Free The White Wolf (Half-Breed Book 1) by Brittany Comeaux Page A

said, “Look familiar?”
    “Just like the men who attacked us in Birhog,” Varg said.
    “This journal is exactly what kind of evidence we've been looking for,” Milea said. “Who knows what other information we'll find in its pages?”
    “Maybe now we can—” Varg stopped abruptly and began to sniff the air.
    “What is it?” Milea asked.
    “We need to leave,” Varg answered.
    “What? Why?”
    “Now,” Varg said more urgently.
    He grabbed Milea by her free arm and urged her towards the door, despite her many questions and protests. She still carried the journal and Varg finally got her running through the door. Of all his enhanced senses, his smell was top notch. Varg knew danger when he smelled it, and this time it came in the form of smoke.
    Varg allowed Milea to run in front of him, so she'd be in less danger, and followed her to the staircase.
    “What the—who are you?”
    Varg and Milea stopped in their tracks and turned to see a guard marching out of one of the bedrooms behind them. The agitated guard drew his sword and boldly pointed it at the intruders.
    “I'm sorry, we were just leaving,” Varg said in a hurry.
    The guard boldly inched forward. “Don't even think about running! You're under arrest for trespassing in the Count's castle!”
    Varg stood his ground, but hurriedly said, “Look, there is danger nearby and you need to run before it you get hurt.”
    Before the guard could argue, Lionel's study erupted in a deafening inferno behind him. The force of the blaze sent the shocked guard flying forward and onto the floor. Varg turned and rushed towards Milea to shield her, and he ended up falling on top of her. Once the blast calmed, Varg looked down and saw Milea was fine, but irked.
    It was then that Varg realized his hand was on Milea's breast. He jerked his hand back and jumped off of her in a hurry, trying to stutter an apology. “I swear I didn't mean to . . . I mean, it did feel nice, but . . .”
    Milea stood and quickly composed herself. “Never mind that. We need to help that guard!”
    Varg ran to the guard's side, picked him up, and flung him over his shoulder. He then trotted down the stairs with Milea behind him.
    “This way!” they heard a man yell.
    “Go back through the garden,” Milea urged.
    Varg did so, and fortunately there weren't any guards in sight. Varg ran across the courtyard without caring that anyone saw them, and once he made it to some brush near the outer wall, he set the guard down against the stone. The guard had a few minor burns and was out cold, but was otherwise unharmed.
    “Thank Laelith for your sense of smell,” Milea said after she place a small healing potion next to the guard.
    “It's never failed me yet,” Varg said proudly.
    “I can only assume that it was one of the assassins who did that,” Milea said. “The question is, how?”
    “I smelled smoke coming from the window area, as if a fuse had just been lit. I assume they scaled the building without the guards noticing and set the explosion to get rid of us,” Varg explained.
    “And destroy Lionel's study,” Milea offered.
    “Which means they knew about Lionel's journal, or at least knew he had some form of evidence in his study,” Varg said.
    “What's more, now that they're following us, we'll need to cover our tracks,” Milea dreaded.
    Varg nodded and scanned the yard to make sure he couldn't see any assassins that caused the blaze, but only saw the fire from Lionel's study spreading to the other rooms of the castle. The guards tried desperately to control it, but despite their efforts the fire engulfed the entire second floor. Varg turned back to Milea and said, “We'd better make a break for it while they're distracted.”
    “You're right,” Milea said.
    Once they were sure they'd left the guard where he could be found, they scaled the wall using the rope Varg left behind and tumbled onto the dirt on the other side. They scrambled to their feet before anyone could