The edges of my mind frayed, and I kept telling myself Oryn was a shifter. Inside him lay his humanity, yet staring at the wolf growling at me, trepidation shook me at the core. He lowered his head, and the breeze fluffed the black fur across his shoulder bones.

“L-Listen, I’m not a danger to you,” I said. “You’re the one with long teeth. And pointy ears so you’d hear me if I tried to sneak up on you to hurt you. Please.” I slid along the outside wooden wall of the cabin, but he snapped at the air between us, and I coiled in on myself. “I just want to go home.”

But he wasn’t backing away, and showing weakness drove wolves to attack, right? I wasn’t a helpless bunny in shock. I straightened myself and swallowed the rock in my throat.

“Now, look here,” I began, my words shaky and the opposite of assertiveness. Wolves were all about dominance and Nero had said the three of them were alphas, so I wouldn’t back down. Or was it I should never stare them in the eyes? I couldn’t remember when I had zero control over even trembling.

Oryn’s ears perked and swiveled toward the side of the house as if he’d heard something.

“I didn’t mean to enter your territory, but I was running for my life. And then I fell off this cliff.” I was rambling and my pulse sped as a deep guttural snarl boomed from his chest.

“If I had any other option, trust me, this would be the last place I’d visit.” I hugged myself, scanning the woodland behind Oryn. No sign of a track, just endless pines. Though the gurgle of the river reached me. I had to find a way back up the sharp cliff I’d fallen and back home.

He watched me with intelligence behind his gaze. Was he remembering Nero and me doing the vertical dance in his kitchen? I burned from the inside out at turning into a nympho, but I didn’t need anyone else judging me. I did a good enough job myself.

“What you saw in the kitchen… Well…” My mouth parched. “Nero is a very handsome man, and you know, things happen.” Heavens, how would I ever explain the birds and bees to my kids when I burned up with embarrassment talking about the topic?

Oryn’s head jerked sideways, and he charged in that direction, kicking dirt in his wake, vanishing into the forest.

Okay, he didn’t like the conversation, and I wasn’t waiting for him to return, so I spun in the opposite direction. Away from the house.

The ground flew beneath my steps as I ran in and out around trees, leaping over shrubs and dead branches. Evergreens tugged on my trousers, but I didn’t care. Not when the sloshing of water grew louder. What if I found a way down the cascade…? There might be an easier way to cross the river and get back up the terrain toward home. Santos would worry about me, and that was if the priestess hadn’t locked him up because of me. Those thoughts had me running faster.

Ahead, light pierced the thick canopy, and I charged, bursting from the stranglehold of trees to a ledge that overlooked the stream at least thirty feet below. Catching my breath, I gawked at the roaring waterfall, a fine mist suspended over the water.

Sharp stones flanked the cliffs with no easy way to scale down, and considering I’d barely survived the first fall, I wasn’t tempting fate again.

Multiple howls ricocheted through the woods, and I flinched. Were Oryn and Nero now hunting me? As much as part of me craved more of Nero, was I being foolish in believing anything was possible? He was a shifter and his kind had killed my parents. Grandma had confirmed she’d witnessed the whole attack. So what would stop them from butchering me after I healed Dagen? Was that Oryn’s intention? Or Nero would use me as his sex slave? The latter should have terrified me, but it flooded my gut with tingles. Geez, what was wrong with me?

I raced alongside the cliff’s edge. The land sloped, meaning it might bring me down to the rapids. From there, I’d swim across and dilute my scent so I’d lose my pursuers.

My feet slid out from under me. I screamed and fell to my side, groaning as my hip hit a boulder. I winced from the sharp pain shooting up my back.

A repetitive tapping of paws against soil grew closer, louder. I scrambled to my feet.

The forest blurred past as I sprinted downhill.

Another howl had me glancing over my shoulder. Behind me, four wolves charged after me.

Wait. Four?

My head spun and every inch of me froze. My breath wouldn’t come.

It wasn’t Oryn. These hounds were brown.

I dashed down the hill, a cry flying from my throat. Were these real wolves or shifters? Why were they chasing me? Of course, I knew… to eat me.

Swinging away, I spotted the fiends closing in from either side of me.

Leaving the cabin had been dumb. How I hated hindsight because I seemed to be the queen of making mistakes.

Footfalls closed in.

My heart galloped, and I scanned the area for any trees to scale.

One wolf lunged from my left, and I ducked. Something blurred and crashed into the attacking animal, both rolling around.

It was Oryn; his black fur and larger size confirmed it. What was he doing saving me? So he could force me back to the cabin as his prisoner and personal medical caretaker?

I darted forward, but the next wolf was on me. I grabbed a branch off the ground and spun fast, swinging the weapon, catching the hound across the head.

Another came at me, fur bristled, fangs bared and salivating. Wildness captured its gaze.

I jabbed my stick into his ribs, driving the mutt away, and swung at the third one. All three of them fanned out in front of me, a tree at my back, foliage my only ammunition.

Holy heavens. My lungs refused to function.

