Free Black Wolf's Revenge by Tera Shanley Page B

the information the pack finds out as soon as possible. I need the address the minute they find it. And the keys to my truck.”
    She smiled and pulled his jangling keychain out of her jeans pocket. “I figured we’d be breaking out tonight.”
    “I’ll need extra bandages and pain meds. Things to get me there.”
    She nodded and jogged to the storage room, returned with a medium-sized plastic box full of everything he could possibly need. He patted the back of his jeans pocket where his wallet was still cradled between the rough material. He was ready.
    She walked quietly beside him to his truck.
    He gripped her shoulder and leveled her a look. “Be good. I’ll talk to you soon.” When he got into the truck, he plugged his cell phone into the charger and turned the engine. The darkness engulfed Marissa as he drove away, taking the illumination of his taillights with him. Hopefully, he would be able to keep his promise and see her again.
    Dirt, rocks and trees blurred in the headlights as he picked up speed. “Hang on Morgan. I’m coming to get you.”
    * * * *
    Dry leaves crunched under Morgan’s bare feet. Jagged rocks and limbs peppered the forest floor and should’ve hurt the tender pads of her feet, but she didn’t feel any pain. A soft breeze lifted strands of her dark hair, and the thin muslin night dress she wore clung to her frame. Scanning the space between the trees, she looked for something. Or maybe she was looking for someone, she couldn’t remember. A twig snapped crisply behind her and she turned. Nothing was there but the movement of low-hung swaying branches. Every step felt like a chore, as exhausted and weak limbs became heavier with every step she took. Vines drooped down from the dense trees; the snake-like hindrances ensnared her arms, exhausting her further with her efforts to rid herself of the clinging manacles. Exhausted and weak, she tripped recurrently. She moved by inches through the vine-infested forest. As progress stalled, her heart raced, drumming against her chest. The chill in the air showed the frost of her breath chugging in front of her lips. The forest closed in, crowding her until it felt like the oxygen had been sucked from her lungs. Everywhere she looked were more vines, more timber, more brush to trap her for eternity. Lurching for a sliver of light, she burst into a clearing. The woods behind her were ominous and dark, but before her stood a tree so wide, she couldn’t find a way around it. The ancient sequoia stretched as far as her eye could see.
    An invisible tether in her chest urged her forward. She had to get to the other side to find what she was looking for--to find relief.
    Hurry, hurry, the breeze whispered, caressing her neck and lifting her long dark hair. The tree was scarred with a carving etched deep into its injured bark. It stretched to the bottom of its trunk.
    Two wolves, one black, one white, with their heads tilted back as they howled at the moon together. Odd and so familiar. She ran her hands over the beautiful carving. The hairs electrified on the back of her neck as the deep, sinking feeling of dread washed over her skin. She turned slowly.
    A slow fog snaked its way toward her from the forest she’d escaped, sheltering a pair of glowing eyes moving first to the right and then to the left. Something hunted her. Frantically, she pushed on the carved tree with shaking fingers, looking all around her for an escape as the fog slowly closed in on her. She pushed on the body of the black wolf and a hissing sound startled her, pulling her focus to the right. Trees, tall, slender, and so close together she couldn’t tell where one ended and where one began were carved into the space around the wolves. A rectangle of the segment slid away, revealing a door. One last glance at the glowing eyes advancing on her with alarming speed had her dragging tired limbs to the doorway and then through it. The door slammed closed behind her, leaving her in