Forbidden Hope: A Werewolf Wars Prequel Novella Read Online Free Page B

numerous times, caught her looking at him on more than a few occasions. She was the alpha’s daughter, and he understood that she might not get to choose who she would mate with, but he wasn’t ready to give up hope yet.
    “Hey,” Devon said as he bolted into the room. “I need your help.”
    Marcus set his laptop down and stood up. “What’s wrong?”
    “There are outsiders on our land and Em is out on her run. We need to find her,” Devon rushed.
    Marcus gulped, fear lacing its way around his heart.
    “She usually runs the perimeter of the property. There aren’t a lot of men here because of Emmett’s trip. We will have to move quickly to find her. Daniel has men setting up a perimeter around our property to make sure no one leaves our land with her,” Devon explained as they hurried downstairs. “But we need to find her. If they pick up her scent there is no telling what they might do.”
    “We’ll find her,” Marcus replied, gritting his teeth.
    Devon threw the front door open and they ran outside.
    “Vincent is already checking the clearing she lounges in. You take the South side and make a loop, I’ll take the North and we’ll meet up in the middle,” Devon asserted.
    Marcus nodded, setting off at a grueling pace into the trees. A flock of birds flew up from the thicket, startled by his frantic run. He shielded his face from them as he bolted through the swarm.
    The tree branches whipped at his skin. His feet crunched against the dead leaves that blanketed the forest floor. Sweat beaded on his brow and his legs felt rubbery from running too hard for too long. It didn’t matter how sore he was or would be he had to find her.
    A loud scream rang out through the forest. The noise ricocheted off the trees and Marcus slowed, trying to figure out what direction it had come from. He closed his eyes and focused on his surroundings.
    He could hear the branches swaying slightly in the breeze. An animal scurried across the ground on his right. And then he heard the soft moan of pain that could only be made by a human.
    Marcus’ eyes flew open and he sprinted toward the noise. He heard a male voice shout something, followed by a series of snarls. Two men raced off into the woods with three wolves hot on their trail. He turned back to the spot from whence they’d come. Emily is over there. He darted in that direction, following their path. Pale, creamy skin met his gaze. He rushed toward the shaking woman lying on the forest floor. Emily was naked, covered in dirt, and her long chestnut hair covering her face. Her right arm was in mid-transition. The shoulder was set back at an odd angle and he assumed it was dislocated. Reddish-brown fur sprouted out of her almost human -l ooking arm. The claws and long nails of her paw were balled up unnaturally like a fist.
    “Emily?” he called, sliding to a stop next to her on his knees.
    But she didn’t respond. Her emerald eyes were open, staring at something in the distance. Her breathing came in shallow pants. Gently, he touched her shoulder and rolled her onto her back.
    “Emily?” he yelled, panicked. She had to be okay, but the longer she lay unresponsive the more terrified he became.
    Blood covered her shoulder—a few rivulets had rolled down toward her breasts. He searched her skin for signs of injury but couldn’t find any. Marcus inhaled; the blood was hers.
    “I’m cold,” she whispered.
    He rocked back on his heels and lifted his sweater over his head, laying it gently over her naked body.
    “It’s okay. I’m going to get you back to the house. Where are you hurt?” The last thing he wanted was to hurt her worse.
    She blinked up at him, focusing on his face. “Shoulder. I had already started to shift,” she said, her teeth chattering. “I couldn’t stop the transition after they began to attack. They jabbed something into my shoulder. My whole arm...it’s frozen. I can’t move it,” she slurred. Her eyes closed and opened slowly,