Found: True Mates Book 0.5 (BBW Wolf Shifter Romance) (A Craggstone Paranormal Romance) by Olivia Arran

CHAPTER ONE
    Claire
    How much longer could I keep going?
    My lungs burned from gulping in the frigid air, my paws skittering on sheets of ice, as my claws desperately tried to dig in and find a grip. Low hanging branches whipped my face and snout, scoring blood and leaving welts in their wake. Not much longer, I admitted to myself, my adrenalin already failing, my legs shaking from exertion.
    Had I lost them? I’d been running for miles, racing through this unfamiliar forest, their snarls and howls urging me on, faster and faster. But I hadn’t heard anything…not for the last half mile, or so. Maybe I had? I was built for speed, after all. All long limbs and small, wiry body — at least, I was in wolf form. In human form I was built more for comfort, and any possible exertion was met with the question of did I really need the pecan-butter ice-cream from the store, or could I live without it, and stay curled up on my couch.
    I skidded to a halt next to a fallen tree trunk. Skirting round the obstacle as quietly as possible, my footfalls were absorbed by the crisp, white snow, and I listened intently, crouching down in its shadow.
    Shit, that hurt! My left flank screamed in protest, the pain shooting up my back and crashing into my skull. Slowly, I stretched the injured leg out, curling around to inspect the wound. My tongue darted out, giving it a cautionary lick. It was deep, dammit! Shuddering, I ground my teeth against the need to howl in agony.
    Still nothing. Either they were circling me…right now, or I had lost them. I sent a quick prayer to the Mother of All. Please, please let me live through this. I don’t want to die here — all alone with no-one to mourn me. I haven’t had the chance to experience life yet…and really live . There are so many things I want to do…I wanted to love with all my heart and soul. To find my mate…and to be free of those who hunted me. But I was losing hope, and did I even deserve to be happy? I asked myself that every night, as the sun set in the sky, and I curled up in whatever bed or floor I had found, alone again.
    I shook my head, trying to clear the fogginess that threatened to pull me under. I would not die out here — not now, not ever. Gathering the last of my strength, I struggled to stand, glancing at the sky. The sun was now in its descent — night was coming, and it would only get colder. I had to find shelter...now.
    Taking a deep breath, I sniffed the air, searching for any sign of danger, for my attackers. But the air only smelled of freshness, the crisp scent of snow and fir. And blood. The surrounding snow was saturated, a garish crimson circle spreading out staining the bright white. I had to shift, to try and stem the bleeding. Fuck, things were going to get excruciatingly cold.
    Calling the shift to me, I gritted my teeth as my bones snapped and remolded, stretching and elongating — causing my wound to burn like acid. My fur coat receded, leaving tanned skin, which was immediately coated in goosebumps, the suckers popping up at an alarming rate. The healthy tan rapidly started to turn a sorry looking blue, as my teeth started to chatter, like one of those windup toys, threatening to cut out my tongue and dislocate my jaw. Shoving my discomfort to the back of my mind, I craned my neck around, trying to inspect the slashes on my left buttock. Ugly, claw marks marked my skin, the gashes deeper than I had thought, still oozing blood in a steady stream — even after the shift had worked some of its healing mojo. Shit. I would have to shift again…and fast.
    My head swam, eyes blurring as everything faded in and out of focus. Too much blood! Must shift! I pulled the shift to me, throwing all my strength behind it.
    Help me! I screamed to my wolf, as she moved sluggishly toward the surface, her fangs bared in determination.
    Then a blackness swept over me, pushing her away. And I started to fall, my scream breaking the silence of frozen