Lone Wolf (First in Lone Wolf Series)

Chapter Seventeen

“Glad you think so.” Trig replied, feeling his heart swell. He reached out a tentative hand and wrapped his fingers around her own. Farrah looked down at their hands with a frown and then she smiled and squeezed his hand tighter and stepped closer to him as they walked.

Trig wondered how to bring up the fact that she was his mate. How would he tell her?

They came to a bit of a clearing in the trees and Trig stopped and pulled Farrah to a stop as well.

“Farrah, I’m really glad that you found me on the road that day.” he admitted and Farrah nodded.

“And I’m glad I found you as well. Could have been worse, much worse, had I found someone else.” Trig grinned and pulled her closer, surprised when she allowed herself to be moved.

“Farrah, can I kiss you?” he asked quietly as his heart thundered in his chest and nerves danced in his stomach. Farrah smiled but then she frowned and a line creased her brow.

“No!” she exclaimed loudly. Trig’s eyes widened and he took a step back.

“Okay….” he replied slowly. “I’m sorry I asked.” he added with a disappointed pout. He saw Farrah’s nostrils flare and then a panicked light came to her eyes.

“No! No! No!” she cried out.

“What’s wrong?” Trig demanded and he scented the air himself only to have a growl coming from deep in his chest when he realized that there was a group of angry men fairly close and closing in. He could even hear them now that he was listening.

He’d been too consumed in Farrah. Too busy thinking of her to realize that any danger had been near.

“Are they the men that hurt you?” He asked but Farrah was lost to her panic.

“Run. Run. Have to run!” she exclaimed. Trig would be damned before they ran. He wasn’t going to let those men get away with what they’d done to her. Her bruises might be healed and her limp might be gone but they had hurt his mate and that wasn’t something that he would allow to go unpunished.

“Stay here.” he ordered and Farrah shook her head. Then the first of the men came into view and Farrah growled loudly. Trig realized she was about to shift and he quickly wrapped his arms around her.

“Hold on to it, Farrah! Now is not the time!” he urged as soothingly as he could. But she fought wildly like the cat she was against him. It was all Trig could do to hold her in place as she screamed with a mixture of fear and anger. Then her body began to change in his arms.

“It’s the monster!” the man yelled. Trig cursed and tried hard to keep his hold on Farrah but she let out a panicked hiss and swung her arm, which was now more cat than human and equipped with long, razor sharp claws that raked across his cheek.

Trig let out a loud yelp of pain and jumped away from her. Within seconds she had become a large tan mountain lion. Trig met her eyes, gray and full of fear and then she quickly turned and ran off into the woods.

“After her!” One of the men yelled. Trig turned to see the miners had all entered the clearing. Close to twenty men all on horseback with guns, knives and bad tempers.

“Leave her alone.” Trig growled as blood poured down his cheek and soaked into the collar of his white chambray shirt.

“Like hell!” one of the men on a large white horse stated as he came forward. “We plan on killing that thing! It killed our friends.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to kill me first.” Trig warned. While he had hoped she wouldn’t shift in front of the men yet again, he was glad she was out of danger. Trig would do what must be done to prevent any of these men from going after her.