Free Rosko, Mandy - Mate of the Wolf (Siren Publishing Classic) by Mandy Rosko Page A

away the dizziness, summoned as much strength as she could from her sleepy limbs, and crawled forward. That crazy woman wanted to kill them. What Shelley could do to help, she wasn’t sure, but there was no way she was going to hide.
    Shelley crawled out the door and onto the little porch. She pushed herself to her knees, grabbing onto the wooden rail to keep her balance. Whatever that psycho bitch’s teeth had put into her system was wearing off. Probably because it hadn’t been in her neck for long. Either way, she could see the fight clearly.
    It was gruesome. Like watching a pair of snarling, fighting bulldogs. And that’s what it nearly was. Even though their bodies moved quickly, each one trying to best the other, Shelley could see the hair growing out of Michael’s face, his eyes turning gold and wild.
    No. That wasn’t a good thing. When he was the wolf, he was something different altogether. He had no memories of being the wolf, so was it safe to assume that the wolf had no memories of being a man? If he changed, he’d be at a disadvantage, for only a few seconds, but it would be enough.
    “Don’t change!” Shelley screamed, her voice strong in her panic.
    Michael landed a strong punch in the vampire’s face, sending her back into the trees. He looked at Shelley, his face partially wolf, like the Wolf-Man from the old black-and-white movie. Then he ran to her.
    Her hands went to his hair-covered cheeks. His went to her chain. Wrapping both hands around the metal, he pulled, yanking the links apart with an easy snap, like the metal was made of tinfoil, freeing her.
    “Run.” His voice was barely human. He pointed to the truck, as though telling her to get inside and drive away.
    She couldn’t leave him like this, couldn’t even if she wanted to because her legs were still working off whatever was inside her. “No, you need me here, to keep you human. Don’t let her get to you. Stay in control. Beat her and we’ll leave.”
    She smoothed a hand over his brow, the skin returning to normal as she caressed him.
    Pearl flew like a jet from off to the side, body-slamming him into his truck with a metallic crunch. The thing toppled to its passenger side as though it were a toy. A toy that made a loud crash of breaking glass and bending metal that kicked up a lot of dirt. Shelley screamed.
    Pearl stood above her, purple bat-like wings stretched out behind her, her nails as long as rulers, pointed like spikes and dripping with some kind of pink venom.
    She stepped toward Shelley with one of those nails stretched out. “His transformation is required if I am to have the silver pelt.”
    Shelley tried to scramble back, but her legs were still shaky.
    “Please don’t,” Shelley begged, hating herself for it but unable to get up and run. She was never very courageous. She could barely even act out the emotion in the movies she played in.
    “If putting down his human brings out the monster, then that is my mission.”
    Pearl reached her hand out to grab her, and then her body jerked and she went stiff. Her mouth opened and blood dripped from between her lips, a dark circle spread in the middle of her chest, staining the white skull on her tank top red.
    The vampire looked over her shoulder. Michael was there, fully human, and he’d stabbed her through her shoulder blades with a long dagger.
    Her mouth gaped open at him as he tossed her to the ground. The dagger in his hand glistened with her blood. He raised it again as though he meant to stab her in the throat, but he held his hand steady. “Now you listen to me. The only reason I don’t kill you now is because I don’t want to defeat you by stabbing you in the back. But if you ever come near my pack, my mate, or myself ever again, I’ll get you any way I can take you. Then I’ll hunt down your father and brothers and sisters personally. My pelt is my own and not for that fat bloodsucker to wear. Understand?”
    Shelley didn’t know how the vampire