Wild Moon (Kingdom of Wolves #1) - C.R. Jane Page 0,4

in the middle of nowhere. Small inns and motels where drifters and vagabonds passed through, perfect for a girl on the run. Alistair was a big fan of the Four Seasons, so the places I’d picked were, again, perfect for avoiding detection.

Another howl sounded through the night, and I decided that going near people, and hopefully getting help for my car, was a much better outcome than the possibility of getting eaten alive.

I already knew what a wolf’s bite felt like, and it wasn’t an experience I wanted to repeat…

2

Rune

The buildings loomed larger as I got closer, and I wondered again how a town this size hadn’t been on my map. I was pretty sure the map was up to date. A GPS on a phone would obviously have been more useful, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

I tried to look for a building where I could find help, but everything looked shut down for the night. Finally, I spotted a sign advertising a place called The Lair Inn. The walls were made of cobblestone, like something you’d find in a Brother’s Grimm tale. For an inn, it seemed pretty deserted. I couldn’t see anyone else around. Only the splash of water from a river nearby and the rustle of leaves filled the night. For moments, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d stumbled into a ghost town. But ghost towns didn’t have pristine roads and building lights, so I guessed I could strike that possibility off the list, right?

The faint sound of a scream caught on the breeze from the woods behind me. Had I really heard that, or was it an animal cry?

I twisted around, my heart in my throat, and I stared into the unbelievable darkness, seeing nothing. It didn’t stop my imagination from picturing wolves looming in the shadows, about to lunge and kill me. The fact that I was a wolf shifter didn’t stop wild wolves from attacking.

Today had been a terrible day, and I’d had my fair share of crap in my life. I’d come too far though to add death to my list of how much my situation currently sucked.

I whipped back around and sprinted the last few steps towards the inn, the hairs on my nape standing at attention. Panic flared in my chest as I got the distinct feeling that someone was watching me right at that moment. I plunged into the light hanging over the arched, wooden door and turned my back to the building. Part of me half expected something to be right on my heels, but there was nothing there. Just a lawn with wooden benches and tables. Still, my heart beat furiously fast.

Keep your shit together, I ordered myself.

It was bad enough I crashed my car, and now I was stuck in the middle of nowhere. But I couldn’t let panic get the better of me.

Where the heck am I, anyway?

Wherever I’d arrived, I doubted Alistair would track me down right away, and I craved a warm bed desperately. Anything to be away from the dark woods and the feeling of being watched.

Not waiting another moment, I turned and pushed open the inn’s door. The hinges creaked, announcing my entrance. Not that there was an audience to welcome me. The main bar area stood empty.

No music.

No fire burning.

Just an eerie silence at first.

I took a deep breath, inhaling a strong lemon scent like the entire room had been plunged in Lysol. Not for the first time, I longed for the abilities that should have been mine. I could have scented the whole room, gotten a clear lay of the place. For a wolf, emotions had clear scents. It was just too bad I would never get to experience that firsthand.

Someone cleared their throat just then, and I jumped, realizing I wasn’t alone in the room. I looked over and saw a middle-aged man now standing behind a long wooden counter. We stared at each other, and he cocked his head as he studied me. I saw his nostrils flare a few times, almost like he was trying to smell me.

That was odd.

My thoughts flew in a dozen directions all within the span of a microsecond. Would he hurt me? Even as the thought cycled through my mind, I knew it was crazy. Not every person of the male variety was a psychopath. But I couldn’t help it.

I backed up a few steps, my first instinct to find an escape route, even though I had nowhere to escape to.