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managing to affect a pitying tone despite her growing anger.  Clearly, I m
nothing more than a normal woman. Surely you can see that? she
implored.  I don t know anything about a wolf being killed. Hunting isn t
a crime, but kidnapping is, and it s taken very seriously by the police. If
you let me go now, we can forget this ever happened. She forced tears to
well in her eyes, hoping she looked pitiful while she bit back her fury.
Maybe if he could see her as a human being, like him&
His hand shook slightly, and his voice took on an edge of hysteria
as he spoke.  I wish people would stop saying that to me. I don t need a
doctor. I am a doctor. And you are a monster. A clever one, I ll give you
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that, but a monster nonetheless.
 Now, you and I are going to get to know each other a little better.
I d hoped you would cooperate, hoped maybe you would even want me
to try to cure you, but if you won t be nice& 
He walked toward her, pulling a wicked looking needle from his
pocket.
* * * * *
Sean held his nose firmly to the ground as he moved through the
forest. The pack had spread out over a three-mile area around where Sara
had been killed and were in constant mental contact. No one had caught
Chandra s scent yet, and they were preparing to move to another section
of woods when a sound caught his attention
He pricked his ears, listening intently, opening his thoughts, and
pressing outward for Chandra. Again, nothing. He had been trying to
reconnect with her since they left Amber s house, and he was terrified
because he had received no response. He held onto the hope that she was
sedated again or somehow distracted.
He wouldn t allow himself to think of the alternative.
A sound came then, and this time it was clear. Chandra, barking
and snarling. His heart leaped. He turned to the noise and broke into a
run, sending out the call to his pack mates.
They had found her.
* * * * *
As Wheeler moved toward her, Chandra knew she had no choice.
She had to risk changing as she could not would not allow him to drug
her and perform God knows what grisly experiments on her.
Hoping buy herself a moment or two with shock value, she burst
into wolf form in an instant, steeling herself for the pain in her wrists and
ankles.
Three of the four shackles gave way. The fourth was still on her
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Awakening by Christine Bell
right hind leg, stuck tight, above the joint. She rolled to her side desperate
to get out of the submissive position she was in and stood on the bed
using her three good legs. A low growl worked its way from deep in her
throat.
The doctor had stopped mid-stride and stared in awe.  Amazing. I
knew it. I knew it! He lowered the needle, putting it back into his pocket,
and instead aimed the gun at her.  I was going to give you something
mild this time, but I can see that isn t going to work. He closed one eye
and fixed her in his sights.
She would not allow him to render her helpless again. Chandra
steeled herself and wrenched her body hard to the side just as she heard
the gun go off. The bone in her hind leg snapped, and she howled in pain.
Fighting through the agony, she pulled her limp, malleable leg from the
chain.
Chandra looked up to see the doctor struggling to get another
cartridge into the gun and set up for second shot, but she wasted no time.
His wild, terrified eyes met hers, and she leaped from the bed, snarling as
her jaws closed over his gun-wielding arm like a steel trap. He screamed,
and the gun clattered to the floor.
A sharp sting in her side registered through the fury, and she
looked down in despair to see the doctor s needle protruding from
between her ribs.
She d gambled and failed. Not only was she helpless, she d also
exposed her pack to a madman. She should have let him kill her.
As her vision grew blurry, she reached for Sean one last time before
slipping into oblivion. Run. Pack everyone up and run. So sorry.
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Awakening by Christine Bell
Chapter Nine
So sorry.
Chandra s thoughts blasted into his consciousness, then faded
away an instant later.
Sean let out a haunting howl. Could fate be so cruel as to take her
from him when they were so close?
He covered the last few yards to the old, rickety door and launched
himself into it, smashing it to pieces as he entered the house. He followed
Chandra s scent to the bedroom and stepped inside.
She lay motionless on the floor, her face covered in blood. Heart in
his throat, he ran to her side, sniffing and licking her face tenderly. Not
her blood. She was breathing, he realized with relief. He scanned her body
quickly for injuries and noted her leg twisted at an awkward angle.
Painful but not life threatening.
The rest of the pack entered the room and surrounded her,
snuffling and licking her gently.
His overwhelming relief was eclipsed by ice-cold fury. Sean met
Liam s eyes. Get her home. I ll be there shortly.
We go together, Liam responded curtly.
I need to do this alone.
Without waiting for a response, Sean followed the scent of fresh
blood out the back door. He padded forward, intent on the hunt, the beat
of his animal heart the only discernible sound.
As the scent of blood grew stronger, so did his rage. It pulsed
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Awakening by Christine Bell
through him like a giant, seething beast, all consuming.
A subtle movement caught his attention. Narrowing keen eyes, he
spotted him.
Crouched low behind a bush was the man who had killed Sara, the
man who had hurt Chandra, the focus of every shred of anger and pain in [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]