Free Sanctuary (A Hunted Novel Book 1) by Bethany Shaw

fallen shifter. Snake. It was trapped in its animal form. The injured animal lie still, but he could see the slight rise and fall of their abdomen area. They were still alive.
    A twig snapped to his left, and he ducked down, trying to hide himself in the brush. He shifted his gaze. Where was Tess?

Chapter Seven
    T ess crept through the thick brush. Slow and steady. Whoever is out there, you don’t want them to know where you are. Nate was somewhere behind her. He wasn’t exactly stealthy either. Nate had what her brothers referred to as thunder feet.
    Her heart clenched at the thought of her family. While she was glad the shifter was alive, she’d hoped to find someone from her pride. They’re out there. Right now, you need to focus on what’s right in front of you.
    Leaves crunched to her left, and she dropped to the ground. Her belly grazed against the dirt as she carefully moved toward the sound. Tess narrowed her eyes, letting them flit from side-to-side. No one was going to sneak up on her.
    She perked her ears up. The footsteps crackled over the earth in sets of two. Humans. Judging by the steps, there were three of them. It could be Callum and his team. Or, it could be more hunters. Stay vigilant.
    The trio was moving deliberately slow as if they were searching for something, or someone, and trying to keep quiet. I’ll let them get ahead and then tail them back to Nate and the other shifter. At least I’ll have the upper hand.
    Tess froze in her spot, staying low to the ground. They were close. She drew in a deep breath and inhaled. The smell of wolf and bear assaulted her senses. They were friends—well, at least Nate’s friends. For all she knew, they would turn on her the first chance they got. It might be better if they found Nate first. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt to check out the perimeter. Hunters traveled in groups. They’d only taken out two. There were more out there.
    She waited for the three men to pass her before slipping away. She snuck through the underbrush, her senses alert for anything out of the ordinary. Voices whispered in the distance.
    “I can’t reach them. The shifters might’ve gotten them,” a male said.
    “There are footprints leading this way,” another said.
    Tess cocked her head to the side and sniffed. Her bottom lip curled, but she kept quiet. Don’t give away your position. At least six different scents overwhelmed her. Six men were too many to take on solo.
    Carefully, she crept back. She was far enough away they wouldn’t be able to hear her yet, but they could see her if she wasn’t careful. Staying low to the ground, she sprinted back to Nate and the others.
    She flew through the bushes in record time. If they had enough time, they could stage an attack or sneak away undetected. She was up for either, but she couldn’t be sure what the other shifters protocol was.
    She ducked under a fallen limb and then sprung forward, landing on all fours in front of Nate and his friends. They turned toward her startled. Good. I can sneak up on them. She smiled inwardly at the thought. They didn’t seem amused by her entrance. Four sets of partially shifted eyes met hers. Ray stepped forward his pawed claws poised and ready to attack.
    “It’s just Tess, calm down,” Nate said, placing a hand on the semi shifted wolf. 
    He must have shifted back while I was gone.
    “A little warning would have been nice,” Ray snarled.
    She hissed, exposing her sharp canines. Warning you wouldn’t be any fun. But you do have to caution them about what you saw. She flexed her paws and used one of her razor sharp nails to quickly write in the dirt.
    Hunters ½ mile from here. At least six.
    “We should get out of here,” Callum said. He crouched down next to the snake, staring at the still unmoving body.
    “You want to change?” Nate asked, pointing to a bag.
    She was a better fighter in her feline form, but if she wanted a say in anything, she would need to be able to speak. Tess