Page 83 of Wolf's Chance

A few times I’d wanted to suggest I carry her, but I knewher pride would have resisted. So I took advantage of the opportunity now. Satisfied she was okay, I grabbed the bundle and resumed walking.

About an hour later, she stirred in my arms, a soft moan escaping, and I ignored the way my breath hitched at the sound of her soft sigh of contentment. Focusing on the fact that she was waking up, I prepared myself for the thousand questions she would wake up with.

I made my way faster, hoping to close the distance to where we needed to be.

As quickly as I walked, I knew I wouldn’t be quick enough to avoid the questions. Willow was smart and tenacious. She possessed too much of both qualities if I was honest. She seemed to have that moment of clarity about me before we were attacked, and I hoped that her fall had knocked that revelation from her head.

I’d been careful around her. I knew she was suspicious of me, but after this, she’d be relentless. Coming to another fallen tree, I took care not to jostle her too much as I set her down on the trunk. I easily jumped the obstacle and, with care, picked up my fragile cargo. I held her close as she stirred again in my arms, only loosening my hold when she nuzzled into my neck, getting comfortable once more.

Looking down, I noticed how peaceful she looked when she was sleeping. She had an uncanny knack for bringing my protective instincts out of me, instincts I thought I’d left behind a long time ago. My wolf prowled close to the surface too often when she was near.

Shaking my head, I knew I had no right to feel that way towards her. She may have dragged me into her life with herdrawings, but that didn’t mean I had to dragherinto mine. She would have been better off never drawing.

She had no idea who I was. What I had done.

I intended to never let her find out.

Looking up, I saw the tip of Blackridge Peak looming ominously in the night. Cannon’s pack was close and, hopefully, so were the answers we sought.

As I walked through the night, we encountered no others. The terrain began to change. The forest thinned to open foothills as I began the hike, the incline steadily becoming steeper the further I got.

I knew she was awake, but she hadn’t spoken, and I left her to her pretense of sleep, as she took the aid I gave her by carrying her.

The wind picked up and, with it, brought the familiar scent of pack territory. My fingers flexed and I heard Willow’s sharp gasp of pain as they dug into her. “Sorry.”

“You knew I was awake.”

I wanted to shake my head at her. She was unbelievable. She was happy I was carrying her but pissed off that Iknewshe was happy that I carried her.

“Figured you could use the break,” I said instead.

“What happened back there?” She drew a shuddering breath as she squirmed for a better position in my arms. I held her tight, denying her the movement she sought.

“A simple skirmish, was over before it began.” That wasn’t really a lie.

“A skirmish?” She was staring at me, eyes wide and steady. “Withwhat?”

“Shifter.”

Look at me, being honest and all.

“You fought it?” Willow looked doubtful. I tried to keep the blow to my ego in check.

“Had a little bit of help,” I lied.

Willow looked around. “Where did the help go?”

“Ahead.”

Was that a lie? Technically, helpwasahead, so…I guess it was the truth.

Willow turned her attention from my face and looked ahead, taking in the peak. “We’re going there?”

“Not all the way up it. The place is further ahead, but not as far up as the actual peak.” She was back to staring at me. “We aren’t that far away.” Glancing down at her, I moved her slightly in my arms. “Try to sleep more; you’re going to want to feel as refreshed as possible when we get there.”

Willow looked down at her hand, which was cradled in her lap. “I can’t sleep while you carry me, Caleb.”

“Why?” She’d been sleeping halfway up the mountain. “You were managing it perfectly.”

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