Savage Wolf: Paranormal Shifter Romance (Wolves Hollow Book 3) Read online

  SAVAGE WOLF

  By

  Natalie Kristen

  Copyright © 2017 Natalie Kristen

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the author's written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the author's written permission.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are used fictitiously or are the products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual locales, events, establishments or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  The author does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.

  Wolves Hollow

  Alpha Next Door (Book 1)

  Beta’s Baby (Book 2)

  Savage Wolf (Book 3)

  About this Book

  Bianca Bloom has been left with no choice. She has run so far to get away from her past, but now everything she’s planned, every last thing she owns, has gone up in flames.

  But she hasn’t come so far just to give up.

  She is determined to fight back and survive.

  Talon Wyld has never allowed anyone into his life. He has seen betrayal and bloodshed, and he knows too well that the ties that bind can kill as well.

  But when a small human woman comes charging uninvited into his house one night, he finds his savage wolf emerging to fight her battles for her.

  Stranded and alone, Bianca finds refuge in a house in the middle of the woods.

  What she doesn’t realize is that the house belongs to a big, scarred, powerful beast of a man who will do everything to protect what is his.

  And she is his.

  * * * * *

  CHAPTER ONE

  Bianca Bloom eased her foot off the gas pedal when she heard a loud, ominous clunk. “No, no, please, not now,” she begged, gripping the steering wheel tighter. “Don’t die on me now, Old Rusty. Just...don’t.”

  Old Rusty answered with a death rattle and its headlights flickered. “Come on,” Bianca urged her car. “You can do this. We...can do this. We’ve come so far...”

  Old Rusty was aptly named. Her little car was old and rusty, but it had never let her down. It was the one thing that had been with her through thick and thin. Her faithful car had stuck with her through all the bad times.

  The bad times were over. She had to keep telling herself that.

  Bianca glanced fearfully over her shoulder and cursed. “Stop, Bianca. Stop looking over your shoulder,” she said loudly to her reflection.

  She had to break this nervous habit. She had to stop looking back and stop being afraid. She had finally left Joe. It had certainly taken her long enough to leave, but she’d done it at last. She would never let that manipulative, controlling bastard get his clutches on her again.

  It was her fear of him that had given him power over her. Joe had never loved her, she realized. He had chosen her because she was the easiest prey. Weak, vulnerable, frightened and alone.

  It had taken her so long to leave a cowardly bully. What did that say about her? Bianca shook her head and laughed bitterly. No doubt Joe would be putting all the blame on her, so why should she put more blame on herself?

  But why was she even thinking about Joe? It was finally over now. He was her past.

  Bianca and Old Rusty were far away from Dew Pines by now. They had left the past far behind.

  It didn’t matter that she had not much money left and no destination in mind. She was alive, and as long as she kept herself alive, she could start anew. She would find a remote, faraway town and find a job. No one would know her and she could just live a quiet, simple, peaceful life.

  She was never going back to Dew Pines. There was nothing and no one there for her. No one had stepped forward to help her or protect her. Hell, no one even cared.

  All her neighbors and so-called friends hadn’t believed her when she told them what Joe did to her. Everyone believed Joe, that smooth-talking, forked-tongue charmer. He was the town’s golden boy, the son of the Sheriff. Joe Roberts could do no wrong. Not in their eyes.

  When Bianca’s mom died about a year ago, Joe had come round to the house often to comfort her. Being scared and lonely, she had been so grateful for the attention. Flattered, even. Her friends had thrown snide, cutting remarks her way when they saw that the most handsome, popular boy in town was interested in her, not them.

  And when Joe asked her to move in with him, she had allowed foolish, girlish fantasies of building a happy family with Joe fill her giddy little head. She thought that she could have a family again. She would no longer be alone.

  But the rose-tinted glasses fell away soon enough. At first, Bianca couldn’t bring herself to believe what was happening. She made excuses and cooked up ridiculous stories to explain away her bruises. But she soon realized that she didn’t even need to hide her bruises. People only saw what they wanted to see. And the townspeople didn’t want to see what Joe really was. A violent, insecure, abusive man who knew he could get away with anything because his dad was the town Sheriff.

  The first time she tried to leave Joe, he had threatened to kill himself. But when he saw that she didn’t care anymore, the bastard had turned the knife on her and threatened to disfigure her.

  Bianca realized that she would have to leave Dew Pines altogether if she wanted to survive. So she watched, planned and got ready.

  She waited until Joe left the house after dinner. She knew that he would be at the pub the whole night with his buddies. That was what he did every Friday night.

  Once the coast was clear, she stuffed all her belongings into her small suitcase and jumped into her car. She drove like a maniac out of town and stopped only long enough to top up her gas tank. She didn’t even stop to eat. She needed to get as far away from Joe as possible.

