Free Blood Law by Karin Tabke Page B

slobbering beasts—were hot on her
heels. Miraculously, she dug deeper and her speed increased. This time she
didn’t question it, she just went with it. A thick copse of trees was dead
ahead. If she could just get to them before . . . She tripped.
    She
rolled over and hurried to her feet only to fall to her knees. Pain shot from
her left ankle straight up her calf to her thigh. She leapt up again only to
fall face-first to the loamy ground. Fresh pain radiated in hot pulses to her
groin.
    Her
leg was broken, but she didn’t have the luxury to cry about it. Crawling toward
the nearest tree, she hoisted herself up and reached for the lowest branch.
    She
heard their panting first. Then hot, wet breath licked at her back. She turned,
back flush against the trunk. The beasts surrounded her, their red eyes ablaze,
their fangs exposed, their tongues lolling out of their long mouths.
    “Nice,
doggies,” Falon softly said, once again reaching for the branch above her head.
“Nice doggies.”
    The
largest of them, looking like it weighed a good three hundred pounds, lowered
his head and flattened his ears. Not a good sign. She glanced up at the branch
she held on to and jumped on her good leg while pulling herself up. Her feet
left the ground, and she pulled herself up further. The beast below her lunged,
his jaws snatching her boot right off her foot. Falon hoisted herself up and
clung to the trunk for dear life. The beasts came at her, nearly biting off her
foot. She grabbed the next branch and climbed higher. Not high enough. In their
blood rage to get to her, the beasts tore at the bark and, like cats, they
climbed after her.
    When
she could go no higher, Falon pulled herself into a tight ball and prayed to
God to save her. As if they heard her prayers, the beasts moved to the side,
parting as if they were the sea making way for Moses.
    He
came in the form of that big-ass wolf she’d left lounging on the bed. Its
turquoise eyes locked on hers. Several of the beasts barked, and he growled
furiously. Like puppies, the black beasts yelped and went belly up as he
approached. Falon watched in silent awe as he moved effortlessly among them.
    He
turned that big tawny head of his back toward her, and this time his laconic
eyes laughed at her. He barked. A command that Falon immediately understood.
Get down. Now.
    It
was the last thing she wanted to do, but the pain in her foot was an intense
throb now, never mind that half a dozen three hundred-pound brutes were
surrounding her with Ginsu knives for teeth. Her only choice was to get down
and obey the one who was in control. The top dog, she thought derisively,
vaguely cheered by her ability to maintain her humor under such grave
conditions. She slowly began her descent and wondered why the wolf and not his
master had come after her. Where was he anyway? And how did he control the gold
wolf who, in turn, seemed to control these snarling black beasts?
    Falon
didn’t give the absurdity of her questioning thoughts much mind. Her life was
one continuous movie reel of surreal. Granted, it had been cranked up several
notches recently, but given her history, that was almost to be expected.
    She
focused her full attention on getting down the damn tree without injuring her
leg more. It wasn’t easy, especially since her body was shaking. She worked
very hard not to feel anything, and in less than twenty-four hours, she had
experienced the gamut of raw emotions and excruciating physical pain. She was
at a loss as to how to deal with it. So she didn’t.
    It
took time and effort to maneuver down the tree while keeping pressure off her
foot, which had swollen up to the size of a grapefruit and hurt like hell. She
wrestled back tears and swallowed her fear as she carefully dropped to the
earth.
    Her
fingers slipped, and her bad leg hit the ground before her good one. Falon
cried out and crumpled to the loamy forest floor. The gold wolf snarled, his
fangs displaying his petrifying fury, and