01 Taming the Wolf - Anna Avery
Book One in the Anna Avery Series
Stephanie Nelson
Copyright © 2012
All Rights Reserved.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
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For Amanda
Every heart has a match!
CONTENTS
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First and foremost I have to thank my husband for continuously supporting my dream. Not only do you support me as an author, but you take the time to actually read my books. If it weren’t for your faith in me I’m not sure I would have ever started writing.
A huge thank you goes out to those who follow along on my Facebook page. You guys are truly great and encourage me to write as fast as I can. I enjoy chatting with each and every one of you, and hearing that you’ve enjoyed one of my books is just the icing on the cake.
Thank you to the wonderful IC peeps that not only entertain me with their witty banter but are always willing to lend a helping hand. You guys are the best support system a girl could ask for.
Thank you to my family for always standing beside me and instilling strength and love in me. Family is the only thing that matters in this messed up world. I’m thankful for having such a great one!
Thank you to my critique partner, Jennifer Starks. You always go above and beyond!
Thank you to my beta readers, C.G. Powell, Olivia Hardin and Cait Lavender. You guys are awesome!
A huge thank you goes out to my editor, Liz. You’re a rockstar, but you already knew that.
Thank you, Mandie Stevens for your amazing support and promotions. You’re the hardest working woman I’ve ever met.
The wolf’s yellow eyes glared me with determination. Its back arched. Hackles stood on end. Sharp teeth gnashed at the air as it snarled a threat. My body froze despite my rapidly beating heart.
The beast took a slow, calculated circle around me, snapping and growling in my direction. I mimicked its movements, my feet moving with the wolf’s, as my eyes shot in different directions looking for anything that could be used as a weapon. The landscape of the Big Horn Mountains did not offer much other than a few downed branches or palm sized rocks—useless against the creature this size.
I bent down bit by bit and stretched my hand towards a limb, never taking my eyes off the wolf. Any protection was better than nothing. I gripped the branch tightly, its bark feeling slippery in my sweaty palm. A deep rumble sounded from the wolf again. My body trembled as I imagined those teeth sinking into my flesh. Its angry, vicious face was about four feet away, one leap and I was a goner.
My knuckles turned white and ached as I held the branch between us. If I wanted a chance at escaping, I had to stand back up. My legs shook, and my muscles screamed in protest as I inched up. Any sudden movement could trigger the wolf.
When I was straightened, I shuffled my feet backwards to gain ground between the wolf and me. However, with each step I took, the wolf inched forward baring its teeth. My breath became labored as adrenaline coursed through my body. My heart thudded in my chest hard. We stared into one another’s eyes—human and beast. The scenery disappeared as I kept my gaze pinned on the wolf. I kept dragging my feet backwards, not knowing what my escape route was. I just needed to get away. Crack. A branch snapped under my foot and everything went into slow motion. I had a split second to realize that the wolf’s taunting games were over and that I would have to run for my life. Like a bell in a boxing ring, the wolf charged and I screamed. I darted left as the wolf leapt through the air. A heavy crash behind me propelled my feet forward. Zigzagging through pine trees and decaying branches, they whipped across my face. The wolf’s growls taunted me—too close. There was no way I could out run it—we both knew that.
Whirling around another batch of trees, I skidded to a stop at the edge of a cliff. My eyes shot to the bottom—at least 400 feet down—and then to the wolf sauntering through the forest as if it knew I was out of space. A glint of victory flashed in its eerie eyes; our gazes locked. I felt like a gazelle staring down a lion. A million useless thoughts rushed through my mind.
How long will it take them to find my devoured corpse? Will they even find me? I’m about to be eaten alive. Did I mail the electricity payment? I need a drink.
A howl echoed through the mountains and reverberated in my eardrums. My attacker perked its head to one side and listened. When it looked back, something changed in its eyes. The beast rushed forward, and out of instinct, I stepped back. My feet slid off the ledge and then I was slipping over the edge. My arms flailed as I tried to grab anything I could to keep from falling 400 feet. For a split second I was thankful I might die from the fall and not be eaten alive. But the wolf’s teeth sank into my forearm, nearly ripping it from my body. I screamed as it tugged back. The flesh pulled from my arm and its teeth scraped against the bone. I scrambled to use my other arm to heave myself back up. My top half flattened against the solid ground before I stopped, tears streaming down my cheeks. My adrenaline charged strength was waning.
The beast released my arm and went for my throat, its teeth digging into my jugular and cutting off my oxygen. Before it could snap my neck, a deep growl sounded next to us. The wolf released me and rolled on its back. I didn’t have time to think about how strange that was; the edges of my vision were blurry from tears and the site of my own blood dripping down my arm. Blood made me woozy, not an attribute that helped me right now.
“What have you done?” a man asked. His voice sounded muddled to my ears.
“I’m sorry.” The words formed as a whisper on my lips. I wasn’t sure who I was apologizing to—maybe to myself. I knew I shouldn’t have gone into the mountains alone. There had been multiple animal attacks the past month, I knew better than this.
“I’ll let you have first dibs,” a female said and was answered with a deep growl.
A giggle bubbled up my throat as I imagined the wolves talking—woozy hallucinations. Peeling an eyelid open, I stared at two naked bodies. The woman had shoulder length brown hair that brushed her skin as the wind played with it. The man had wavy, honey-colored locks. Both of them stared at me, the woman with hunger and the man with remorse.
Blinking a few times, I searched for the wolf that attacked me and the other one that growled. When my eyes didn’t find the beasts, I wondered why the man and woman were naked. Perhaps they’d been camping nearby and my cries of pain interrupted their lovemaking. I feared for their safety. Somewhere, two wolves lingered waiting for the opportunity to strike the couple.
My fingers found the puncture wounds on my neck and came away slick with blood. I was going to die. Staring up at the sky, I found a sense of peace and excitement that I’d see my parents again. They were up there, beyond the clouds, waiting for me by a set of pearly gates. Their smiling faces would welcome me.
“You know you want her as much as I do,” the woman said with anxiousness.
“You have to stop this,” the man said, his words angry and disgusted.
I didn’t waste any more thoughts on their strange conversation. Instead, I continued to stare at the sky until darkness clouded its beauty and my eyelids fell shut.
