that trap was coming for her. She struggled to stand, and bit back a cry of pain as her injured leg buckled beneathher.
Something whooshed through the air and a needle stung her on the neck. Dizziness claimed her. She felt vision grow gray, and thendarker.
Chance had left, gettinghelp.
But for her, it would be toolate.