  As she sped down the long highway, a part of her already knew that Joe wouldn’t come after her. He wasn’t strong or determined enough. He might throw a tantrum and make himself look like the victim, but he wouldn’t have the gumption to hunt her down. Life was too easy and comfortable for him in Dew Pines. Why should he leave his nice little town to come after a faithless bitch?

  Old Rusty gave another wheezing cough, snapping Bianca’s attention back to her present, perilous situation.

  She might be out of Dew Pines, but she wasn’t yet out of the woods. In fact, she was surrounded on all sides by dark, shadowy woods.

  Bianca tried to tamp down her panic as she stared at the lonely, deserted road stretching endlessly ahead. On either side of the road were tall trees and dense shrubs.

  Bianca gulped when she heard the shrill call of insects and animals coming from the forest.

  If her car broke down now, she would be stranded in the middle of nowhere.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Bianca looked in her rear-view mirror and saw nothing but darkness. There were no cars coming or going along this long, quiet stretch of road.

  Wincing, she peered at the sign that was looming up. “Wolves Hollow,” she read aloud.

  There was a small town just a few miles down the road. She could stop there for the night. “Come on, Old Rusty,” she urged her shivering, sputtering car. “Don’t give up now. We’re almost there.”

  She tried to coax her car towards Wolves Hollow by stepping
very gingerly on the gas pedal. “Just a little bit more...” she whispered.

  There was a loud ticking and clanging sound from the engine. Black smoke spewed from under the hood.

  With a bang like a gunshot, her car jerked to a violent stop and died.

  “No!” Bianca shouted, slapping her hands on the steering wheel and stomping on the pedal. “Don’t do this! Keep going...”

  She screamed when an explosion ripped the hood right off and slammed it into a tree.

  The engine was on fire!

  Bianca scrambled out of the car and stumbled away. She watched in horror as the fire spread quickly, swallowing up the front half of her car.

  Bianca gasped when she remembered her suitcase in the back seat. Before she could open the door, another explosion sent flames racing towards the back of her car.

  She jerked away, her survival instinct kicking in. She knew she had to get away before the fire reached the fuel tank.

  Without looking back, Bianca darted into the woods to take cover behind the trees.

  The final, deafening explosion made her duck instinctively and cover her head with her arms. Trembling, Bianca managed to lean around the huge tree to stare at her car.

  For a moment, all she could do was stare in disbelief at the sight of her car engulfed in flames. Old Rusty was gone. An uncontrollable sob erupted from her chest without warning.

  Everything she owned was being reduced to soot and ashes. She literally had nothing left but the clothes on her back.

  The blinding, searing heat forced Bianca to move deeper into the woods. She let out a cry when she slipped on some loose rocks and lost her balance.

  Her arms whirled as she tried to regain her footing. “Oh shit! Shit! No!” she shrieked.

  She hadn’t realized that she was on a slope. She couldn’t even scream as she rolled and tumbled down the steep incline at a terrifying speed.

  She finally stopped, abruptly and violently. All the air was knocked from her lungs when she crashed into a tree. Stunned, Bianca lay on the ground, blinking and breathing hard.

  It took her a few tries to push herself up. Her arms were badly scratched and every muscle in her body throbbed with pain. She could only hope that she hadn’t broken anything.

  When she finally got to her feet, Bianca looked up at the steep, forested slope in dismay. It was going to be an arduous climb back up. But she couldn’t stay in the woods. If she stayed here all night, she would likely be dead by morning. She could hear growls and howls echoing through the trees. No one would find her remains after the wild animals were done with her.

  She had to get herself out of the woods and climb back to the road.

  It might be a few hours before another vehicle came by, but at least she would be able to get help.

  Bianca grimaced at the sharp pain in her limbs as she started her long, torturous climb. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to keep moving.

  As she leaned against a tree to catch her breath, she heard a sound which made her blood run cold.

  Panting, Bianca pushed away from the tree and stared wildly around. “Please,” she whispered. “Please don’t let it be...”

  She heard the sound again and froze.

  It was long and clear.

  “Wolves,” she whispered.

  It was the unmistakable howl of a wolf. And it sounded a lot nearer this time.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Bianca shrank back, her heart pounding. She looked up and saw a large black wolf standing at the very top of the slope. The wolf was silhouetted against the dying flames from her car and she thought she saw its eyes glowing as they locked on her.

  Bianca stifled a cry when she saw two more wolves come up behind the black wolf. The three wolves stared at her, tracking her every movement with their glowing yellow eyes.

  The largest black wolf moved down the slope towards her, and Bianca staggered back in fright.

  She fell painfully on her back but she didn’t dare utter a sound. The two wolves followed their leader, flowing like shadows between the trees.

  Bianca whimpered as she watched the wolves prowl towards her.

  “No, no, no...”

  The wolves were coming for her.

  With a burst of strength, Bianca got up and broke into a limping run. Behind her, she heard the bone-chilling howl of the wolves. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that the wolves had spread out and were disappearing between the trees in different directions.

