Free The Bad Wolf by Michelle Clay Page B

and snapped only inches from her nose. Chloe scrambled to her feet, but had nowhere to go.
    “Nice doggie,” she said in a quivering voice. Was it dogs or bears you didn’t run from? She couldn’t remember.
    An auburn wolf trotted out of the shadows next to the industrial arts room and a rusty brown one followed. Their noses twitched at the smell of blood trickling from her scraped knee. Chloe pressed her back against the brick wall. She tried to squeeze all thoughts from her mind, but they still managed to leak through. Curiosity, anger and a bit of jealousy crept over her as she met each of their gazes.
    The auburn wolf snap ped at her leg. The small blonde gripped the back of her shirt in powerful jaws. Twisting her upper body, Chloe pulled free with a terrible ripping sound then stumbled forward. She would not go down again. If she did, they’d murder her for sure. The largest wolf lowered its head and ran straight at her. Its pink tongue curled in an ugly snarl as saliva dripped from its muzzle.
    Chloe screamed then kicked. Her right shoe clipped the wolf’s jaw. His teeth snapped together and he yelped in surprise.
    Fear propelled her back the way she’d come. Two of the wolves veered away from the pack then disappeared around opposite corners of the building. The two blondes were at her back. Their sense of playfulness had been replaced by maddening anger. Their minds played a line of attack clearly. They would split then surround her like a frightened rabbit.
    Chloe screamed. She ran through the breezeway, into the center of the campus. The wolves were all around her, their barks and yips sent a trill of terror straight through her. The brown one flanked her. She could see his reflection in the mirror-like windows as he kept pace. The two blondes were behind her. She didn’t see the auburn wolf and thought it must plan on surprising her.
    The wolves closed the circle as she reached the fountain area. A sob of frustration escaped her as she realized they had herded her toward the brick wall.
    As energy diminished, she stumbled against the rough exterior of the wall. The wolves had slowed their pace too. The auburn wolf jogged through the open courtyard gate.
    “Leave me alone!” Chloe yelled. Their ears twitched and she received another warning growl in response.
    The pack was so close now she had no chance at escape. Four sets of eyes, ranging from emerald, aqua to chocolate, were trained on her. Each wolf had its head down, ears forward and mouth hanging open. She couldn’t run any more. Panting and hurting, she eased along the wall. Her legs shook and threatened to drop her at their feet.
    The smallest blond e leaped up, mouth wide and snapping. Chloe screamed and threw her arms up to protect her face. The wolf never reached her. Ryan darted in front of her and knocked it away. The wolf struck the ground, yelped then scrambled to her feet. Confusion and hurt replaced most of the animal’s anger.
    Ryan stood in front of Chloe, shirt open and flapping. One of his arms was held behind him, pushing her against the wall. Something akin to a growl rattled up his throat. In the mirror-like window across from them, she saw his face warp into a snarl not unlike the ones the wolves wore.
    Chloe couldn’t seem to drag enough air into her depleted lungs. She bent at the waist and put her hands on her knees. The urge to puke made her gag and bile burned the back of her throat.
    Ryan moved toward the pack. His hands formed fists and his stance was protective. Both female wolves backed away with tails between their legs and whimpered.
    “Ryan, don’t,” Chloe pleaded. The frenzied animals were sure to rip him apart. She grabbed for him, but he had already moved out of reach.
    He seemed unafraid as he addressed the wolves as one. “What the hell are you doing?”
    The reddish brown wolf offered an apologetic whine. The tip of her tail quivered.
    Chloe straightened then blinked several times. To her amazement, the