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| Panthers attack! |
Cats!
Nate’s reasons for holding Koreth back catch Janelle completely off guard. But just as they begin to understand each other, a familiar scent cuts their conversation short.
The cats have found them.
In Chapter 7 of Wolf’s Man, a quiet church parking lot becomes a dangerous place to linger—and Nate discovers that escaping were-panthers takes more than putting his foot on the gas.
Click Read more to read Chapter 7 of Wolf’s Man. I’m sharing one chapter each day, free here on the blog.
Just joining us? Start with Chapter 1 and come meet the Texas Ranch Wolf Pack.
Wolf's Man
Chapter 7
Janelle started to turn away, but his words stopped her. Hands trembling, she faced him. The embarrassment on his face was almost funny. Almost. She hesitated, measuring him for a moment. “Then why stop Koreth? Why not let him make claim?”
“Just
like that? I don’t know you. You don’t know me.” He shook his head. “I couldn’t
let that happen. How would it be different than rape?”
Janelle
felt her mouth drop open. Rape? The
idea never occurred to her. It was so foreign to the way were thought, that she didn’t know how to respond. Even her brother
would have considered it normal. She tried several times to speak but couldn’t
find words. Finally, she huffed and leaned against the SUV. A moment later, she
started laughing.
Nate
jammed his hands in his jean pockets. “What’s so funny?”
“You
are.” She struggled to get control. Sucking her lips between her teeth, she
tightened her jaws. Clearing her throat, she regained her composure, then said,
“You said your dad died. Was that before you were given the medallion?”
He
shook his head. “He gave me the medallion a few days before he died. Mom and I
moved to Texas. She remarried when I was ten and died of cancer just before my
twelfth birthday. Her last request was that I never take the medallion off, and
I haven’t. Until today.”
“Your
step-father?”
His
face froze into blankness. “I don’t know where he is. He dropped me off at an
ice cream parlor and never returned.” His look dared her to feel sorry for him.
“When he couldn’t be found, I was sent into foster care.”
Warily,
she eyed him. The friendly man she had been with was suddenly withdrawn. “I...”
She stopped and sniffed, then sniffed again. “Cats!”
She
turned to run, but his hand caught her and pulled her back. “Get in the car.”
“But...”
Nate
pulled her around to the passenger’s side, jerked the door open, and shoved her
inside. “Buckle up.”
Without
quite intending to, Janelle found the belt and snapped the buckle. Nate opened
his door and slid in beside her. Biting her lip, Janelle watched him lock the
doors. “They’ll kill you if they catch us!” she said.
“They
won’t catch us, and if they do...” His buckle clicked, then the motor roared to
life. “My spare gun is in the glove box. Get it out.” Gravel flew as he threw
the SUV into gear and hit the accelerator. As he sped around the old church
building a black panther ran at the front of his SUV. Rather than slow down or
turn, Nate gave the car more gas and sped toward the panther. At the last
moment, the panther leaped to the side,
claws scraping the full length of the vehicle as they sped past.
He
glanced at her and frowned. “Where is my gun?”
“I
don’t like guns.”
“Get
it out, anyway.”
Janelle
fumbled with the glove box and pulled out Nate’s gun. Face wrinkled with
distaste, she moved her cup and dropped the gun, barrel first, into the cup
holder. With nothing else to do with her drink, she slurped the warm liquid
through the straw, then dropped the empty cup into the back floorboard.
Another
panther raced across the church parking
lot and jumped on the hood of the car. Janelle screamed when a massive paw
slammed into the windshield. A crack
streaked across the full width of the window. Nate slammed on the brakes,
causing the panther to tumble off the hood. He immediately pressed the
accelerator to the floor. The SUV bumped and rocked as he ran over the panther.
Without reducing speed more than necessary, he turned on the old country road and sped into the country.
Nate
glanced in the rearview mirror. “One down.”
“Not
really.”
He
flashed a look at her, then turned back to the road. “What do you mean?”
“Unless
you rupture the brain, the spinal cord, or the heart, were rejuvenate.”
“Rejuvenate?
As in heal?”
“As
in heal very, very quickly.”
Nate
muttered an expletive under his breath. “How did they find us?”
“I
don’t know. They have someone who can access computer records at the bank, or
they wouldn’t have found me so quick
after I used my debit card. Maybe they have someone who could find your SUV
through the DMV?”
“They
have hackers that good?”
“I
just don’t know.”
Nate
sped around a curve and slammed to a stop at the Stop sign on Highway 190. A
glance in the mirror told him the cats had been left behind, at least
temporarily. “You said they know you are going to Oklahoma?”
“Yes.”
He
looked both directions; the highway was empty. Nate turned left and started
back toward the Interstate. Within seconds, he was pushing eighty
miles-per-hour, then pushed the speed even higher. Instead of crossing the
bridge and heading north on I-35, he turned right on the access road toward
Georgetown. At the first entrance ramp, he pulled onto I-35 heading south.
“Where are we going? Oklahoma is the other
direction.”
“I
know.” Nate glanced in the rearview mirror. So far, none of the cars behind him
appeared threatening. “They expect you to go north, so we are going south.”
Nate heads south because their pursuers expect them to go north. What would your next move be if you were helping Janelle escape—and didn’t know who you could trust? Share your escape plan in the comments!
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| Texas Ranch Wolf Pack Series (12 books) |
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