EIGHTEEN
A scream sliced through the air, startling Chase out of his doze. Whatever it was, it hadn't sounded human.
The sound came again, accompanied by the drum of hooves that sounded exactly like a horse breaking into a gallop. Or trying to.
His horse.
Chase twisted, trying to see his mare. Moonlight lit up the clearing almost as bright as day, but it did not penetrate the canopy behind him.
Short yips and barks came out of the bushes – the sound of excited dogs. Then a third scream, that ended in a gurgle.
The sickening crunch of bone.
The wolf had killed his horse.
The last thing he'd had left of value. Fury rose up, at fate, the wolf, and everything in between. Chase would not let them take everything from him. Not while he still had a strong right arm.
He began to c
