When The Wolves Whisper, by Brenda Williamson

Excerpt

The forest stood dark, ominous, and scary. Nikita turned her head, thinking she heard whispers. Quiet voices that rose in pitch, until the howling wind drowned out the inaudible murmurs. She stared at the long dirt road. Looking back to where she left her car parked, she realized she went farther than she thought. The car was no longer visible. If she hadn’t worried about getting scratches on the new vehicle, she would have driven it to her Grandfather’s old house in the woods.

Gusts from the intemperate weather whipped her long hair around her face. She brushed it away and caught the scent of an animal, not strong, yet dominant enough to overpower the pine surrounding her. In most circumstances, she wouldn’t even think to direct her mind to the odors woodland creatures carried. Today, she felt strangely different. Her observances acutely took in everything.

Nikita turned when the fine hairs prickled on the back of her neck. The wind had vanished like the calm before a storm. The warning of danger snaked a chilling shiver up her spine. Then she saw the bane of her uneasy feeling. Three wolves stalked her. They were in the lane between her and the direction of her car. Her pulse quickened. She remembered, from when she lived with her grandfather, she shouldn’t run. She should not be afraid to stand her ground or look a wolf in the eye. Courage would protect her from their confusion and their wariness.

The large wolf, standing at the front of the pack, bared his teeth. Long yellow fangs emerged. Her legs trembled. She couldn’t outrun them, and still, she really couldn’t believe the old story her grandfather told her.

She slid one foot back. As a child, the house she grew up in seemed a hundred miles from the highway. In her adult mind, she reasoned it had to be close.

Two of the wolves began to snarl. Not at her, but each other, as if they argued. She shuffled back a little farther. The large wolf seemed fixated on her. He wouldn’t turn from his steady watch. She closed her eyes in hopes it would break the lock of their gaze.

“One, two, three,” she counted.

Her lashes flipped up quickly, and she spun away to run. There might have been fifty yards between her and the big wolf, and she sensed the danger when he began his run for her. She knew her grandfather wouldn’t lie, although, he couldn’t have anticipated her coming face to face with a big bad wolf. Nevertheless, Nikita didn’t have the bravery to test any theories.

The crunch of leaves and sticks grew louder. The distance between them shortened. When the barn came in sight, she knew she’d not make the door in time. Her legs stretched, her arms pumped, and adrenaline rushed madly through her veins. Still, she knew the spurt of energy wouldn’t be enough.

The wolf crashed into her. On contact, her feet left the ground and she collided with the wall of the building. She hit hard at chest level. The pain, however, burned in her thigh. Before the wolf came at her again, she jerked on the barn door and got it open far enough to get inside. She flung herself forward when the bulk of the wolf squeezed in and prevented her from closing the heavy wood barrier. She reached for the shovel propped against the wall.

From the shadows, another wolf emerged. The one that came first, stood still. The silence engulfed them so profoundly she heard his heart thumping beyond the deafening sound of her own. She watched the silhouette of the new wolf standing his ground. Proud, determined, and threatening, he knew how to stare down a wolf, just as her grandfather had told her.

A tingling of excitement crept in on her fear. Suddenly, the silly sensation disappeared when the big bad wolf charged. The one from the shadows came at her and she cringed. Her arms went over her head as she dropped flat to the ground. She heard the whoosh of air and prepared for the impact. A second later, she rolled to look where he set down with a thump. He had leapt over her and landed on her attacker.

A vicious battle raised the pair of wolves on their hind legs. Razor sharp teeth dug into hide. Fur flew in the ensuing frenzy. Because the animals were the same in color and size, she lost track of who was who. She wanted to think of the other wolf as her rescuer. Except when all ended between them, she didn’t know if she would be safe from the new wolf any more than she would be from the bad.

The fight rolled them on the ground. They crashed into the barn door. Their weight made it swing open so hard, it hit the barn wall and bounced back. By the time the door closed, the wolves were outside snarling, growling, and she assumed attempting to tear each other apart.

Nikita crawled to the door. She looked for a latch and saw it had nothing. The only bolt had been outside. She sat for five minutes, or longer, listening to the wolf fight. When it ended, she hoped they had forgotten about her.

Blood oozed from the laceration in her leg. The sting of dirt made it hurt enough that tears welled in her eyes. Her head shot up at the creak of the barn door.

A gorgeous man with dark brown hair, and dark brown eyes, walked in, and stooped down. The tingling of her skin, intensified as if white-hot lightning rippled beneath her flesh. She panted from the ordeal as well as the sight of the sexy stud staring at her.

Reviews

In the story...

When the Wolves Whisper by Brenda Williamson

The chemistry between Nikita and Trevor is sensational! Not only is the sexual tension tangible but their repartee is fast-paced and fun. Trevor is unbelievably sexy so it’s no wonder Nikita succumbs to his seduction. There were a couple of times that I questioned Trevor’s responses being those of a pack leader but that was most likely because of the introduction of some new pack dynamics. Brenda Williamson is an ingenious writer with a flare for creating interesting new dynamics in her stories.

...Kerin, Two Lips Reviews

This is a shifter tale of a different kind--luscious to be exact. One woman will learn the hard way of becoming a shifter, by the hand of a sexy and handsome man that will fill her to overflowing with his brand of heat.

Ms. Williamson took this story to a level that screams quality writing and great imagination. A do not miss read!

...Janalee, Love Romances