Page 74 of The Tracker's Secret
Huh?My eyes darted to Eric’s.
“C’mon,” the voice said, “you had no trouble running yesterday. Let your wolf take the reins.”
Eric was talking inside my head! My hackles raised. Literally. Because now I had them, which was weird to think about.
“How?!” I demanded. “How are you doing that?”
“I’m an alpha. Only alphas can push thoughts into other werewolves’ heads. We can also hear everyone’s thoughts back,” he said in explanation. “Now, run.” He disappeared again, giving a bark of encouragement.
Wow, that was wicked. Alpha’s were telepathic, and Jake never told me.What a dick!
Pushing that thought away, I stared down at my paws and moved them one at a time. My back legs responded in unison.
Don’t think about it, Toni. Just do it. Just go!
I inhaled deeply and let my mind go blank. Without hesitation, as soon as my human instincts were out of the way, Red took over and I sprang into a run.
When I turned the corner at the end of the hall, I searched for Eric, sweeping the open area. At the back of the room, he stood next to an open window, and as soon as he saw me, he leaped through it and disappeared. I rushed after him and, still six feet away from the opening, jumped and sailed smoothly through the air and out the window. On the other side, I hit the ground running, my paws welcoming the earth’s supple feel. A wall of thick trees welcomed me.
My nose twitched as I lifted my muzzle up in the air and caught Eric’s scent. I went after him, following up a tree-dotted, steep hill. I leaped over fallen logs and rocks, my sharp eyes set on Eric’s darting figure.
Catch him! Catch him!
The instinct to hunt him was strong. My legs pumped under me, kicking back dirt and dead leaves. Tree trunks blurred at my sides as I sped by them. Up ahead, Eric stopped and glanced back as if taunting me. My instinct redoubled, and I ran faster still.
He turned tail and started running again. Somehow, I sensed his surprise as the distance between us shrank. I gave it all I had. I would not let Eric with his arrogance and rude behavior show me up. He had no idea who he was messing with.
I was Antonietta Luna Sunder. I never gave up.
Energy thundered through my legs as my resolve grew. In a minute, I cut the distance between us in half. I snarled, letting him know I was close. He shifted directions on a dime, and I turned abruptly, narrowly missing a tree as I changed course.
My breaths came hard and even. My claws tore the ground as my powerful limbs strained to the max. Then I was on him. His tail an inch from my snout. I snapped my teeth, narrowly missing him.
Eric stopped and whirled on me, his fangs bared as he growled with savage anger. I snarled back, circling around him, teeth snapping, paws clawing at the ground.
“Heel,” Eric’s voice resonated inside my head, trying to break through my anger.
“No!” I shot back, my teeth snapping as I lunged forward, intent on tearing a chunk off his smug face.
“HEEL!” This time, his voice roared inside my head, while his growl nearly rattled my every bone.
Fighting my wild instincts, I lowered my head, gnashing my teeth together as I submitted to the order. It went against every fiber of my being. It sucked being an omega.
Gratefully, the small voice of reason inside my head prevailed.
He can tear you to pieces, Red. You’re nothing but a pup compared to him.
The wild anger that raged inside gradually passed. My breaths slowed, and after a moment, I found that I had no reason to fight the other wolf. It had been stupid to think I was hunting him when he was not prey.
I lifted my head and sniffed the air.
Eric relaxed and turned away. He walked over to a large boulder and sat next to it. I joined him and settled by his side. We were at the top of a gentle slope that dived into a small, gurgling creek. A quarter moon hung high in the sky, and a cool breeze rattled the tree branches above us.
The tawny wolf howled, stretching his neck up, his voice mournful and compelling. Before I knew what I was doing, I was howling, too, feeling as if I were releasing years of pent-up frustration and unfulfilled dreams—dreams that my wolf had thought would never come true.
But now...
Here she was, free at last, and no one would ever leash her again.
