Winter Wolf (A New Dawn Novel Book 1) (7 page)

Fear was thick on her tongue, coating her throat and stealing her breath. She’d never felt fear like it.

She screamed again, panting hard, trying to suck oxygen into her body.

Bass…Bass…I need Bass.

She screamed his name in between each ripple of pain, each cracking of bones, “BASS!” Not caring who else heard her.

“Please, Bass,” she sobbed, searching the trees. She didn’t know how she knew, but she knew he was out there somewhere, searching for her. “BASS!”

He darted through the trees, invisible but for the few silver flecks in his eyes, and seeing him calmed her racing heart.

He changed, kneeling down in front of her. “Katalina, shush, there are others out here.”

“Bass, make it stop. Please, make it stop,” she sobbed, clinging onto him.

“I can’t.”

She screamed, hands turning into paws. “Bass, please,” she begged, gasping for breath through the never-ending pain.

“Katalina, stop fighting it. This is who you are. Let your wolf out.” Murmuring, he rubbed her back, “Let it out, Kat.”

“I don’t know how. Please, Bass, I’m so scared. Help me arrgh…!”

“Kat, Katalina, look at me. Look into my eyes.” He tilted her chin up and she stared at his dark, dark eyes. “Breathe, Kat. Breathe with me.” Holding his gaze, she tried to match his breaths. She desperately tried to relax through the pain as it rocked through her. “That’s it, Katalina. This is who you are. You are a wolf, Katalina Winter. Let her out.”

As he whispered those words to her, a final ripple rocked through her and then she was a wolf. Bass smiled at her, his head coming level with hers. “Katalina, you are a beautiful wolf.”

Unsteady on her legs, she looked down at her paws; they were as white as the snow blanketing the forest. She turned her head to see thick white fur.

“Run with me,” Bass whispered against her head, running his hands through her coat, making her shiver with pleasure. “Run with me.” Bass turned and jumped, changing into his wolf midair.

Taking a tentative step forward, she realized it felt as natural as walking when human. Bass rubbed his head against her side. She could sense his urgency to go, his black coat a stark contrast to her white as they ran through the woods away from the pack.

She’d never felt so free with the wind whipping past her and the ground flying beneath her fast, agile paws. Bass ran with her, running around her, jumping over her. The silver flecks in his eyes sparkled with joy. She ran until she couldn’t run anymore. Collapsing, she changed back, too exhausted to feel self-conscious about being naked, smiling at the black wolf as he licked her face. “Hey!” she laughed as he changed.

“Come, Katalina, it’s time for you to go home,” he murmured, lifting her into his arms.

She buried her head against his bare chest, feeling safe in the arms of the boy she’d come to trust. The rightness of his cradling arms subdued her need for him, a need somewhat similar to breathing.

He carried her through the woods. Exhaustion swept through her, her body aching. “Bass, I feel terrible.”

“You will for a few hours. It fades with each change.”

Her eyes slid shut.

“Kat?” he murmured against her ear, rousing her.

“Hmm?”

“It’s time I leave.” The tone of his voice made Katalina snap alert. She looked at the house across from them. Several members of River Run were hanging around.

“They’ve not sensed us yet, but they will shortly.” As the words left his mouth, she saw someone look right at them and shout to Jackson.

Bass put her down. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly. Cage started to run toward them, a look of pure fury on his face, others followed.

“Bass?” Katalina gasped, frightened.

He kissed her gently. “Don’t worry about me. Be ready to leave at first dark. I will come for you.”

Bass took off into the trees, changing as he ran. Cage raced past her a second later, others following him. She didn’t know what to do or say; she felt too weak to protest. She just hoped Bass was as good as he said.

“Kat?”

Katalina turned toward Toby’s voice as he offered her a blanket. She’d barely registered the cold seeping into her bare skin.

“I thought you’d need this. Are you feeling okay? The first change can be rough.”

“Thanks, Toby.” She smiled, covering her naked body with the blanket. “I’m just tired and so hungry.”

