Running Free (Woodland Creek)(4)

Even now, after having not been laid in months, I am still immune to his advances. Thank God.

“Fuck off,” I tease as I make my way from behind the bar over to the window.

No sign of Acey. Shit. My heart rate quickens as dread seeps its way in my veins. I’m pondering whether or not I should leave when Luca’s heat envelops me from behind.

“I’ll gather some guys and we’ll put out a search. If the punk shows up, call me and I’ll come kick his ass for you,” he grumbles and places a hand on my hip.

Why’d he have to mess everything up? I miss rolling around in bed with this man.

I turn and give him a quick peck on the cheek. “Thanks, Luca.”

His grey eyes are all over me, melting me with their heat. The man has an uncanny ability to bring any woman to her knees. Good thing, I’m not any normal woman.

Breaking away from his grip I force a tight smile. “Chop, chop. He’s late for his shift and we’re starting to get busy.” The last part is a lie but Luca nods, knowing he’s been dismissed.




I eye the clock and the moment it hits a quarter after one, I start kicking everyone out. After the last patron leaves, I don’t bother cleaning up and lock up. There’s been no word from Acey or Luca which has me worried.

Slipping out the back door to the bar, I make sure no one is around before I strip naked. Otis, long ago, taught me how to control my shifting. He said it was all in the mind and only I could control it. Now, I can do it on command.

Clearing my head and replacing it with black, empty thoughts, I relax until my skin begins to tingle. The moment I begin to change, my protective nature ripples through me and my muscles tense to run at full speed through the woods, sniffing out every possible lead.

Even though I enjoy being in my Doberman form, I hate that I can’t talk. That’s the worst. And sex in animal form is brutal — not at all pleasurable. Luca and I learned once, the hard way that a wolf and a Doberman weren’t meant to copulate. After his ruthless f*cking, I had been sore for days. From that point on, we only had sex in our human forms.

And at least then I could orgasm.

The wind picks up as my paws crunch the fall leaves beneath my feet now that I’m fully changed and on all fours. Lifting my snout into the air, I sniff for clues.

A hint of smoke from a fire.

Pine needles with their strong odors permeate my senses.

Rotting trash from a dumpster nearby makes my stomach grumble.

Focus, Frankie.

Ahhh, a metallic, foreign scent tickles my nose and before I even question what it is, I’m running full speed toward Woodland Pond. As I charge forward, I keep my ears open and listen for any indications of both human and shifter in the vicinity.

Under the moonlight, the pond glistens and frogs croak. Having been pawed on all night by drunk patrons and reeking of smoke, I have the urge to take a dip in the cold water. But when I get a stronger whiff of the foreign smell, I stop dead in my tracks.

Blood.

Lots of it.

A whine escapes me as I trot toward the smell. It isn’t long before I discover Acey on the banks of the pond.

No, please no.

His teenage body is still clothed wearing his bar T-shirt and apron, which means he was in his human form, but his intestines have been strung from his belly.

Someone f*cking gutted him.

I snarl out in anger and squat down beside him. His lifeless blue eyes stare into the sky and my heart breaks for him. Flipping my tongue out, I lick his eyelids close and clean his face. Poor kid. He didn’t have anyone looking after him properly. His stupid uncle should have protected him better.

Being a Doberman shifter, I possess a keen sense of sight and smell. However, I need my eyes to see what else I can find. Once again, I blacken my mind and shift back into my naked human form.

“Poor thing,” I coo and stroke his hair. “Who did this to you? I’ll make them pay.”

I pat him down until I find his cell phone. There aren’t any clues or any damning messages, so after I wipe away my prints with his shirt, I shove it back into his apron. Looking around, I don’t see anything that leads me to determine who did this to him.

After I search all around his body, I finally shift back and make my way back to the bar. I need to call Luca and have him send the boys out to the body. I’m simply a Doberman shifter, not made to hunt, but Luca in his wolf form will be able to pick up a scent if possible.

I trot toward the bar when headlights blind me before they turn into the parking lot. A big man steps out and his eyes are quickly on me.

“Hey there, boy. Are you lost?” he questions as he approaches.

Boy. I’ll show him boy.

Letting my hackles raise, I growl and let my power of intimidation wash over me. It’s my thing. Otis says every shifter has some ability that makes them unique. He told me mine was being able to frighten most people but I also have a protective nature. Otis’s power is that he is wise, go figure, and has a heart of gold.

“Okay,” the man chuckles, “I was just going inside anyway. Run along there.”

He isn’t afraid of me, which pisses me off, and casually turns away to knock on the locked bar door. I have the urge to bite the shit out of his leg but instead bolt around to the back of the building to where I left my clothes. His knocks echo through the trees which surround the bar and I scramble to dress. Once clothed, forgoing my shoes, I run to the door to tell this * we’re closed.