Pride's Run

by Cathryn Fox

  Guns are drawn as we square off—outnumbered by one—but when Logan jumps from the rooftop and takes two officers down with him, his presence evens the odds.

  As their guns skid across the pavement, Stone lets loose a ferocious howl and pounces, joining Logan in the fight. Before the last cop standing can get a shot off, I leap through the air and knock him to the ground.

  Letting wolf instincts guide me I go for his throat. My teeth puncture salty flesh and I want to cry with joy as the coppery taste of his blood slides over my tongue. That first delicious taste has my wolf wailing, delirious with want. She lets loose a deep guttural howl and revels in the pungent tang of his sweet nectar.

  Hunger prowls through me as I press on his chest with my paw and sink my teeth in further, searching for his jugular. My wolf gives a little yelp, anxious to puncture the blood-filled vein, to feel the rich warm blood rush into her mouth.

  He’s yelling something, but I can’t make out what he’s saying. His hands push at me, eager to gain leverage so he can go for his gun, but I’m too strong. Savage growls fill the air beside me and I can hear both Stone and Logan trying to reach me.

  But I’m too distracted. To distracted by the beautiful, aromatic scent of blood as it saturates the alleyway. I breathe deep, pulling the fragrance into my lungs to savor, but then suddenly another smell seeps past the hunger and does something to me.

  Something that reminds me I’m not a cold-blooded killer.

  As the smell of death surrounds me it’s all I can do not to weep as I look at the man beneath me. I take note of the fear in his eyes, the white pallor of his skin, the unnatural twist of his neck and I begin wonder, is he any different than me?

  Is he not just doing what he’s been trained to do? Just like my wolf is doing what she’s been trained to do?

  But since I’ve left the compound haven’t I’ve been taught to control my primal side, taught that I’m more than just a killing machine?

  Perhaps these men could benefit from learning a thing or two as well, mainly that not all wolves are cold-blooded killers like they believe.

  If I kill him now, wouldn’t I simply be feeding into that belief? That last thought stops me cold and I breathe deep to take control of my ravenous wolf.

  As her hackles settle, only one thought fills me. The killing has to stop.

  I tear my mouth from his neck, and toss my head to the side to see the others. Both Logan and Stone are watching me. I look at the officers trapped beneath them. When I see that they’re wounded, not dead, I inch back and do a quick assessment of the man I’d taken down. He’s lost a lot of blood, but from the confusion on his face I know he’s still alive.

  I shake off my wolf and as we all morph back Stone and Logan take up position on either side of me. Breathing hard, silence stretches as I search for my clothes.

  “Are you okay?”

  I turn to Stone as he speaks to me telepathically in his human form and I could sob at the pain I see in his eyes. “Yes, are you?”

  When he nods, I twist around to check on Logan. He’s staring at me, an odd look on his face.

  I touch his cheek, concerned. “Are you okay?” I ask, unable to use telepathy with him.

  He nods and gestures toward the fire escape staircase leading to the top of the building. “Stay right here. I need to get my clothes. Then I’ll be right back.”

  “Okay.”

  I twist back around, but when I do, I no longer see Stone. Frantic, I rush to the mouth of the alleyway. Caution aside, Stone walks along the sidewalk, toward one of the master’s handlers who, undoubtedly, is searching for me. I open my mouth to yell.

  Logan clamps his hand over my mouth and hauls me against him. “It’s too late,” he whispers.

  I spin around and rush out, “You don’t understand. You don’t know what they’ll do to him.”

  “Pride—”

  My stomach cramps and I almost forget how to breathe. “He’ll be brutally punished. I can’t let that happen.”

  “He’s buying you time, Pride.”

  I steal another quick look at Stone, and can feel a deep sadness seeping from him. Pain slices at my heart to know I’m the one who put it there.

  I give a savage shake of my head. “I can’t let him.”

  Logan spins me back around to face him. “Listen to me,” he says, worry sharpening his words. “Right now you’re not in any position to stop it.”

  I look at him and while I know he’s right, that it will take careful planning to take down my master, it doesn’t make it any easier to swallow.

  Before I can say anything, before I can tell him of my plan to go back and that I want to ask his family for help, we hear the ferry sound the horn.

  “We need to go.”

  I nod.

  “Stay here. I’ll get dressed then pull the car around.”

  Moving numbly, I morph back to wolf. Logan grabs my torn clothes and rushes up the staircase. A moment later he pulls the car up to the alleyway and I jump into the passenger seat beside him. He’s speaking to me, but I have no idea what he’s saying. When he pats his leg, I curl up on the plush fabric and lay my head on his lap. As he runs his hands over my fur, I snuggle in close and once again put my safety in his hands.

  Exhausted, and unable to communicate during the crossing, I take that quiet time to sort through matters and work on a plan to free the others.

  A long time later when darkness is upon us Logan negotiates his car off the ferry. He travels along the highway and when the traffic slows he pulls his car over.

  I take that time to morph back. “Hey,” he says in a soft voice. “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too,” I say as his warmth wraps around my heart.

  With that he reaches into the back seat and hands me a t-shirt and pair of sweat pants. “They’re big, but they’ll do the trick.”