“Come on.” He wrapped his arm around her and helped her into the house. Katalina stopped off at the kitchen for food and then went to the bedroom. As she climbed onto the bed, she called out to Toby as he was closing the door.

“Toby.”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For always being there, for not judging me.”

“It’s all right, Kat.”

“I’m going to miss you,” she whispered as she closed the door.

She couldn’t be certain, but she thought he whispered back, ‘I’ll miss you too, Kat.’

Chapter 9

With a full belly, Katalina fell instantly into a deep sleep. She woke up at midday, her stomach growling as she climbed out of bed.

God, I’m starving.

She turned the handle, intending to go find food, but the door was locked. Katalina rattled on the handle and then banged against the door. Her heart pounded.
They’ve locked me in.
She’d felt like a prisoner from the moment she’d arrived, but in that instant, she really was. She banged again and started shouting.

Jackson’s voice drifted through the door a moment later.

“This is for your own good, Katalina. As soon as that wolf is caught, you’ll be free to leave your room.”

She felt sick, her head fuzzy. Each pound of her heart boomed through her skull; she had to be careful. She needed to make them think she’d behave or she’d never get away.

“Jackson, please, I won’t leave the house. I’m hungry and bored,” she said in her sweetest voice.

“I’ll send Toby up with food. Sorry, Kat, you’re staying put.”

A surge of anger raced through her and then a sharp pain spread through her fingers. She gasped at the hand she had pressed against the door. Changing and cracking, it morphed into a wolf’s paw. With great effort, Katalina managed to regain control of her body and keep her wolf at bay, but she knew only the smallest thing would set it off again.

Oh, my God, what has happened to me?
Anger consumed her.

She paced the room, feeling more agitated by the second. Her body didn’t feel like her own anymore. There was a rage, a wildness inside of her and it scared Katalina. Glancing out of the window, she realized Bass would come for her in a few hours. She needed to get out of the room.
I need to go home
.

The door clicked and then opened. Toby looked miserable when he walked in carrying a tray of food.

‘
Sorry,’
he mouthed. The door closed behind him and clicked, locking Toby inside with her.

Katalina sat in silence eating the food, racking her brain for some semblance of a plan, or at least some idea of how to escape. She could barge past when they let Toby out, or climb out the window when he left. She stood and walked over to the window. Cage was circling the house, keeping her in and Bass out.
Can I get past Cage?

She watched him as he vanished from view lapping around the back; it took him two minutes to come back around the front. Two minutes she’d have to climb out the window and make it to the cover of the woods. She wasn’t even sure she could make that with her new wolf speed.

“He nailed the window shut while you were sleeping, Kat,” Toby whispered.

Katalina turned and looked at Toby with wide eyes. “While I was sleeping? Are you for real?”

“The body takes the first change hard. I slept for more than twenty-four hours after mine. There could have been a riot outside and you wouldn’t have noticed.” His voice was a gravelly whisper.

“What is my best chance of escape, Toby?” she whispered.

Toby looked at the door, the window and then back at Katalina. Taking a deep breath, he whispered, “If I can slip away, I’ll open the door. You’ll have to then sneak out, wait for Cage to be out of sight, and run. I’m not even sure if I’ll be able to get the door unlocked, and then you’ve got to get through the house and past Cage. Kat, it’s going to be pretty hard. The best chance you’ll have is turning wolf. You’ll be quicker. Jackson has all four enforcers patrolling around the pack’s perimeter too. He’ll come after you straight away. You’ll have to keep running and pray you can get enough of a head start to outrun them.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“It’s only unlocking a door.”

“No, Toby, it’s going against your alpha to help me.”

“This isn’t right, Kat. I can’t just sit back and do nothing. Cage has gone insane. I’ve no idea why he’s siding with Jackson.”

There was a bang on the door. “Toby, time to come out.”

“See you, Kat,” Toby smiled.

Katalina spent the next hour pacing. She’d given up trying to open the window; it was well and truly nailed shut. She’d watched Cage for a while; his constant marching drove her mad. Arne was still running around free, which made her feel better, but she wasn’t sure she’d be able to sneak out and get his attention.

