I'm Not Afraid of Wolves (The Cotton Candy Quintet Book 4) by Erin Hayes Page A

came over and pushed me, catching me off guard and knocking me to my butt. “You!” she cried through gritted teeth. “Out of all people, you were doubting that?”
    “I was in denial,” I told her coolly. “I knew that you believed in what you saw. I just hoped that you wouldn’t have the same fate I did.”
    She crossed her arms. “And what fate is that?”
    “A lifetime in hiding. I don’t know much about werewolves, but even though werecats are pretty solitary, there’s a huge pecking order and you’re constantly on your guard. I imagine it would be worse with werewolves. I hoped you didn’t face that, Sara. I wanted you to have a happy ending.”
    Because I wasn’t going to have one.
    I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. I’m sure I looked like a mess. Now that the effects of my transformation and the tension had left my system, I was starting to feel my aches and pains again. I hoped my scrapes and scratches were scabbed over by now.
    But I probably could consider this dress ruined.
    “You could have told me,” Sara said softly.
    I looked up at her and my gaze softened. “I realize that now.” I pushed myself to my feet. “And if we get out of here alive, I won’t ever doubt you again.”
    The corner of her mouth turned up. “Likewise.”
    “So, now that we’ve established that werewolves are indeed real,” I said, “you have to tell me if you feel the need to morph or turn into one.”
    She shook her head. “No, I feel fine. That was a part of it though: Chad said that I had to do something in order to make this transformation permanent. And to be his, forever.” She shuddered.
    “Is he one of the werewolves out there?” I asked.
    “Yes.”
    I ran through each of the werewolves’ faces in my mind, trying to figure out which one was Chad. “Was he the big one? Is he the alpha?”
    She considered my question and then shook her head. “I don’t know if he’s the alpha.”
    I thought about my own situation with Shane and his friends before I realized what they were. There was one that he always deferred to, and while cats don’t have that pack mentality that wolves do, there was an order to it. That friend was the leader of our werecat group. And he was dangerous, even more so than living with Shane.
    But I didn’t say that out loud. One step at a time.
    “We’ll get out of here,” I promised her.
    “Some vacation this turned out to be,” she scoffed.
    “I went into this knowing that nothing was ever simple with you,” I said with a mischievous grin. “This is all just a part of the fun.”
    That last part was true, and I only realized as I said it. For the first time in years, I felt alive. I may have hated this aspect of my life, but at least it was interesting and kept things in perspective. It was such a strange sensation, like the werecat inside me was pacing, happy to be out of its literal cage.
    “Where…am I?” a voice croaked, interrupting us.
    We both turned our heads to see Officer Donnelly waking up. Just in time too. Because I was going to ask him some questions and hopefully save all of our lives.

Chapter 9
     
    “Where am I?” Officer Donnelly repeated, his voice stronger now.
    I stepped over towards him and looked down at him, hoping that I could intimidate the big man as best as I could. He was glaring up at me, and having a big, attractive man do that to you—angrily—is one of the most disconcerting things I’ve ever felt.
    “You should know,” I told him coolly.
    “No, I do not,” he replied icily.
    I put my hands on my hips. “Try.”
    Behind me, Emily and Andrea had stopped talking to each other and had fallen silent, watching our conversation. Sara stood behind me, as if I shielded her from him.
    I was the only form of protection they had.
    Officer Donnelly blinked, then looked down at himself, at his restraints and sighed. “You realize that this is a Federal offense, right? And did you hit me with a rock?”
    “We’re not playing