Reed (Nano Wolves #4) - Donna McDonald Page 0,31

gone over the layout of the nearby land on their drive. There was a small town within thirty miles from this location and a wilderness resort with cabins ten miles in the opposite direction.

Not having Brandi’s skillset in out-thinking criminals, Reed couldn’t gauge how ambitious the kidnappers might get in looking for her. He had the warrior form now, which would make it much harder for anyone attacking them.

Getting Katarina settled somewhere to recover made more sense than calling for help. One of the cabins at the resort could be empty. That would be good a place to spend the night and the day tomorrow if needed.

9

Katrina woke to the sound of running water. Her hands rested on soft bed linens instead of the rough covering on the cot in her cage. She’d run away from the cage. Right?

She fled into the tall grasses outside her prison and fell on her face in the dirt. Everything before that was fuzzy—she’d dreamed something—and then passed out. That was all she recalled, and it was vague. Perhaps remembering yesterday was not as important as her current situation.

Where was she now?

Katarina blinked the desire to go back to sleep away and tried not to think about how sluggish and sick she felt. Had someone taken her from her captors? She knew the bad guys had betrayers among them.

Her hand stretched out to touch the other pillow. Someone had slept beside her in the bed. Her sense of smell was off this morning, but what lingered definitely wasn’t human. Her hand came back to her chest. All her clothes were still on and her body felt no violation.

It couldn’t be either of the men who tried to steal her. First, they were both completely human. Second, she’d shot both of them with the tranquilizer and locked them up in her cage.

Hadn’t she?

Sighing at her lack of certainty, Katarina put a hand to her hurting head. Whatever they’d given her was more than a tranquilizer. The one man had said it would keep her out for days. Thank Nicolai, all she’d gotten was a tiny bit of it.

Bringing her attention back to the immediate problem, that she didn’t know who was in the shower, she wondered if the person was friend or foe? This was the first problem to solve because it would determine what else needed to be done.

She rubbed her eyes and groaned softly at how much she hurt all over. She could use a shower herself… and some food that wasn’t laced with drugs.

Logical—she needed to be logical. Use your head, Katarina. Think like a smart she-wolf.

If the person in the shower was one of her kidnappers, her wolf would have been snarling by now. Since her wolf was not driving her crazy, it must be a rescuer. Right?

This had to be true.

Trusting her beast to warn her if she was making a mistake, Katarina pushed to the edge of the bed and slid her feet to the floor. The room and everything in it swum for a moment. Finally, she stood up and coaxed her wobbly legs into walking toward the bathroom.

This was a compact space. All the furniture was in one room with a small kitchenette in a corner. She saw a modern fireplace as she limped by. It was equipped with a small carousel of heavy wrought iron tools. She limped over to it and selected one with a pointed end like a spear. She tested her strength and made a stabbing motion in the air. Shifting to her wolf might be riskier than fighting a human if her wolf was also affected by the drug.

The shower cut off as she quietly pushed the door open enough to peer inside. She held her makeshift weapon up and took a fighting stance so when the naked person saw her, he or she would know she meant business.

A large man stepped out the shower and looked around for a towel. Relieved, Katarina snorted as she watched him. Why did men never get their towel before they got wet? It was one more disappointment about him to add to her list.

Reed’s naked body, though, fulfilled every fantasy she’d had and then offered more… temptation. It was the only word that fit. Yana would laugh when she told this story. Her sister would think it funny that she stood in the shadows to watch in secret.

Reed’s nearly waist-length hair dripped water down the back of him, which was soaking the mat he stood