Free Gifted: A Holiday Anthology by Kelley Armstrong Page A

was ripping along, hearing nothing but the wind whistling past his ears. The snow started driving his way, and he narrowed his eyes against it. The cold wind numbed his ears and nose, and he was truly running “blind,” all senses deadened. Just keep moving. A little farther, and then he’d veer into the woods and—
    There was a figure on the road.
    It seemed to appear from nowhere, but the truth was, he just hadn’t been watching where he was going. Not watching. Not listening. Not smelling. He’d had his eyes on the road, and then he glanced up, and there was a man standing ten feet away.
    Logan stopped fast. He rubbed his hands over his face, and, when he pulled them away, he caught the scent. His stomach did a double flip.
    No, that wasn’t possible. It had been a misunderstanding. His parents had caught a whiff of the puppy and mistaken it for . . .
    Logan inhaled deeper and swallowed.
    And mistaken it for nothing. There was a mutt, standing on the edge of their property.
    A mutt, twice his size, staring right at him.
    Logan knew he should run. That’s what they’d been taught. But he couldn’t, and it wasn’t fear—it was something deep in his gut that saw a rogue werewolf on their territory and refused to flee. He planted his feet, and lifted his chin and squared his shoulders. And he waited.
    The mutt took three steps toward him. Slow and careful steps. As the mutt drew near, Logan realized he was young. Maybe twenty. Still twice his size. Both twins were small for their age, one of the more unfortunate traits they’d inherited from their father, who’d been the smallest in his class until he hit his growth spurt in high school.
    The mutt stared at him and then inhaled deeply, his eyes widening.
    “You smell like a werewolf,” the young man said.
    “Uh, yeah . . .”
    “No, I mean, you’re a kid. You shouldn’t already smell like a werewolf.”
    “I’m special. Now, since you obviously know who I am—”
    “You’re the boy,” he said.
    “Pretty sure I don’t look like a girl.”
    “No, the boy. Their boy.”
    “Three for three. Not exactly genius, considering where you are. You do know where you are, right? Trespassing? On the Alpha’s territory.”
    “Your dad, you mean.”
    Logan rolled his eyes. “And there’s your first strike. My mother is the Alpha, moron.”
    The mutt’s lips twitched. “Sorry, kid, no one buys that story. The Pack would never make a woman Alpha. It’s really your dad—they just don’t want to scare people by saying that.”
    “Fine. You’re about to meet both of them. You can pick your challenge. Either way, you’ll get your ass kicked. That’s why you’re here, right? To challenge the Alpha.”
    “No, I’m not stupid.”
    “Um, yeah. The fact you’re here says you are. Now, should I call them over? Or do you want to rethink this particular course of action?”
    The mutt’s gaze darted to the forest. “They’re out here?”
    “Duh. You think they’d let their nine-year-old wander around at two in the morning? Now, I’m giving you a chance to leave. It’s Christmas time, don’t you have someplace to be?”
    “Um . . .”
    “Never mind. Just go. Head off that way.” He pointed. “Don’t step on the property or my parents will track you down and make an example of you. If you leave now, I won’t tell them you were here. They thought they smelled a mutt earlier, but they weren’t sure. Don’t make them sure.”
    The mutt peered at him. “How old are you again?”
    “Nine.”
    “You don’t talk like it.”
    “I take after my parents—both of them—who are very smart as well as very good fighters. It’s a lethal combination, and I wouldn’t suggest you stick around long enough to find out for yourself.”
    “Is it true what they say? About your dad? What he did to the last wolf who trespassed here?”
    “Whatever they say, it’s true. Now just—”
    “Do you know what they say? What he did? You must not. Otherwise, you