Pack E-Book

Jeaniene Frost

• Herausgeber: NYLA
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 86

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2008

Beschreibung

**Previously published in the Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance and the Under Her Skin anthologies—now updated to include over 20% more sizzling extra material** Lost in the woods… Marlee Peters is tired of putting her dreams on hold, so when her friends can't continue on a long- anticipated hike of Yellowstone National Park, she goes on without them. But Marlee isn't alone in the woods; she's being hunted by a pack of frighteningly intelligent wolves. When a fight for survival takes an impossible turn, Marlee realizes that the enigmatic stranger who saves her might either be her dream come true…or her waking nightmare. Big, bad wolf… As the pack's enforcer, Daniel is sworn to keep the existence of werewolves a secret. He knows that Marlee's bites may change her life in a way she can't imagine, but if they don't, he can't let her tell others about his race. Yet Marlee is awakening Daniel's most primal urges, and soon, neither one of them will be able to resist the call of the wild… "I always open a Frost book with happy anticipation!" –Charlaine Harris

Leseprobe

Copyright

This ebook is licensed to you for your personal enjoyment only.

This ebook may not be sold, shared, or given away.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the writer’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Pack

Copyright © 2008 by Jeaniene Frost

Ebook ISBN: 9781943772087

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

No part of this work may be used, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

NYLA Publishing

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http://www.nyliterary.com

Author’s Note:

Back in early 2008, I wrote a werewolf romance story called Pack for the Mammoth Book Of Paranormal Romance anthology. Later, Packwas re-published with authors Ilona Andrews and Meljean Brook in an e-book-only anthology called Under Her Skin. In the years since, Meljean, Ilona, and I have dipped more into self-publishing, so we decided to break up the anthology and self-publish our stories as individual novelettes instead. While I was rereading Pack in preparation of this, I made some scene additions to add depth to the characters’ thoughts, motivations, and feelings. I also added a brand-new love scene in an additional chapter at the end. You see, the old anthology that I’d written this for had a word-count limit that I’d already far exceeded, so I’d left those things out in the previously-published versions. Re-publishing this story on its own allowed me to add this additional material. The end result in this new version is over twenty percent more content versus the previously-published editions.

I really enjoyed writing Pack because I’ve been a fan of werewolf stories almost as long as I’ve been a fan of vampire ones, so it was fun to play around in that world. Some of you who’ve read Pack have contacted me to ask if I’d ever write another story set in this world. The answer is both yes and no. Here is why: in the many years since I wrote Pack, I’ve thought up ways to expand the mythology, give it a more complex origin story, and change it from a secret, “closed” world to an open one where the average person knows that shape-shifters exist. So that’s why I wouldn’t write in the exact same world that Pack features. However, I would like to play with a bigger, more complex world that still has its basis in some of the worldbuilding found in Pack, so you never know when an entire book might come out of that :).

Thanks, and I hope that you enjoy Pack.

Warmly,

Jeaniene Frost

Also by Jeaniene Frost

THE SWEETEST BURN

THE BEAUTIFUL ASHES

BOUND BY FLAMES

UP FROM THE GRAVE

TWICE TEMPTED

ONCE BURNED

ONE GRAVE AT A TIME

THIS SIDE OF THE GRAVE

ETERNAL KISS OF DARKNESS

FIRST DROP OF CRIMSON

DESTINED FOR AN EARLY GRAVE

AT GRAVE'S END

ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE

HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE

Chapter One

I knew I was being hunted before I heard the growl. First there had been flashes of gray and black in the trees around me, too fast for me to make out. Then the crackling of dried leaves and twigs as those forms came nearer. And that primal, icy feeling on the back of my neck that told me I’d just moved from the top of the food chain to prey.

No one was around to help me either. This was Yellowstone National Park, one of the last great American wildernesses. I hadn’t seen another soul since my friends Brandy and Tom abandoned the hike three days ago, and I’d been lost for two daysnow. A wave of fear rolled over me, making my stomach clench in a nauseating way. Whatever had growled, it wasn’t alone.

New growlsemerged from behind the trees—low, guttural, and more menacing than a mugger in a dark alley. I flicked my gaze around, trying to hone in on the source while I drew my backpack off my shoulders. I had a gun in there that I’d brought along in what I’d thought was over-the-top paranoia. Now I wished I’d brought an Uzi and some grenades too.

I had the backpack on the ground and was pulling the gun out when the animal struck. It came at me with incredible speed, plowing right into me and knocking me over. Instinctively I scrambled back, holding my hands out in defense and convinced I’d feel teeth tearing into me at any moment. The wolf—God, it was a huge wolf!—didn’t lunge for my throat though. It stood a few feet away, mouth open in what seemed to meto be a sick caricature of a grin, with my gun on the ground between its paws.

