Read Online Rae, Beverly - Saving Mandy [Night Runner Werewolves 3] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Special Edition) by Beverly Rae - Free Book Online Page A

whispered, “Get dressed and listen.”
    She did, straining her ears to hear what he obviously heard. At last, she shook her head.
    Keeping his voice low, he stood, taking her with him. “I want you to get on your horse and start back the way we came.”
    Her breath caught in her throat as the tension stiffened her body. “Are we in danger?”
    “Hogs.”
    “You mean like pigs?” How could a pig put them in danger?
    “Wild hogs. With long tusks that can tear you apart. They don’t think twice about attacking people.”
    “Oh.” She took his arm. “You’re coming with me, right?”
    “No. Just do as I say.” He took her arms and gave her a little push in the right direction.
    “But—” One more look at his face told her not to argue. Nodding, she hurried over to the two horses that were tied to a large thicket of bushes. Untying her horse’s reins, she slipped her foot into the stirrup and hopped onto Rocky’s back.
    Jimmy dug into his backpack lying next to the picnic basket and pulled out a long, sharp knife. She stared at the blade, her mind wondering if it was a Bowie knife. He turned back to her and scowled. “Go. Now.”
    She pulled on the reins and took one last look at Jimmy. Within a second, he disappeared into the underbrush. Yet instead of leaving, she sat, unsure what to do. How could she leave him alone? What if the hog attacked him? What if he was injured so badly he couldn’t catch up with her? No. She couldn’t, wouldn’t leave him alone.
    A wolf’s howl split the air around her, followed by something crashing through the bush. Rocky pranced, and she pulled back on the reins as Jimmy had taught her to keep the horse from bolting.
    “Easy, boy. It’s okay.”
    Where was he? Did the hog attack him? Or a wolf?
    “Jimmy? Are you okay?”
    A crash to the side of her made her crane her head around, leaning off-center on top of the horse. A huge, black boar burst through the bushes, charging directly at her. A yellow wolf, twice the size of a regular wolf, its fangs bared, nipped at the boar’s heels.
    The boar squealed then swerved at the last moment to narrowly miss running into Rocky. The horse reared, kicking out with its front legs.
    “Whoa!” Mandy lurched for the saddle horn but missed and fell off the back of the horse. Her breath burst from her and pain seared into her back and leg as she hit the hard ground. Rocky whinnied then whipped around and took off running, throwing dirt into the air.
    Out of breath, she struggled to a sitting position and waited for the world to stop spinning. In the fog of her dizziness, she saw the wolf whirl around, stare at her, then take a couple of steps in her direction. Blood dripped down one of his legs, but she knew he could still jump her, his claws and fangs shredding her skin.
    “Get out of here!”
    She had no clue if a wolf would be frightened away by a shout, but she couldn’t think of anything else to do. Hell, she could barely think at all with the pain. The wolf tilted his head to the side, his gaze locked on her. She stared at him, her pain momentarily forgotten. Searching for an unknown something, she stared, entranced by the intelligence she saw in his amber eyes. Without understanding why, she reached out, drawn to him.
    Suddenly, he whimpered then spun around to scamper off after the boar.
    “Shit, shit, shit.” Shaking her head to help clear her mind, she wiped the dirt from her face and hair then ran a hand along her leg. A trail of pain traveled up her leg from the agony in her ankle.
    Praying the danger was over, she tried to keep the panic at bay.
    “Jimmy? Where are you? Can you hear me?” A tear slid down her throat, but she told herself it was from the searing sting and not from her worry for Jimmy. She waited, hoping to hear his voice, but she heard nothing. At least the boar and wolf seemed to have gone out of earshot.
    She gritted her teeth against the stabbing ache and managed to stand. Keeping her weight off the