  After I hurry and dress in Logan’s clothes, he pulls back onto the road. Both lost in our own thoughts we don’t talk about what happened, and we definitely don’t talk about Stone. Perhaps neither of us is ready for that just yet.

  A long while later he drives through a street lined with houses. I sit up and look at all the quaint homes and when I hear children playing on their lawns or passing a puck on the pavement, my heart turns over in my chest.

  “We’re here,” he says as he pulls into a driveway.

  I blink up at him, and we exchange a look before I take in the two-story house in front of me.

  “Ready?”

  I nod but nervousness invades my stomach. Logan comes around to my side of the car and opens the door. He grasps my hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

  “Don’t worry. It’s going to be okay.”

  He leads me up the walkway but the front door swings open before we even reach the landing. We’re instantly bombarded by a group of anxious people who are all talking at once and ushering us inside.

  It’s so overwhelming that I find myself moving closer and closer to Logan. He pulls me in tight and does a quick round of introductions. Everyone is watching me, like they’re waiting for some sort of reaction.

  Logan senses my distress and leads me down a long hallway and into the sitting room. He guides me to the sofa and sits down next to me as everyone fills in the seats around us. The lady he introduced as his aunt comes in with trays of food and sweets. And all eyes turn on us, anxious to hear about our journey as the food is passed around.

  As Logan begins to fill them in on our run, my thoughts return to Stone, Jace, Clover, and the puppies and anxiety wells up inside me.

  I look at the people smiling at me, and understand those still trapped at the compound have offered me this life. They wanted me to have my freedom, even at their own expense. A wave of unstable emotions makes me feel light-headed. I’m not about to let them suffer while I lavish. I have to go back. I have to fight. I have to put a stop to the brutality once and for all.

  As I look around Logan’s pack—a loving fa
mily who, without question, have welcomed me with open arms, I know I can’t ask them to risk their lives by joining me in my dangerous pursuit against my master. It’s my fight and I have to fight it alone.

  I have to say goodbye to Logan and I have to do it now before I get in any deeper. I sniff and when I brush at my face, my fingers come away wet.

  A hush falls over the room and Logan gestures for everyone to leave. After they all exit the room, he turns to me and pulls me closer.

  His voice drops to a whisper, “Are those tears, Pride?”

  “No,” I say, and give a big hiccupping sob.

  “Ah, you’re not so tough after all,” he teases, trying to lighten my mood as he uses his thumb to brush away the moisture.

  “Weren’t you the one who said I should never be underestimated?”

  He pulls a face and quivers, feigning fear, “Oh, yeah. You’re right.”

  I pound his chest. “Logan, you don’t understand.”

  “Hey, come on.” He shackles my wrists and holds them to his chest. Heat and strength radiate from his body and only makes what I have to say harder. “What is it?” he asks.

  “I have to go back.” Contrary to my words I lean into him and my heart aches so much it feels like it’s going to explode. But I know what I have to do, and I’m determined to do it.

  Still, it doesn’t make leaving Logan, his family, and the chance to live a normal life any easier.

  “I have to go,” I say again and climb to my feet.

  “I know you do, Pride.” Logan stands and pulls me into him. “I know you have to go.”

  I swallow and blink up at him. “You do?”

  “Of course I do. You’re smart, strong and whether you want to admit it or not, you’re the most compassionate girl I know.”

  I sniff and as I force myself to take a step back I work hard to desensitize. “Please say goodbye to your family for me. They seem so—”

  Logan shakes his head, pulls me hard against his chest and cuts me off. “Don’t you see, Pride. I was waiting for you that night at the pub. Waiting for you to come find me.”

  My mouth drops open and equal measures of shock and confusion rush through me. “What are you talking about?” I recall our initial meeting and remember those fleeting moments when I felt like he’d known who I was, like he’d been waiting for me.

  “Because I needed the smartest wolf in the compound at my side.”

  “To make it through the woods?” I ask and give a quick shake of my head. “I don’t think so. You were the one who kept me alive.”

  “What I was doing was training you.”

  I have no idea what he’s getting at. I look at him, confused. “For what?”

  “You have all the makings of a great hunter, but what you lacked was real life experience. I was there to give it to you. If we’re going to retaliate against our masters, we have to be prepared for anything and everything.”

  I gasp, shocked. “You mean…”

  “Yes, I mean we’re all going back.” He waves to the group of men and women hovering near the door watching us.

  “Logan, I don’t understand.”

  “We heard rumors about wolves who were being imprisoned, and my pack sent me to investigate. I allowed myself to be captured on purpose so I could better understand the workings of the system. I broke you out because at the estate where I was held we all heard stories about Pride. Smart, lethal Pride who even the handlers were afraid of. If there was one wolf that could help us break back in, and free the others, I knew it was you.”

  I shake my head and I try to take it all in. “So you actually wanted the handlers to find you at the pub.”

  He shivers. “I practically lit myself on fire to be found. What I hadn’t expected, however, was for the PTF to show up. Although I shouldn’t have been surprised. I’d been running around town in wolf form and causing a load of trouble, hoping to get the attention of our masters. They knew I’d removed my microchip so I knew they’d send their best tracker after me.” He grins and taps my nose. “And they did.”

