"Ahh!"
Adeline screamed as she spun around and bolted back toward the gates. But the wolf was faster. It struck her from behind with bruising force, the impact launching her into the air.
Adeline squeezed her eyes shut, braced for the collision with the pavement that would surely end her life.
Instead of cold stone, she slammed into a wall of solid, warm muscle. Strong arms coiled around her, anchoring her against a broad chest. She looked up, gasping for air, only to find herself staring into the golden eyes of the man she had been trying to escape.
Gideon.
"The wolf!" Adeline cried out, her voice frantic as she twisted in his grip.
She turned her head, expecting to see bared fangs, but the beast had skidded to a halt, its belly low to the ground in a posture of sudden, shivering submission.
Gideon didn't say a word.
He lowered her to her feet, his touch lingering for only a fraction of a second before he vanished.