“If any of you are shifters, let’s talk about this.” I crouched in slow motion, collecting a big rock. A quick glance behind revealed woods as far as I could see.

The bigger wolf in the middle stepped closer, its head low.

A numbing sensation engulfed me, paralyzing me to the spot. Was this how my parents had felt when they’d faced off a pack and died? What chance did I have?

My pulse was a drum in my skull. Grandma had always told me to fight for what I believed in and damn, I wasn’t ready to leave this world.

When the other two wolves approached, I hurled the stone at the larger one, nicking an ear, and it snapped. I jabbed the other wolf’s snout, but he sized the stick and bit through it.

A dark form shot forward from my left, and the giant brown wolf swung to face off with Oryn. Both wolves knitted in a brawl, fur flying off.

I whirled, jumped up to a low-hanging branch, and threw my legs up.

Something snagged on my pants, ripping the fabric from my butt and tugging the material down my leg. A wolf’s teeth. The creature dragged me back down.

The scream caught in my chest burst free. My fingers slipped, and I imagined myself falling into the mutt’s jaw, ripped to shreds.

I kicked the hound in the nose on the way down, loosening him. The second wolf latched on to my other leg, teeth piercing flesh. Screaming didn’t help.

I tensed, my arms flailing.

Two wolves faced me.

When a third opponent staggered toward us, I gasped as I recognized Oryn. Blood mangled his fur and dripped from one ear. His snarl had both wolves snapping toward him, and without hesitation, they both attacked him.

I turned to run but stopped at the sounds of whimpers and growls.

Oryn had protected me, and I never walked away from injured animals or those in need.

I picked up another piece of wood and rushed toward the brawl. Not thinking, I brought the weapon down on the hound’s rump. It released its hold of Oryn’s front leg. “Leave him alone.” I jammed the end of the stick right into his mouth. He stumbled sideways, choking as I yanked the wooden stick back.

“Get out of here,” I called out to scare it away.

When it didn’t, I jabbed it once more in the neck, stepping closer and at once the beast retreated.

Yes, I’d stood up to a wolf!

I whirled around.

But a huge form struck me in the stomach. The air gushed from my lungs, and I tumbled backward.

Another wolf’s incisors hovered inches from my face, drooling on my chin. I shuddered, dread swallowing me.

I didn’t remember bucking, but I fought with every ounce of strength, shoving against the assault. The animal flew off me in a flash, and there stood Oryn as a wolf, bleeding, one leg bent. I pushed myself up and approached him. With a shaky hand, I touched a wound on his back. A zip of energy skipped from my finger and across his back. What was up with my ability?

He jolted as if I’d shocked him. With a growl, he lifted his chin, pointing back toward the house.

Leave now. I got it.

Wrenching myself backward, I ran, my thighs aching. Nothing would stop me.

On my next step, the ground beneath me gave way. I fell forward into a hole that opened before me. Darkness swallowed me, and I screamed until I hit hard soil at the base of the pit.

I swore every bone in my body had broken. Why in the world was there a hole in the mountain? Who were wolves trying to catch? A boar? The hounds seemed more the hunting type.

Escalating grunts came from somewhere above. I massaged the ache across my temple. The opening lay at least twice my height above me. And for the first time since getting lost, tears prickled my eyes. Everything I did turned to crap. Each turn brought me closer to death. There was a reason Grandma had warned me about the Den, and now I wasn’t sure if I had chosen the lesser evil by running from the priestess.

I staggered to my feet and searched for anything to help me escape. Tree roots stuck out of the walls, and I pulled hard on one. The cord didn’t snap. Perfect. Damn this, I was getting out of this territory alive and nothing would get in my way. Digging my boot into the wall for a footing, I clambered upward. I had scaled rock faces before with Bee when we’d gone exploring in the woods.

My grip slipped.

I lost my balance. Panicked, I reached for anything.

A shadow hovered over me, and a hand seized my wrist. I flew out of the pit with such speed, my stomach lurched.

Falling to my knees, I was several feet away from a naked man. His skin was sun-kissed, and he cradled an arm across his chest. Bite marks littered his body. A gash beneath his eye bled down his cheek. Blood marred an injured ear.

“Oryn?” Even with injuries and him wavering on his feet, the guy was bigger than Nero. Long, dark hair framed the bluest eyes and with his strong jawline, my gaze fell to his lips and broadness of his shoulders. Yep, all the single girls had to do was visit the Den if they wanted to search for a hunk to call their own. But that meant meandering through the dangers of savage wolves.

He stared at me with a desperation in his gaze and nodded once before his knees buckled. He crashed to the ground, landing on his side.

I rushed to his side. “Oryn, are you all right?”

He moaned but wasn’t rushing to get up either. Around me lay two other wolves, bloodied and unmoving. Oryn had risked his life for me, fighting four wolves. Sure, if I yearned to run away, this was the time. Yet I couldn’t bring myself to leave him vulnerable. Any predators that found him would make a meal of him. The priestess forcing everyone to stay away from the wolves’ territory was a blessing in disguise.

A distant howl echoed.

I shuddered. Oh, crap!