Reed (Nano Wolves #4) - Donna McDonald Page 0,17

by over their heads. “There is no time to answer your brain’s questions. Call your inner wolf and get going. You must get help before it is too late.”

Katarina jumped to her feet and bent to run toward the attackers. Her gaze swept the area. Two more attackers with tranquilizer guns exited the woods as she watched. She faced their front line and screamed with all the fury her human voice allowed.

“I am here,” she yelled, then screamed again in Russian as she ran to fight.

With his heart hammering in fear, Stewart crawled over and pulled the limp, unconscious Terra over one of his shoulders. He stood up with her easier than he’d imagined he could and took off running. His skin burned and tore as he ran. He wanted to check to see what was happening, but he was too scared to stop running.

He had to get Terra to the bears.

He had to find his parents.

Something sharp hit his shoulder and sent fire racing through him.

“No,” Stewart screamed as his eyes blurred. He made himself keep going. Behind him, he heard Katarina screaming obscenities at the attackers in Russian.

His legs seemed to grow stronger as he continued to run. At the edge of the village, an older woman saw him. She covered her mouth, then uncovered it to yell at a man who rushed over to join her.

Both of them stared fearfully at him as he headed toward them. It worried him, but there was no time to wonder why.

“They shot her. Call for help. Kidnappers are here,” he yelled.

“That’s Jon’s daughter. Give her to me. I’ll see she gets to her parents safely,” the man said.

Trained to obey adults, Stewart immediately handed Terra over. In the process, he finally saw his hands, now covered in coarse, thick hair. His fingernails were horribly deformed. What was happening to him?

He looked down at his legs. They were muscular and strong. At least that was good. No wonder he’d been able to run all this way.

As Stewart studied his hands, he felt his finger bones turning to fiery liquid before they extended into sharp-pointed claws. He looked back at the sanctuary where a large white wolf was trying her best to keep the attackers too busy to advance.

Katarina. She needed help.

“Take Terra to my mother. She’ll know what to do to save her from the tranquilizer. I have to go back and help Katarina. We will need even more help to stop them. The attackers have weapons.”

The man nodded that he understood. The woman nodded and ran to a giant metal bell hanging on a wooden frame. She tugged until it rang out loudly. The sound hurt his ears and made his fangs ache.

Wait… fangs?

He put his new claws to his mouth but couldn’t feel his teeth with them.

Stewart forgot his own problems as he watched the man shift into a bear. He’d called out in pain during his change from human to the creature before him, but he’d done it to get his beast’s help. Somehow Terra had ended up on his back during the transition. The man who was now a bear lumbered away with Terra with all the speed his shifted form allowed.

Stewart closed his eyes and breathed. Katarina was right. There was no time to question or to be afraid. His parents would never get there in time to save Katarina. Whatever he was becoming, he needed to the biggest, baddest version of it right now. He turned back toward the sanctuary and watched several of the attackers converge on the white wolf to restrain it.

If there was ever a time to pray, it was probably now. “Hey… uh… great Wolf Spirit of Nicolai Vashchenko… if you can hear me, will you please help me? I’m just a kid. Katarina needs real help.” Taking a deep breath, Stewart screamed loudly like he’d heard Katarina do as she ran into the fight. He screamed until a strange sound erupted from his throat and turned into unholy howling that sent birds scurrying from the treetops.

When he skidded to a halt in the middle of things, the attackers momentarily stopped shooting to stare at him. They even lowered their weapons.

While the bad guys were acting so stupid, Stewart used the time and looked around for Katarina. He didn’t see a naked human, or a tranquilized white wolf anywhere.

On the ground, though, were what remained of two attackers she must have killed.

But where was Katarina?

Frustrated beyond anything he’d ever felt, Stewart