  They were going to cut off her escape.

  “Help!” she cried even though she knew there was no one to hear her.

  Bianca ran faster, tearing blindly past the trees and going deeper and deeper into the forest.

  She glimpsed a movement to her right and lurched towards her left. Bianca pressed her fist to her mouth to stopper her scream when a pair of glowing eyes appeared behind the trees to her left. The wolves were all around. They had her surrounded.

  They could scent her fear, and the scent of a frightened, cornered prey excited them.

  Predators thrived on fear and control. They wanted their victims to think that they had no way out. Once their prey gave up the fight, they would move in for the kill.

  She had been living with a predator long enough to understand a predator’s mindset and tactics. Joe was a predator. He had preyed on her fears and insecurities. He isolated and terrorized her, trying to break her will and spirit. He tried to control every aspect of her life and make her think that she had no way out.

  No!

  There was always a way out.

  She would never fall victim to a cunning predator ever again.

  Bianca ran harder, ignoring the screaming pain in her legs and lungs. Her heart was hammering so loudly she couldn’t even hear her own frenzied footsteps.

  The trees began to part, and Bianca sensed that she was reaching a clearing in the woods. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of a house.

  She blinked rapidly.

  A house?

  She had to be hallucinating. How could there be a house in the middle of the woods?

  But as she ran forward, she saw the large wooden house clearly. There was even a light in the window.

  “Help!” she croaked. “Please help me!”

  She ran to the house and pounded on the door. “Help me!” she sobbed. “Please...open the door...”

  She spun round and saw the three black wolves advancing towards her. The largest wolf snarled and began to charge forward.

  Bianca screamed and jiggled the door handle desperately. Miraculously, the door swung open and she stumbled into the house.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Bianca slammed the door shut and put her back to it. She heard angry snarls outside and she pushed harder against the door.

  Her legs finally gave out and she slid down the door, sobbing. She kept her weight against the door, her mind and body going numb.

  It was a while before her sobs subsided and her tears stopped flowing. Bianca didn’t know how long she had been kneeling on the floor with her hands pressed against the strong wooden door.

  She listened to the silence and tensed. Did she dare open the door? There was no sound outside. Were the wolves gone?

  Bianca released the handle and shook her head. No, she wasn’t ready to go back outside. She felt safe in here.

  Shakily, she got to her feet and looked around the house for the first time. Her feverish eyes swept through the spacious, well-kept living room. There were chairs arranged around the fireplace and the living room was neat and cozy. She saw a steaming mug of coffee on the table.

  “Hello?” she called out nervously.

  There was no reply.

  The mug of coffee on the table told her that someone had stepped out not too long ago and hadn’t returned.

  Bianca crept to the window and peeked out. She let out a strangled cry when she saw the three black wolves prowling around the house.

  “Why are you still here?” she whispered. “Please lea
ve me alone.”

  But the black wolves weren’t leaving. They were watching the house, waiting for her to come out.

  Bianca dragged a heavy armchair across the floor and pushed it against the door.

  Huddling in a corner, she hugged her knees tightly, making herself as small as possible. The house was warm and welcoming, a safe haven. It offered her shelter and refuge, and she found herself wishing she could stay in this warm, comfortable house forever.

  Bianca swallowed a sob and hoped that whoever lived here would come home soon.

  But...who lived here?

  Her eyes darted wildly around the well-lit living room, looking for clues. There were no pictures on the walls, no photographs or paintings. Beside the cup of coffee on the table was a spiral notebook and a pencil. Bianca crawled to the table and flipped through the notebook quickly. She saw sketches of cabinets, cupboards, tables and various other types of furniture neatly labeled with their length, breath, depth and height.

  Bianca placed the notebook back on the table and scanned the room again.

  She stopped breathing when she spotted two glinting axes beside the fireplace.

  Scrabbling back until she hit the wall, Bianca squeezed her eyes shut.

  Who would live in the middle of the woods, away from the nearest town, shunning contact and civilization?

  “Not...an ax murderer,” she whispered fervently.

  Had she run from the wolves straight into the house of a dangerous psychopath?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Talon Wyld narrowed his eyes as he stood in the shadows between the trees. He had seen the red-haired woman running helter-skelter through the woods and making a beeline for his house. She’d pounded on his door, before yanking it open and dashing into the house.

  Talon stayed hidden in the shadows, watching the three Woodrow wolves circle his house. Cliff Woodrow and his two sons, Rake and Rufus, owned the ranch at the edge of Wolves Hollow near the forest. Cliff was a hard, rough man, and he raised his sons to be like him. Cliff let his wolf out almost every night, and Talon knew the black wolves often hunted in his neck of the woods. They were trespassing on his territory, but as long as they didn’t come too near his house and cause any trouble, Talon was inclined to leave them alone.