A Wolf of Her Own by Susanna Shore Page A

criminal biker gang, prone to sudden violence.
    Gemma’s entire body locked down in fear. Kieran took a step towards the strangers, which placed him between the men and Gemma, and stood guard. The men paused five yards from them, their stance equally hostile.
    "State your business, vampires."
    Might flared around the men, cunning and powerful. Circle warriors, the ruthless protectors of the vampire race. They could be friends, but for her, they were the enemy. Her fear intensified. She needed to hide.
    Run, Gemma, run . Her mother’s Rider goading her. She hadn’t run like she so often had. She had hid in the pigsty where that creature couldn’t smell her, a trick her wolf friend had taught her. There she had remained, even though everyone was looking for her. Until the warriors had come and taken Mother away.
    It couldn’t be good that they were here now.
    "A trace of sheep-killing wolves led here," the leaner of the men said.
    The warrior with the scar sneered. "And what do you know, a wolf we have found."
    The wolf aura on Kieran’s chest surged towards the vampires, almost taking the man with him. Kieran stayed put, his anger burning against Gemma. "Are you accusing me of being a killer?" His wolf was in his voice now, making it a low, rumbling growl. Small hairs in her arms shot up in visceral reaction to the threat he posed, but she stood her ground. He wasn’t angry with her—hadn’t been this angry when she had made the same accusation earlier. He was protecting her.
    The warriors weren’t beyond provoking Kieran. "The trail leads here and it’s clearly made by wolves. And here you are."
    Gemma stepped to stand next to Kieran who made to push her back to safety. She wouldn’t let him, even though survival instinct urged her to remain hidden. "Where did you follow them from?" She needed to know she hadn’t placed her trust in the wrong person. She needed Kieran. He was the only one able to keep the warriors from taking her away too.
    The guy with the scar, easily more frightening of the pair, fixed his gaze at her. "From one of our farms."
    "Your sheep were killed too?" Relief filled her, the emotion too strong to stifle. She shouldn’t be so happy that more sheep were dead.
    The warriors looked surprised. "What do you mean, ’too’?"
    "Three of my brother’s ewes got killed by wolves last night."
    "Yet you’re fraternising with the killer?"
    Kieran growled, the sound so deadly it made Gemma’s bones watery. "I am not a killer."
    And he attacked.
     

Chapter Seven
    His fury beyond reason, Kieran charged at the vampires. No one was allowed to accuse him or his clan of such crime again. Colm had been enough, his death one too many. His mind a white haze of rage, he only wanted to bring the warriors down.
    A second later he found himself pressed on his back on the ground, the weight of the warriors forcing the air out of his lungs. He didn’t care. Growling, he pushed against the hold. The vampires were larger than him and seasoned fighters, and they restrained him easily. But he was a shifter.
    So he shifted. Instead of a lean man, the vampires now had a sturdy wolf maddened with anger to deal with. The vampires had to let go.
    The wolf sank their teeth into the nearest calf. The other vampire wrapped his arms around their back, pressing them down, trying to force them to submit. They only bit harder, growling.
    Downpour of ice cold water.
    Shocked, they let go of the leg. They retreated and shifted. The fight left Kieran with the freezing water running down his spine.
    Gemma was standing a few feet from them, holding a huge rainwater tub, now empty. Her mouth was an angry line, but her golden eyes regarded them with worry, as if she feared they would attack her next.
    "What the fuck?" the scarred vampire growled, wiping water from his face. He shook himself like a dog and adjusted his leathers. Kieran tensed, ready to attack again if he went after Gemma, but he didn’t. He didn’t even rub his