I’d dropped the gun. How could I have been so stupid as to drop the gun?

That thought raced through my mind, followed by a slew of if onlys. If only I hadn’t gone on this camping trip. If only Brandy hadn’t twisted her ankle, forcing her and Tom to leave early. If only I hadn’t been so determined to continue the hike alone. If only the map hadn’t gotten ruined. If only I’d had a satellite phone instead of my useless, out-of-area cellular.

And if only I hadn’t dropped the damn gun when an enormous wolf charged me.That would probably be the last regret I ever had.

Twigs snapped behind me. My head jerkedback while I still tried to keep an eye on the wolf in front of me. Five more wolves cleared the trees, running around me with an easy, deadly grace. I started to scoot back more, but there was nowhere to go. My heart was pounding while my breath came in strange, jagged gasps.

You’re lost out in the middle of nowhere, and these wolves are going to eat you alive. Oh God, no, please. I don’t want to die…

Only four days ago, I’d been laughing with my friends about how great it was to be outdoors instead of trapped inside our stuffy offices. This was the vacation I’d been waiting years to take. How could this be happening?

One of the circling wolves broke from the ranks and charged me. I flung up my hands in useless defense when the huge gray wolf let out a growl that sounded like a word.

“Mine.”

I gasped. That wolf did not just speak!

But its yellow eyes gleamed with a savage intelligence and another rumbling, coherent growl came out of its throat. “You. Dieee.”

I abandoned all logic to scramble to my feet, then ran as fast as I could even while knowing it was futile. Sudden, scalding pain in my ankle had me stumbling, but I didn’t stop. I lurched on, heart hammering and tears blurring my vision. Around me, the wolves gleefully yipped as they kept pace.

More pain seared my leg. I fell, panic urging me to get up even though both my legs felt like they were on fire. I tried to run again, but my left ankle buckled. The wolves’ cries became more excited. They darted in, nipping me and drawing blood before bounding back and ducking out of the way of my wild punches. I couldn’t run anymore, but I staggered forward, looking for anything that would help me. Maybe I could climb a tree. Maybe I could find a heavy branch to use as a weapon.

It’s too late for that, Marlee, said an insidious voice in my head. Just give up. It’ll be over soon.

The enormous gray wolf suddenly jumped in front of me. Its mouth was open, fangs gleaming in the late-afternoon light. It let out a howl that stopped the other wolves in their tracks. Then they joined in, filling the air with their victorious cries. The gray wolf became silent, coming closer while its companions continued their howls. I braced myself, images of my family and friends flashing in my mind. They’ll never know what happened to you. You’ll just be another vanished hiker in the woods…

Despite my overwhelming fear, anger also reared up in me. I looked at the gray wolf, only a foot away now. You might kill me, but I’m going to hurt you before you do.

When it lunged, I was ready. Its fangs sank into my right arm, which I’d thrown up to protect my throat. But even as I almost fainted at the agony of its teeth tearing my flesh, I didn’t hesitate. My left thumb jammed into its eye, as deep as it could go.

Something like a scream came out of the wolf. Or maybe I was the one screaming. Either way, it took a second for the next, new sound to register, but when it did, I felt a surge of hope. It was the loud, unmistakable boom of a gunshot.

The gray wolf let go of me. I sagged back, clutching my torn arm to my chest. The wolf’s right eye was bleeding and the animal was panting, but it didn’t run. Neither did the other wolves. They crouched, staring over my shoulder, snarls coming from their throats.

“Leave,” the gray wolf said, garbled but intelligible.

I’m hallucinating again, I thought. Maybe I’ve passed out. Maybe I’m being ripped to pieces right now.

Something brushed by me. I recoiled when I saw it was several more wolves. With my good arm, I began flailing at them in a pathetic attempt to keep them away, but they ignored me. Their attention seemed fixed on the other, snarling wolves.

When a gorgeous, naked man appeared and squatted down next to me, I knew I was hallucinating. I might have even let out a laugh. Maybe all of this was just a horrible dream, and I’d wake up safe in my tent.

“Are you all right?” the man asked, looking me over.

Now I was sure I laughed, but it had an edge of hysteria to it. “Never better.”

I looked at his face—and gasped. His eyes were amber and his pupils were slanted, just like wolves’ eyes, and the same wildness lurked inside them.

God, please let this be a dream!

The man stood. He had a gun pointed at the gray wolf. “You’ve gone too far, Gabriel,” he said. “Hunting humans is forbidden. The pack will judge you for this.”

The wolf snarled. “They hunt us.”