She froze as the door clicked softly. Rushing to the door, Katalina listened for any sounds and when she heard nothing, she crept out. It was time. Halfway down the stairs, the front door opened. Karen rushed in, slamming it so hard behind her the glass in the tiny rectangle window cracked. Katalina stood frozen, her heart in her throat, but Karen didn’t notice her as she marched into the kitchen. Jackson started shouting and then Karen started shouting back. For a second, she didn’t move. She’d never heard Karen so mad, but then she realized her advantage; their fighting would distract them as she escaped.

Running the last few steps, Katalina waited until Cage was out of sight and then ran. Luckily, Arne was asleep on the porch. He woke the second she leaped off and ran after her. Halfway to the woods she remember Toby told her to change, having only done it once without wanting to, she wasn’t sure what to do. Pulling her clothes off as she ran, she tripped, landing face first in the snow.

“Fuck it!” she swore, dragging her jeans off and then jumping back to her feet. As she started to run again, she heard Cage yell.

“Here goes nothing,” she muttered.

Katalina closed her eyes. She pictured her wolf in her mind’s eye, instinctively knowing this was how to take control of her wolf. The pain of the change ran up her spine. She screamed, falling forward as her wolf burst from within her.

Cage had already closed the distance between them, but she didn’t look back. The woods became a whole different world as a wolf. She could see and feel the best path through the trees. Her paws easily glided over the uneven earth, but Cage had been a wolf longer than her and he was soon snapping at her heels.

Arne was already far behind them, not able to keep up with the wolves, but she couldn’t think of him now; she had to think of herself, no matter how much it hurt her to leave him behind.

Cage jumped onto her. They tumbled to the ground, a ball of snow white and dark grey fur. Katalina was startled by the savage snarl, which ripped from her throat. She leapt to her feet, prowling around him, her wolf instincts taking over. Cage snarled back at her. He was twice as big and covered in more muscle. His growl vibrated through her bones, and she felt the command in his tone. He was more dominant than she was, higher in rank within the pack, but Katalina didn’t truly belong to the pack. She shook off the command, and leaping, as she sunk her sharp wolf teeth into his flank.

Cage had spent his whole life training to fight. He’d been a wolf for many years and Katalina was no match for him. He had her pinned within a matter of minutes. He snarled above her snapping at her exposed throat. Ice-cold fear flooded her veins, causing her human form to come through.

Cage changed back. “Well done, Kat, I’m impressed. You’ve been a wolf one night and you actually managed to draw blood.” He smiled at her as if it was all some big game. “Imagine how powerful you’ll be when I’ve trained you.”

“You’ll never train me, Cage. I’m not staying here!” she spat at him. Lashing out, her nails scratched against skin, drawing blood.

Anger flared in his eyes, but he didn’t fight back. “Back home,” he snapped.

Cage lifted her up, his arm tight around her waist as he dragged her back to the house. Katalina didn’t go quietly; she kicked and screamed, slashing her nails across his skin but he didn’t let her go.

“That’s not my home! It will never be my home. Put me down!” she screamed.

“For God’s sake, Kat, will you just stop? Do you think I want to be doing this? Dark Shadow want you dead and they’re responsible for your parents’ deaths. I can’t let that happen, can’t let them hurt you. This is for your own good. Please just stop fighting. We’re supposed to be friends, remember?”

Katalina went slack in his arms. Cage let her go as she relaxed, realizing she’d given up trying to escape. She fell back, her naked ass hitting the snow.

“Friends! If you were my friend, you’d be taking me back to my home, so I can say goodbye to my parents. We could have been friends once, but not anymore.” Kat jumped to her feet, turning on her heel and stormed back to the house, collecting her discarded clothes along the way.

“Kat!” Jackson growled at her as she walked up the porch steps.

“I want to go home, Jackson!”

“This is your home,” he said, barely containing his fury.

