Page 52 of Wolf's Gambit

I didn’t understand the human trend of social media. People seemed to put a lot of their personal information on these platforms. Having learned about cyber security and how to keep your information safe, I didn’t understand why people then answered questions on social media posts that were the answers to most humans’ passwords.

The more time I spent with humans, the more I knew I would never understand their ways. Learning how to use the computer was fun, though. I hated I was restricted to one hour, but the woman who ran the library looked at me with suspicion every time I came in. She also hovered nearby, and I did my best to ignore her, although sometimes I would ask what something meant, and she reluctantly helped me.

The town librarian was like many of my pack back on the mountains, and I handled her the same way I did with them. Polite and reserved. Just like at home, it didn’t make her thaw toward me. I was used to dealing with those who would rather not deal with me, so I took her standoffish nature in my stride.

After my hour was done, I made my way back to the cabins, pumpkin spice latte in hand. This time, when I thought I caught a scent in the wind, I convinced myself it was just the spices in my coffee.

I spent the rest of the morning cleaning the cabins and the main lodge and doing the laundry. Lottie couldn’t cook, but the woman ran a clean house. Tucked behind the other side of the house was where the clothesline was kept, and in the afternoon, I hung the sheets up to dry while the weather allowed it. The smell of fresh linen and the pine trees nearby made me smile.

After I did my chores around the cabins, I colored my hair, ensuring my black locks remained intact.

Late afternoon, I returned to town to start work at the bar. The routine was simple and well-known to me. For the first time in a long time, I felt comfortable. Lottie and Maggie may not have known it, but a small part of me was beginning to think of them as pack. Both women had accepted me and my quiet ways easily—a thing the pack I left behind had never done.

In the few short weeks I’d been here, I could see a future for myself in this town. Maggie wasn’t as scary as she thought she was, and Lottie was blunt but fair. Both women were good company, and the work, although menial, was fun.

In this town, I had something I didn’t have on the mountain. I had a future that was mine to dictate. If that wasn’t freedom, what was?

The shift at the bar flew by fast. Friday night, even in a small town, was a busy one. Dean had not been happy about me tossing most of his food out, and when I countered his yelling with my own reasonable argument that he should have tidied his shit, we had a tense stare-down.

I’d been glared at by my brother for years and on the receiving end of Pack Leader Bale’s disappointment more than once—a hard stare from a disgruntled man-child would never bother me. Dean realized that quickly, and although he kept his silence the entire night, he did leave the kitchen tidier than usual.

I didn’t gloat when Maggie commented on it, but neither of us hid our smiles.

On my walk home that night, I had more than a spring in my step, and I will forever blame my small victory over Dean as to why I missed the bat swinging through the air and connecting with my head until it was too late.

CHAPTER 14

Kezia

My awareness came back slowly. Smells surrounded me long before I realized I was conscious. Keeping my eyes closed, I tried to figure out why I couldn’t move. My arms were bound behind my back, and I was sitting on something.

Something hard.

A chair?

Straining to listen, I searched for any sound that wasn’t my pounding heart. Was I alone? Opening my eyes slightly, I peered into the darkness, my wolf sight sharper than any human’s.

I was in a shed—a tool shed, by the looks of it. Lifting my head, I winced at the throbbing pain in my skull.

Stupid and careless, that’s what I’d been. How had I not heard them approach? How had I missed the scent of a wolf pack?

Pulling at my wrists, I paused. Wolves wouldn’t tie my arms. I was a shifter. These ropes wouldn’t hold me, which led me to a more worrying reality.

A human had done this.

Flexing my arms, I called on my wolf’s strength and ignored the burn of the ropes as I wrenched my arms free. Rubbing my wrists, I stood, and on silent feet, I explored the small shed.

Where the hell was I? Inching closer to the door, I stilled, listening for voices. When I was sure there was no one waiting for me, I tried the handle. The door creaked open slowly, causing me to wince.

They hadn’t locked me in? Whoever had assaulted me was either very confident or a complete idiot.

Right now, I wasn’t going to stop to figure it out. I had a good idea of what men did to captive women, and I wasn’t hanging around to find out if that was my assailant’s intent.

The shed was against a high wire fence. Looking around, I saw I was in an industrial yard of some sort with a big warehouse to the front. I didn’t recognize this as part of Baywater Creek, and I didn’t like not knowing where I was. Reaching back into the shed, I picked up a wrench and kept tight hold of it as I quickly made my way to the main gate.

The gate was chained but loosely, with a heavy-looking padlock securing it. I was sure I could squeeze through, and crouching down, I shuffled sideways through the gap. The gate rattled, but I was almost free. Through the gate, I straightened and once more looked around.

This was too easy. Was it a trap, or had I truly been jumped by someone who severely underestimated me?

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