Free Pride's Pursuit (a Wolf's Pride novel, book three) by Cat Kalen Page B

alone.”
My pulse thrums harder in my throat and I fight to steady it.“You can’t,” I whisper, then
draw a fueling breath, pulling the scent of the deadly hunters into my lungs as I look at the
shifters surrounding me. They’re homeless because of me and I know I can’t let them down.
“The noise will draw the attention of the PTFand I don’t want to face them until I free the
others.”
“What if it’s a trap?” Stone points out, pitching his voice low to match mine.
“What if it’s not,” I counter, intent on finding out who or what’s inside, and if I don’t find
the others I at least hope to find information leading to them.“The PTF aren’t aware that we
know about this place.” As I address his worries, I can’t help but think about Nova and the
darkness I feel in her.But the truth is we’ve come too far to back down now.
My glance lands on my father, and I find him standing guard over Gem and Sandy. His face
is tight, his body on high alert, but there is a new weariness about him, one I’ve never seen
before.I’m intelligent enough to know there is something going on with him. While I feel it in
every fiber of my being, I know now is not the time for questions. Now is thetime for action.
“Logan?” I say, looking at him.
A guttural sound rises from the depths of his throat and it’s clear he doesn’t like what I’m
about to do, but he also knows it’s our only choice and nothing he does or says is going to stop
me.
His warm palm cups my face.“The first sign of danger, you get yourself out,” he warns and
I give a quick nod.I’m about to move, but he captures my elbow and holds me for a moment.
He gives an encouraging squeeze, and as he communicates silently with me his belief in me fills
me with bravado.“I’ve got your back, okay.”
“You have got to be kidding me?” Stone barks out, his voice rising in the sudden updraft
rushing through the forest.
I put my hand to his chest to calm him.“Stone, it’s okay. I’ll get in and get to the front door
as fast as I can and let the rest of you in.”
“It’s not okay,” he bites back. “You might not be able to make it to the front door.”
“I know what I’m doing.”
“Are you sure, Pride?” he asks, his back ramrod straight, his eyes drilling into me.“Are you
sure you know what you’re doing?” As we glare at each other in strained silence, the air around
us charges with volatile electricity, and I know in an instant what he’s really asking.
Before I can answer him, he changes tactics and I feel his voice inside my head, his words
for my ears only.“ You said yourself you didn’t trust Nova. What if she’s up to something? What
if she led us here on purpose? ”
I think about that for a minute and the longer I consider it the more ludicrous it begins to
sound. Nova is just a young girl, one who has been completely shelteredfrom life’s harsh
realities. I steal a sideways glance at Logan. With a frown on his face, his hands are fisted as he
watches the silent exchange between destined mates.I can’t forget that Nova is a part of his
pack, and she must want to find her missing family every bit as much as he does.
“ Maybe we’re way off base, Stone. Maybe Logan is right and we have nothing to worry
about .”
At the mention of Logan, Stone turns to stare at him and their gazes clash in a silent
struggle.
The muscles along Logan’s jaw clench and there is real danger in his voice when he says,
“I’m not going to let anything happen to her, Stone.”
Stone’s mood blackens and he gives a humorless bark of laughter.“Yeah, because you’ve
been doing such a good job of that now,haven’t you? You don’t know how to take care of her,
Logan.Not like I do.”
When they move toward one another, I press a palm to both their chests and try to defuse
the situation before it escalates and gains the attention of hunters. There is a frantic edge to my
voice when I say, “You two can stay out