“No, it isn’t. If this were my home, I’d be free to come and go as I pleased. This is my prison. You claim to be my father, but fathers don’t lock up their daughters.”

“I’m sorry, Katalina, but this is for your own good.”

“I’m sorry, too.”

He looked at her, surprise etched on his face at her apology.

Katalina’s jaw clenched tightly, her body rigid with anger. She slapped Jackson across the face, the force jarring up her arm. Everyone gasped as the slap echoed around them.

“I’ve never hated someone so much in my life!” she growled.

Cage grabbed her before she could launch herself at Jackson. She screamed all the way up the stairs, gouging her claws into his back. Cage flung her to the floor, slamming the door shut and locking her in.

Climbing to her feet, she trembled with an anger she’d never felt before. It swirled and grew inside her like a tornado, ripping from her in a savage scream. She was running at the door, her shoulder connecting and smashing through the wood. Splinters exploded around her as she traveled through it and landed in a heap on the other side.

She heaved in a breath trying to gain some control, but nothing would calm the storm inside her. Her wolf paced, pushing against her skin, straining to escape. Pain rippled down her spine, her claws gouged into the wooden boards beneath her; her wolf fought for its freedom and won.

She prowled forward on wolf paws, a growl rumbling through her chest. She couldn’t think beyond the red haze of anger. Katalina pounced on the nearest person she found. Blood filled her mouth as her sharp, wolf teeth tore into flesh
. Toby’s flesh… Toby’s blood
…

The red haze dropped as ice ran through her veins forcing the change. Toby lay bleeding in her arms.

“Oh, God, what have I done?” she sobbed.

“Kat,” Toby croaked.

“Toby, Toby, I’m so sorry. I…I don’t know what…I was so angry…I…please, please be okay.”

“Katalina!” Jackson pushed her away, lifting Toby into his arms. “Just go! Go back to your room!”

Katalina ran back to her room without complaint. She slumped to the floor naked, staring at the blood staining her hands, wondering how she’d become such a monster. Time passed but she didn’t seem to notice. All she could think of was Toby, young sweet Toby, covered in blood, because of her.

Sometime later, she noticed a guard outside her room. The broken pieces of door still remained scattered all around, reminding her of the strength she now possessed, the power that she couldn’t contain. She climbed to her feet, her body protesting from being bent in one position for so long. She pulled on the nearest clothes she could find and walked to the man guarding her door.

“Can I go wash my hands?” she asked in a small voice. She didn’t recognize him. He’d not been in the house before. He looked at her, his brown eyes hard with anger.

“No!”

The man was broad shouldered, his body covered in muscle. Katalina turned away from the door, not daring to protest.

She heard whining outside. Going to the window, she saw Arne. No one seemed to be letting him in. “Looks like we are both in trouble,” she whispered against the glass, pressing her hand on the cold surface. She longed for freedom, for home.

“Kat?”

Katalina whipped around. Was he a hallucination? How was he on his feet so fast?

“You’re okay?” she asked quietly, not daring to move in case he wasn’t real. She’d honestly thought she’d killed him, all the blood that had covered her …Yet there he stood, bandaged and looking a little pale but alive. She’d never been so happy to see him.

“Yes, takes more than a bite to put me down. I’ll be right as rain by morning.”

“But the b-blood?” she stammered, looking at her red stained hands.

Toby followed her eyes and frowned. “Why haven’t you cleaned up?”

Katalina glanced toward the door. “He wouldn’t let me out. Best to keep the monster locked away.”

“Kat!” Toby took a step toward her. “You are not a monster. Do you hear me? None of this is your fault, none. You’re a newly changed wolf, who hasn’t had any guidance. Jackson has kept you locked up like a prisoner. I’m surprised you’ve kept it together this long. Being a shifter is amazing, but it also comes with problems. Part of you is a wild animal, and sometimes, that animal takes over.”

“I don’t want this, Toby.” Katalina shook her head, close to tears. She was about to say more when she felt a strange pull in her chest. Turning, she looked out the window with a frown.