Free Chameleon (Supernaturals) by Kelly Oram Page B

about?” I asked.
    Russ ignored me. His attention was fixed on the stranger. “Looks like he’s on steroids and likes to play fetch for his master? Must be a werewolf.” When the stranger grinned proudly Russ matched his smirk. “That explains the smell.”
    “Just as your magic explains your misguided sense of superiority, young master warlock.”
    “You’re not taking her anywhere.”
    “Danielle.” The werewolf addressed me suddenly. “Your boy toy here is overconfident. I’m a full-grown werewolf—second in command of my pack, and a trained warrior. A few beginner knockback spells from a young warlock-in-training won’t be any match for me. Come with me now and there doesn’t have to be a fight, but if he tries anything I will kill him.”
    I didn’t have to think about his request. His threat was obviously real so I headed for the shore before Russ could stop me.
    “Smart girl,” the werewolf said, tossing me my shirt.
    “Dani wait!”
    Before I got my head through the neck of my shirt I felt a pair of strong arms come around me. “Move one inch and I’ll bite her. Boss said don’t kill her, but he didn’t say anything about making her one of us.”
    Russ froze, and somewhere in my mind I realized that I was in danger, but I could hardly be bothered with that because I suddenly had other things to worry about. My body was on fire and my senses were going crazy. “Russ!” I screamed. “Russ, something’s wrong! Something’s happening to me!”
    I could hear and smell everything. My sight sharpened, and I felt all the muscles in my body grow strong. A wave of reckless energy rippled through me and suddenly I couldn’t stand the feeling of being bound by my captor. I needed to be free. I needed to fight.
    Logic told me I was scared—terrified even—but I couldn’t seem to act on that fear. I wanted to scream and run but my body tensed for a fight. There were strange new emotions in me and I had no idea where they were coming from or how to control them. Threat. This man was a threat. I had to fight him. I had to protect myself and my territory.
    My territory? I asked myself after I’d had the thought. What did that even mean? And fight this guy ? He was huge and I wasn’t exactly Muhammad Ali. Still, instead of trying to run, a growl rose from my throat. It sounded animalistic.
    The arms around me turned to steel. “That is not possible!” the werewolf growled, spinning me to face him. His nostrils flared and all the hair on his body stood on end, making me even more willing to fight.
    I screamed at him but it came out as a howl and then I screamed again, simply because I’d scared myself.
    My howl sent the werewolf over the edge. He let go of me and dropped to his hands and knees. I watched in horror as his body convulsed in wild violent spasms.
    “Dani, get out of there, he’s transforming!” Russ yelled as he frantically came toward me.
    It took me a moment to understand his meaning, but that’s all it took because instead of a man, I was staring at a giant angry wolf.
    I’d never seen anything like it. Pennsylvania doesn’t exactly have a big wolf population. “Beautiful,” I whispered even though his presence was making all the hair on my body stand up.
    The wolf growled at me, showing it’s teeth like I would be dinner if I even thought of moving. I knew I should be still, but I was at war with my body and its need to stand up to the animal in front of me.
    As we stared each other down, Russ cast a spell and sent the wolf flying backward. “Dani, your magic! Freeze him like you froze the kids at the dance!”
    The wolf was already on his feet again so I closed my eyes and I wished the thing still. Nothing happened. I tried again, but instead of being frozen in place, the wolf charged Russ.
    What happened next was out of my control.
    That thing went after Russ and an anger flared in me that I’d never known I was capable of. I felt the need to protect Russ so fiercely that