Page 35 of Venom Island
“Shit,” I mutter. “Sorry. It’s my wolf. He feels challenged.”
Because he is being challenged.
By an island full of feral wolves.
My feet move faster, the need to find somewhere safe for Caja driving my instincts. She runs along with me, but I can feel her anxiety now, smell her fear. It’s a fucking aphrodisiac that’s going to attract even more predators.
And it’s driving my inner beast mad with lust.
I fight the urge to growl and demand that she shift. To take her against a godsdamn tree like a savage.
The crashing of the water against the rocks is the only sound that grounds me in the present, forcing me forward as we runalong the interior of the cove. We’re on an incline, jogging upward and toward more trees situated along a cliff’s edge.
There are no old buildings here, just lush trees and jagged underbrush.
I pause to glance out over the coast, my gaze seeking the space I noticed while searching the area earlier.Almost there, I think, taking off again.
But the howls are loud now, the sounds scattering goose bumps down my arms.Faster,I tell myself.Fucking. Faster.
Caja sprints alongside me, her terror mounting.
Then I freeze as an unwelcome scent hits my senses.Alphas.
A growl tightens my chest. “Run,” I tell her, taking off away from the coastline and abandoning the cave plan. Caja follows on my heels, her wolf panting with the effort.
I have no idea where we’re heading now, just away from the Alpha scents. Away from the howls. Just…away.
I leap over a fallen log and she does the same, then I sprint toward the sound of rushing water. It’s inland, suggesting it’s either a creek or a waterfall, but maybe it can help hide Caja’s scent.
Oh, who the hell am I kidding? Her perfume is like a damn beacon that’s screaming,Fuck me.
Twigs and leaves snap behind us, confirming we’re being pursued. Of course, the snarls and howls already told me that.
Most of them are in wolf form, giving them an advantage over my human body. But I can’t fire a gun with my paws.
I duck under a low-hanging branch, then come to a screeching halt as I realize we’ve just hit a dead end.
Or rather, another cliff.
In the form of a waterfall.
I quickly survey the area, my night vision allowing me to see every detail.
We can’t jump; there are too many rocks down below. While we would absolutely survive the fall from this height, thanks to our enhanced genetics, it would take a while to heal.
Shit.
Caja brushes against me, her body vibrating with nerves.
I place my palm on her nape, then cock my head to the side, silently telling her to follow me once more.
We travel the cliff’s edge until we find what looks like an old, overgrown path. I start down it, then think better of it and whisper, “You go. I’ll meet you down there in the water.”
Her eyes tell me she doesn’t like this idea, her energy humming with alarm. But like a good wolf, she starts the trek while I crouch to open my pack and pull out a few helpful items.
Most wolves fight in animal form.
In any other situation, I would.
