Page 21 of Shadow of Death

If his breathing wasn’t so even, and his heartbeat so slow, I’d have thought he was awake and screwing with me. My mistake. His very existence was created to screw with me.

Just fuck him already, you prude,Death said.

I ignored her. I wasn’t risking a reply and waking up Kicks, especially when I was so close to doing exactly that.

I closed my eyes, trying to focus on the ache in my ankle and everything else unpleasant I could drum up.

Chapter Nine

I was dreaming.I stood up, the cast and all the pain gone, but felt something staring at me. There, in the woods, was the wolf. It dropped its head, as if trying to show me it wasn’t a threat. It didn’t move away or try to get closer. It just stayed there.

“Are you hungry?” I asked.

It didn’t move.

“Are you hurt? Did your pack leave you? Why do I keep dreaming of you?”

He looked to the side and then back at me. Then suddenly he darted away.

I woke up gasping and looking around for the wolf. He’d seemed so real. Kicks was gone, but he often woke earlier than me. He was probably just down at the stream. Plus the bike and our stuff was still here.

I had to pee. At least I could hobble along without Kicks staring at me painfully. That was when I realized my ankle no longer throbbed. I got to my feet, testing my weight on it.

Kicks emerged from the trees, his expression darkening when he saw me standing. “What are you doing? You’re not supposed to put weight on that.”

He hurried over, about to sweep me off my feet. I held him off with both hands. “Wait. There’s something different. I think it’s okay.”

“How is that possible? I thought she wasn’t going to heal you. Did she change her mind?”

“No. I don’t know why, but I can feel it. It’s okay.” I took a few steps, testing it under my full weight and still feeling normal. “I’m telling you, it feels different.”

Kicks was hovering, as if I were going to fall over at any moment.

I walked some more, circling our area. “It’s good. I don’t think I need the cast anymore. We need to find some tools to rip it off.”

“Are you sure?” Kicks’ eyes narrowed. “If it’s not, it might be tricky to find more supplies. You’resureyou want it off?”

“I don’t know what happened exactly, but I canfeelit’s okay,” I replied, glancing down at the cast. “I want this thing off, like,now.”

He stared at me like I was crazy.

“I’m telling you, it’s better. And even if it’s not a hundred percent, if we get in a bad spot where I have to run, I’m going to be a hell of a lot better off with a leg at fifty percent and a sneaker than this cast.”

After a few seconds of looking undecided, he pointed to the downed tree. “Sit. I’ll get it off.”

“You brought a saw?” I asked, sitting with eagerness.

He smirked. “I don’t need one.”

Before I could ask what he meant, Kicks knelt beside me and leaned in close, his mouth grazing the top of the cast. There was a tearing sound as the material gave way. When he pulled back, I saw that the top had been partially ripped open.

“How did you do that?” I asked.

“My canines can come out without shifting,” he replied nonchalantly, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

With a grunt, he gripped either side of the torn cast and began to tear it apart with his bare hands. The muscles in his arms flexed, his strength evident. It shouldn’t have been hot, but it was. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him, how his arms flexed.

He glanced up, catching me. “Stop doing that,” he said.

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