“April, you must rest.”
My eyes flashed to him. “How do you know my name?”
“Someone identified you.”
“Who?”
He shook his head. “A woman. She didn’t stick around.”
Maria must have been here. At least I would be in safe hands soon. She was trying to get me to a shelter, one that helped wolves like me escape their wretched lives.
“I have to find her,” I stated resolutely as I tossed my legs over the bed. They were stronger now. They could carry me.
“No, you must rest.”
Before I could argue with the handsome doctor, a loud commotion erupted down the hall. Shouts echoed to my room, familiar voices ringing threats of death and destruction. I gasped as I launched from the bed and yanked the IV from my arm.
A little blood wouldn’t do any harm. “I’m leaving.”
Claude straightened in front of me, squaring his shoulders. It was then I recognized his power and strength, herculean muscles bulging as he stood like a tank between the door and me. He wasn’t going to let me leave.
I knew I couldn’t trust him.
I crouched into a fighting position, raising my fists to prepare for a fight. The commotion drew closer. I had seconds to act and not enough options to fit into that time.
That was fine. I had worked with much less ideal conditions.
Settling my fiery gaze on the bulky doctor, I went rigid, freezing like a statue. He wouldn’t be able to predict my movements if I didn’t move. His eyes remained fixed on me like a predator preparing to pounce on its prey.
I knew this game very well.
Once his ears twitched, alert to the sound just outside the door, I flanked right and sprinted to the exit door that sat on the left side of the window. Barreling through to the other side, I stripped out of the hospital robe and launched down a set of stairs, shifting into wolf form quickly and easily.
With as much experience as I had running, this was the easy part. The hard part would be to find a place to hide until I could get in touch with Maria. She was my salvation. She was the only one who could get me to safety.
And she was the only one I could trust.
My wolf responded to my command, fur exploding all over my body and bones cracking with the shift. Seconds later, my reddish-brown paws landed on the next set of steps and carried me through a dark corridor, past an office, and out into the humid night.
I had to run—I had to keep running.
It was all I knew how to do.