Chapter 228

I decided right then what my wolf would do. She would not hunt

smaller, weaker animals. She’d only seek the predators.

I diverted from the main hunting party and trotted toward the part of the

forest the other shifters seemed to be avoiding. I thought of finding Danielle, Paris, and Summer, but in the vast forest, it was hard to track them down amid thousands of other shifters. And I had no idea how to track as a wolf. If their minds were on the hunt, I didn’t want to spoil their fun.

I trotted in the opposite direction from the other shifters; their howls of bloodlust echoed in the distance now. I paused in a clearing, deciding it was a good idea to practice being a proper wolf.

First, I arched my back, then I realized that was what a cat would do. I abandoned the bad habit in favor of stretching my hind legs.

I snapped my head left and right to check for danger, then I flicked my ears to listen to all the sounds in the forest and learn to distinguish their layers and subtleties. After I was done, I put my nose to the ground and sniffed, mimicking what a wolf would do to track game or enemies.

An image of a vast expanse of water formed in my wolf head. I shot forward between the foliage, slashing my tail, my paws thumping against the earth.

Slow down, I told myself. Get used to being a wolf.

In no time, the forest gave way to a vast, clear lake. I came to a stop at the edge of the water and peeked into the surface. My wolf’s reflection stared back at me. Where my human eyes were full of mischief and curiosity, my wolf’s eyes glinted with cold, sharp intelligence and predatory intent.

I liked Pip the wolf. My tongue lolled out in a wolfish grin.

A sudden wind bristled through my fur, bringing with it the scent of something foreign to the area. A branch snapped and animals scurried away, followed by the whistling wind. My ears swiveled to listen.

Someone or something was coming my way. Several of them actually. Wolves. Their paws hit the forest floor in an urgent rhythm.

I had company.

Should I greet them with a swishing tail and a big wolf grin? I turned away from the lake and padded toward the brink of the forest just as a dozen wolves arrived.

 I put on my best smile, at least my version of a friendly wolf smirk, but the other wolves answered with snarls.

I squinted at the leading silver wolf, a flash of realization hitting me.

It was BJ and her pack. And their intentions smacked me in the muzzle. They’d tracked me and found me here, and they had come to do what

BJ had planned to do the moment I’d set foot in Shifters Prime Academy— kill me.

And I’d just created the perfect opportunity for her to get rid of me as a lone wolf in a secluded part of the forest.