Free Forever (Shifter Island Book 3) by Carol Davis Page B

snarled at him. That took him completely by surprise, and he yelped and sprang back from where he’d been standing.
    “Get back!” the man shrieked. “You get back!”
    The young wolf snarled again.
    And the man bolted and ran.
    They chased him through the woods for almost an hour, steering him so that he truly was running in circles, well away from both the settlement and the docks. He’d find nothing that would help him, nowhere to hide.
    He ran impressively well for someone who was injured, fueled by pure adrenaline, the kind of prey the wolves rarely had the opportunity to chase. He stumbled several times, but each time managed to get back up and flee again.
    He had more light to assist him now that the moon had risen above the trees, but it wasn’t nearly enough; he had no idea which path was best, which route offered the fewest obstacles.
    The wolves took turns with him, driving him from one place to another, allowing him no more than a breath or two of relief before they plunged toward him again.
    Each time his wolf got close enough, Aaron could hear the man gasping and groaning, making a deep moan of pain each time he stepped awkwardly and wrenched his injured leg.
    Aaron listened carefully, gauging how weak the man was growing. He’d have to choose exactly the right moment; too soon, and the man might decide to renew the battle another time.
    Too late, and he would likely die from blood loss.
    Finally, the time came.
    The man seemed truly pathetic now, smeared with mud, his skin and clothing badly torn. Now he was bleeding not only from his leg but from a gash on his chin, and the blood had mixed with the gooey mud on his hands.
    He tried to inch away, but the rocks blocked his path. With his back up against them, he began to whine low in his throat.
    In days long past, the wolves would have killed him and shared the meat amongst the pack.
    But now?
    The thought of eating this sad excuse for a man turned Aaron’s stomach. He stared at the man through the eyes of the wolf for a minute, trying to feel some satisfaction at the man’s cowering and whimpering, but it wouldn’t come. This wasn’t a battle well won, a victory over a worthy opponent. It was no more satisfying than besting a terrified rabbit.
    The others began to gather around, flanking Aaron on both sides, their glittering, golden gaze directed at the sniveling human they’d trapped among the rocks.
    Aaron heard a rumble from somewhere at the back of the pack, a noise that coming from the throat of a man would be laughter. He growled softly in return, warning the pack to stand firm, claws and teeth at the ready.
    The human Lane started to weep.
    Aaron and the wolf were struck by a shared thought, one that was difficult to resist. No wolf in the wild would indulge it, but these were different circumstances, so Aaron urged the animal forward. It took a step, then another, listening to the tiny sounds of curiosity coming from the others.
    The human had tried to curl into a ball, but his injured leg and the arrangement of the rocks wouldn’t allow it, so parts of him were exposed.
    Fragile parts.
    Valuable parts.
    The wolf took another step, then paused, waiting for the man’s reaction.
    He seemed to be frozen in terror, his eyes open wide, the rest of him quivering but immobile. That was exactly what both Aaron and the wolf wanted, so Aaron gave the animal another nudge.
    The man started to whine louder as the wolf walked steadily up to him, and though it hardly seemed possible, his eyes opened wider and wider.
    The wolf opened its jaws and fastened its teeth around the man’s genitals.
    It tightened its grip just enough for the tips of its canines to begin to pierce the fabric of the man’s pants, then went still.
    Aaron had the wolf hold on until the man’s entire body had flooded with the stink of panic. Tears cascaded down the man’s cheeks onto his filthy shirt, but still he didn’t move. He didn’t dare move.
    Aaron had no doubt that