Taken by the Wolf: Collection Read Online Free PDF Page A

her suspiciously.
    “Why are they all looking at me like that?” she asked.
    “They’re wondering what a human’s doing with the Sheriff,” he said.
    “Do humans not come to this town?” she asked.
    “Of course they do,” he said. “When we get downtown you’ll see all the little shops we have. We have a thriving economy, but nobody lives here except wolves.”
    “What if someone wants to move in?” she asked.
    “They can’t. None of our houses ever go up for sale. One time a vampire tried to negotiate a housing development with us, but we told him to take a hike.”
    “VAMPIRE!?” Eva shrieked, more in amazement than anything else.
    Rowan jumped, startled by her reaction, nearly taking the truck into the curb. “What in the hell is your problem?”
    “I’m sorry,” she said, feeling sheepish. “I thought you said a vampire tried to build a housing development here.”
    “I did,” he said, looking at her seriously. “Oh, yeah, I forgot, they’re real too.”
    “Anything else I should know about?” she asked.
    “Not really,” he said. “I mean there’s also witches, demons, angels, faeries and other shifter creatures like werebears.”
    “Good to know,” she said, looking out the window at the perfect little downtown that they had driven to. There was a whole world out there, and she hadn’t even known it existed. She might have been held against her will, but her eyes were being opened and she had to admit: it was a bit exciting.
     

Chapter 5
    Rowan parked right in front of City Hall, getting out and waving to the citizens who walked by. A couple of Red Moon wolves sauntered by, shooting a cocky smile Rowan’s way.
    Lousy punks, he thought. This town would be better without your kind.
    He looked over at his beautiful captive, who was standing on the sidewalk, slowly turning in amazement. Bucklin was truly one of a kind, a fact that made Rowan proud. The five packs had formed an alliance long ago, tired of scrounging for food in the wilderness and nearly starving in the winter. Together they’d taken over this town, driving out or killing people who wouldn’t leave. In the end they gained complete control of the town, rebuilding it to fit an ideal the head alpha had discovered in the time he’d lived with humans. He thought of a better time, when people could leave their doors unlocked and kids could play in the street after dark. He’d wanted it for his wolves, believing it was better than sleeping naked and cold in a cave somewhere surrounded by other savage wolves.
    The downtown exemplified this ideal more than anything. Bucklin was very small, with a population of only about three hundred. All commerce was situated around the intersection of Main and Cherry, the town square. Businesses lined the streets all around the four-way stop those streets formed. Beyond the square were some houses and an odd business or two, but everything happened right here. On the southwest corner was City Hall, a two-story brick building that housed the Alpha Council, the rulers of Bucklin. The police and fire departments flanked the building on each side, creating a government center.
    As he stood on the street corner Rowan was very aware that every wolf who walked by was staring at Eva. Normally they didn’t give humans a second glance in Bucklin—after all they liked it when humans spent money at their businesses—but it was odd to see the Sheriff riding around in his personal truck with a human female in the passenger seat.
    “So what are we doing?” Eva asked.
    “We’re going to meet the alpha council and get approval for you to stay here,” he answered, feeling like he had already been down this road. Why couldn’t she just follow his lead? It was maddening how headstrong she was.
    “What if they don’t let me stay?” she asked.
    “Well, then, you’re going to be in a for world of hurt,” he said, giving her a grim look. “Satan’s Angels will track you down.”
    Rowan did not want