Free Wolf at the Door: Salvation Pack, Book 1 by N.J. Walters Page A

darken as he watched her. “My father is alpha of a pack down around New Orleans. They live by the old ways, which means mating only with other werewolves and keeping to themselves as much as possible. He shuns the outside world and most of them still live in cabins out in the swamps and bayous as they have for generations.”
    That wasn’t so hard for her to understand. There were still a lot of folks who clung to older ways, especially in isolated places. “If he shuns the modern world, how would he find out about me?” She was pleased with her logic. Maybe she could talk her way out of this yet.
    Jacque shook his head. “He might prefer the old ways but he’s not stupid either. He’s learned everything about the modern world, including computers and communication. The pack’s safety depends on information. He knows about Hector so if he doesn’t know about you it’s only a matter of time until he does. He’ll send out scouts to track Hector’s movements and probably to find him.”
    “You didn’t kill him?” That was something that had been bothering her but she’d been afraid to ask until now.
    “No, chère .” Jacque ran his thumb over her forehead, smoothing out worry lines. “We gave him a stern talking to and let him go.”
    “That’s it?” She wasn’t naïve or stupid enough to believe that.
    “No, that’s not all,” he chuckled. “So suspicious, you are.” But he looked pleased by that rather than disappointed. “Armand also planted some files in various doctor’s offices and police stations questioning Hector’s grip on reality. If he talks too much he’ll find himself medicated in a hospital.”
    Gwen couldn’t believe they’d do something like that. “That’s cruel.” She couldn’t imagine ending up in a mental institution knowing she was totally sane.
    “Better that than dead.” Jacque’s voice was hard and sharp. “And he was warned. Pierre LaForge wouldn’t give him such a chance. If my father had found him, Hector would already be dead.”
    She supposed they were being as fair as they could be under the circumstances. This new world she’d discovered herself a part of was cruel and brutal. Animalistic at its core. Which made sense considering what they were.
    “Tell me about your people. How do you become a werewolf? How far back does your history go in civilization?”
    Jacque smiled and shook his head. “No more questions. Not now. You won’t be writing any more articles about us or our kind.”
    It wasn’t a threat, not exactly, but Gwen had no doubt in her mind that he expected to be obeyed. “We’ll see.” It was easy for him to issue commands. She still had to make a living, assuming she survived this mess she’d stumbled into.
    “No, chère .” He shook his head and she could see sorrow as well as determination there. It frightened her as nothing else had. “The life you had is over.”
    She stiffened and her heart began to pump faster, sending adrenaline flooding through her veins. Fight or flight. There was only one option. She wasn’t strong enough to fight. But was she fast enough to run? She didn’t think so, but she had to try.
    Gwen flung herself sideways, or at least tried to. Jacque caught her before she’d moved more than a few inches, his reflexes remarkably fast. “No, Gwen. Don’t run from me.”
    She ignored him and pounded her fists against his shoulders. She didn’t waste energy yelling. Their struggle was silent and quick. He simply wrapped his arms around her and held on until she’d exhausted herself. It wasn’t fair how easily he subdued her. He was barely expending any energy while she was fighting him with everything she had.
    He was speaking low and calm, but she didn’t hear the words at first. The roaring in her ears was too loud. She was never going to escape, never going home. What did that mean for her? She’d had a shred of hope and now that was gone. Even if she did escape there would be others looking to kill