Free Marked by the Alpha by Adaline Raine

like a tough guy alpha—but after seeing Mason today I’ve changed my mind.”
    “I’ve got to go find Mason , ” Dani spoke up suddenly, then flexed her toes , tossed her towel aside, and stood up , which caused an uproar from Portia, Alisha, and Cal.
    “Even if you don’t have a concussion, Dani , you really need to lie down a little longer. I know you heal quickly but pushing yourself is not a good idea right now , ” Cal told her. He reached out his hand to lead her back to the couch, but Dani growled in response. Cal looked over at Phil.
    “ Dani , lie back down on the couch or I will have Cal sedate you, your head be damned. I’m sure it’s not serious but there is too much going on right now. Mason will be back very soon.” Phil took a breath to keep his eyes clear.
    Rather than obey him, Dani growled and shifted , then bolted for the door before he could react . She was a beautiful mixture of red fur and darker burgundy , but her beauty was lost on him at the moment . She pushed through the flimsy screen door and raced outside before he could decide how to respond.
    “Damn it, Dani !” Phil shouted after her, and then slammed his hand against the wall in frustration.
    “I’m going after her , ” Portia said without warning, and then jumped up and pulled off her top. This was an even bigger surprise to Phil than what Dani had done.
    “Wait! Wait a damn minute , ” Phil growled under his breath. “Sit down and stay put.”
    Portia pulled off the remainder of her clothes. “ Someone has to go after her, Phil, and it might as well be me. If you don’t like it, you can blister my ass when I get back. ” She shifted without further discussion and then bounded outside.
    Phil shook his head. “I swear she’s getting her attitude from Dani ,” he muttered, while considering going after her.
    He looked around the large living room, though, and saw that mo re and more members of the pack were gathering . As far as he could tell, none of them knew about the threat from the hunters yet. He had ordered Tyler and Jesse to keep that to themselves until Mason could address the pack, and they seemed to have obeyed his orders… so far. Nonetheless, every wolf in the room could sense that something very serious was going on, and all of them knew by now that the leader of their pack wasn’t around to protect them.
    Fear was starting to spread, and in a situation like this fear could quickly turn to panic. Phil was Mason’s second-in-command, and if he went running off after Dani and Portia while Mason was still gone, quite a few of the wolves might abandon the pack and run for it . Even worse, some of the stronger males might decide that they could do a better job as pack leader themselves, which would lead almost instantly to bloody confrontation. If Phil left now, Mason might not have a pack to defend by the time he got back. Reluctantly, Phil decided that Portia and Dani were on their own until Mason returned.

Chapter Four
     
     
    Dani was running through the woods at full speed , trying to catch Mason’s scent . She did not know the se woods and she had long since lost the scent of the pack , but she ran on. Her thoughts were simpler in this form, and more focused on the immediate situation. S he did not concern herself with regrets about the past or worry about what the future might bring with Mason—she just wanted to find him.
    She ran back and forth through the woods for what seemed like hours, sniffing con stantly for the Mason’s trail, but she found nothing. Maybe he had gone back to the house and was waiting for her? Should she go back and rejoin the pack? But what if he was in trouble and he needed her? What if he had been injured or captured by the hunters? Even in her wolf form these questions still dominated her thoughts. Dani hung her head. Maybe s he had been stupid to run off into the woods halfcocked without anyone assisting her.
    Dani had just about decided to head for home when the