The Bite (Book 1)

CHAPTER THREE

I ran through the forest. Pitch-black and cold, the breeze in the night swayed through the trees like a bitter poltergeist taunting me. My feet stumbled over leaves and fallen limbs while low-hanging branches reached to snag me in their sharp embrace.

Thin, cold air did nothing to fill my lungs. I stopped and tried to find the light, the way to the road, but all I found was a pair of sick golden eyes staring at me. They neared until the glow revealed a face I knew too well.

Nate smiled at me, fangs peeking out of his lips. He cocked his head as his eyes greedily drank me in. "I told you that you couldn't run from me," he said coolly, before lunging at me.

My eyes opened as I gulped a breath of air. Pain greeted me like we were old friends, radiating through my body down to the place in my leg where I could feel my own heartbeat. I grabbed the sheets next to me, my toes fidgeting under the blankets.

"It was just a dream," I murmured to myself as my head rolled to the side. It was dim in the room, a small lamp providing the only source of light.

It looked like a cabin of some sort. Wood-paneled walls decorated with different trinkets. A photo of some ducks, a wooden bass with gold hooks for hanging coats, and a deer head mounted on the wall.

I tried not to panic. These people had saved me after all, whoever they were . . .

I tried to push myself up. Searing pain shot through my leg and started to slowly kick drum to life. The pulse in my thigh thump-thump-thumped, drawing tears to my eyes and causing me to collapse back on the bed.

Deep breaths.

My eyes slowly drifted down the plaid comforter to my leg. Fingers slowly peeled back the blanket to find a large bloodstained bandage wrapped around it. Memories poured back to me: that night. The wolves. The creature. The bite.

My heart raced as the images of my attack poured into my brain. Wolves. Big-ass wolves. I had never seen anything like them. I tried to push away those images. Push away the images of the wolf tearing into my leg, or of the golden-eyed devil who had tried to sate his needs with my body.

Tears tried to push their way out. A sob yanked through me. It was like I could hear Nate next to me, shushing me and telling me he was sorry but he couldn't help it when I made silly mistakes. I covered my mouth and pushed the pain down. I wouldn't cry. Now was not the time. I needed to get up and figure out where the hell I was, and who had saved me.

The sound of murmuring snapped my gaze to the green door across the room. I pulled the covers up while my heart danced in my chest.

Voices outside grew louder while the air around me felt like it was also holding its breath.

"She's just going to be a burden and a royal pain in my ass," a man groaned from behind the door. His voice gravelly, and ice-cold.

"You don't want this on you!" another man pleaded, his voice so smooth it almost sounded like a song.

"I've had enough of this!" the ragged voice growled, causing the green door to shiver.

My eyes went wide as I watched it vibrate. "What the fu—"

Light pooled into the room as the door was thrown open and the lights were turned on abruptly. I had to shield my eyes with my arm so they could adjust to the harshness. I tried to make out what was happening as loud footsteps thundered toward me.

My eyes opened to meet the end of a double-barreled shotgun.

I screamed and grabbed a pillow to shield me. I tried to squirm away but the pain radiating through my injured leg only turned me into a flopping seal on the bed.