Wolf's Call (Wolves Next Door #2) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,91

out of my grip, I kicked again. My foot landed in her belly, but I was not winning. The wolf barely seemed to even care about that.

So I pulled, gripping my only weapon like a lifeline. When the wolf tried to readjust her grip, I got the chance to swing again, hitting her in the muzzle - but that only pissed her off more! Another volley of snaps came at me, yet I wouldn't stop. So long as I kept making circles around the chair, she couldn't bite me.

I hoped.

My heart was pounding in my chest so hard I could hear it in my ears. I felt like I couldn't quite catch a breath, but I wasn't giving in. My entire focus narrowed to me and the wolf, and desperation gave me strength. I didn't care that I was basically cowering before her. I just had to keep her teeth off me!

In the distance, I could hear a car. I thought about screaming for help, but the wolf just lunged again, forcing me to swing. Between the panic stealing my breath and the random swinging, I had time for nothing else. I just had to keep the chair between us. I had to keep hitting. My arms were already tired, but I couldn't stop. I couldn't trip. I couldn't slow down or look away.

Then tires squealed. Another wolf growled, and something grey streaked into my vision. Without slowing, a second wolf slammed into the one trying to get me, knocking her off her feet. Growls, barks, and howls took over as the two of them fought for all they had, but this new wolf was one I recognized.

Roman.

"Leave him alone!" I screamed.

But Kim's voice replied. "Elena, get in the car," she snapped.

I looked over to see her pulling off her clothes. Her car was still running, parked at an angle as if she'd almost driven right onto the grass. That was all I needed. Dropping my log, I ran, listening to her son fighting for all he was worth. I barely slid into the front seat before Kim slammed her door and just shifted, dropping below the side of the car.

Then she raced into the fight, adding a second grey streak to the blur of bodies rolling around on the ground. I could see blood on Roman's side, but the other wolf wasn't much better. Her coat was almost the same color as theirs, but her grey was more brown, just enough to make it easy to tell who was who.

My hands were shaking, my pulse was racing, and I still felt like I couldn't breathe, but I dug in my pocket for my phone. Pulling it out, I had to try twice to unlock the screen. Thankfully, Ian's contact was right at the top. I pressed it, pulling the phone to my ear, but I couldn't look away. I also wasn't sure if he'd be able to hear me over the cacophony of the fight just feet away.

"Hey?" he answered then, "What's that?"

"I think it's Karen," I said as fast as I could. "Ian, we're at the trails. She tried to attack me. Kim and Roman are here, and I don't know who's winning, but there's blood."

"Guys!" Ian yelled, barely pulling the phone away to do it. "Elena, trails, now! Karen's after her!" Then, "We're coming. Let Kim handle it, baby." And the line went dead.

"Please hurry," I breathed, knowing no one else could hear. "Please, please hurry."

But the sound of the wolf fight was loud enough that Gabby had heard. She and Olivia raced from the trees, still in their wolf bodies, and joined the fray. Like most wolves, Olivia had a lot of white and light colors in her pattern, but her back was chocolate and red, making her stand out. Gabby was dark, the easiest to pick out.

That didn't mean I could tell what was going on, though. They moved too much. Teeth flashed on all of them, and yelps proved that Karen - if that was really Karen - wasn't the only one getting bit. Someone had her leg. Someone else grabbed the back of her neck. Karen latched onto Gabby's ear, but Kim bit right across her face, forcing the wolf to let go.

As if that was the last straw, Karen doubled down, except that she wasn't connecting. Her teeth snapped faster, her growls got louder. Then, as soon as she had the chance, the bitch bolted, racing away straight for the houses. Roman