  “Is that why my master was so angry? Because you figured out how to remove the microchip?”

  “I suspect he knows who I am and is worried about a retaliation from my pack. He wanted me stopped before I reached the border, and he wanted me alive so he could interrogate me.” He goes quiet for a moment and his voice drops, to showcase the seriousness of the situation. “I believe he knows we’re going to come for him, Pride, and that makes our rescue mission much more dangerous.”

  I realize what he’s saying fits in with Stone’s theory. The master rewired the estate with a new system not to keep his wolves in, but to keep an army of wolves out.

  I lower my voice and ask. “Why have you kept this from me?”

  Logan looks past my shoulder, a silent signal to his family and a moment later we’re all alone. “I wanted you to come to me on your own terms. I wanted it to be your decision.”

  “How did you know I would make the right one?”

  He grins and the warmth in his expression becomes my undoing. “Because you’re a wolf who lives up to her name.”

  “So it’s not because your name is Logan and you’re so smart?” I question and eye him skeptically, wanting to get to the bottom of what his name really means.

  He grins. “Ah, yes, that.” He hugs me and my pulse leaps. “If you must know the truth, Logan means hollow.”

  My head comes up with a start. “Hollow?”

  “Yes, hollow.”

  I wave my hand around. “Like empty space or air.”

  “Pretty much,” he says.

  I laugh. For the first time in my entire life I laugh and as a rich, musical sound fills the air it surprises us both.

  “Why didn’t you tell me what your name really meant?”

  “Would you really have trusted a wolf who was named after empty space?”

  “Come on, Logan, there must be more to it than that. Your parents would never have given you a name that was so…undignified.”

  Logan taps me on the nose a second time and says, “Such an astute little girl. Okay, it also stands for tree hollow,” he explains.

  When I give him a puzzled look, he continues with, “A tree hollow is a branch or trunk that provides a habitat to others. Like you, I’m a protector. As the alpha, it’s my job to oversee the pack and make sure all needs are being met.”

  We stare at each other for a long, thoughtful moment and I think about how much we’ve been through over the last few days and how much more we’re going to go through in the upcoming weeks, and I can’t help but think how happy it makes me to know we’re going to go through it together. An invisible band tightens around my heart.

  In the span of a few short days my life has been turned upside down. Since I met Logan I’ve learned a great deal about myself, and about others. I’ve learned to trust in myself, to use my size as a strength, and to fight with my heart as well as my head.

  But most importantly, I’ve learned about trust and companionship. Although deep in my heart, I know what I feel for this strong alpha goes much deeper than casual friendship.

  My pulse races as I stare at the boy who always believed in me—a boy who has taken me from a strong wolf to an even stronger girl.

  “Logan,” I murmur under my breath as our glances collide.

  He dips his head and wets his mouth and I know he’s going to kiss me. “Yes,” he whispers in the softest voice.

  I part my lips, welcoming his mouth to mine. “I think it’s a great name. It suits you.”

  “So does yours.”

  As his lips settle firmly on mine, I don’t refute because I know Logan is the only wolf—the only boy—who knows me well enough to say that.

  Well, with the exception of Stone, maybe.

  Afterword

  Thank You!

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  Thank you so much for reading Pride’s Run, book one in my Pride series. I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I
loved writing it. Please read on for an excerpt of Pride Unleashed, and keep your eyes out for Pride’s Pursuit.

  * * *

  Interested in leaving a review? Please do! Reviews help readers connect with books that work for them. I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative.

  * * *

  Happy Reading,

  Cathryn

  Pride Unleashed

  Don’t miss Cat’s next exciting story, PRIDE UNLEASHED.

  Seeking revenge on her cruel master, Pride is headed back to the compound. She’ll stop at nothing to free the enslaved wolves still caged in the estate’s underground prison. Knowing there is only one way back inside the heavily guarded mansion, Pride allows herself to be captured.

  Armed with a plan, Logan joins her on her mission, but when spirited wolf Gem is captured in the crossfire, and Pride’s plan begins to unravel, she once again finds herself at the mercy of her master. Except this time she knows she has two wolves on her side, Logan and Stone—powerful alphas who will both fight to the death to free her.

  Except the compound hides secrets that threatens both her heart and her identity and when bonds are tested and bloodlines are revealed, Pride realizes if she completes her mission she’ll be releasing her pack into a world where no one, least of all Pride, is safe.

  * * *

  Chapter One

  The night is thick, dark, and ominous—much like my current disposition. All around me the vineyard’s nightlife falls mute, the cacophony of familiar sounds muffled beneath the heavy, menacing mood. Tension hovers overhead like a threatening rain cloud and my flesh tightens, waiting for the sky to crack open and fracture the silent night. Even the crickets stand down, their chorus hushed as they sit watching, waiting, listening for the hammer to fall, or in this case, the silver to pierce.

  It unnerves me to think that the nocturnal creatures surrounding the estate—a mansion where I’d once been imprisoned—instinctively know that I, along with the pack of wolves at my back, are walking head first into danger and chances of survival are slim at best.