Page 29 of Sparks Flying

Bailey

Chapter 8

My scream came out sounding like a roar as Dean flew headfirst into a tree and fell to the ground like time stood still and I was watching it in slow motion. I’d never felt so helpless.

No, no, no!

I was starting to panic and didn’t know what to do. Was he even alive?

Mate, my wolf growled.

Yup, I was pretty sure he was still alive, but he wasn’t moving. My wolf would be in mourning, not trying to claim him if he had died.

Very carefully I picked him up and carried him in my mouth, being sure not to pierce him with my teeth.

He needed help, and I was the only one around.

I had to walk slowly, not wanting to hurt him. It took time, but somehow, I made it all the way back to the clearing at the cliff.

There was another raven there which made me more defensive and not wanting to lay him back down on the ground. I looked around me ready to bolt back into the woods, but she shifted and ran towards me.

“Put him down! Drop him, now!”

A strange guttural sound came from within me, but it was hard to fully warn this woman off with a mouthful of feathers.

When she picked up a stick to come after me and I knew I couldn’t run away without risking further injury to him, I lowered him to the ground.

“Shoo. Get out of here,” the crazy woman yelled.

I forced myself to shift, even knowing my wolf was fighting against it, ready to attack and protect our mate.

My chest was heaving with each breath as I shifted.

“I’m not going to hurt him,” I yelled back at her. “He flew into a tree and I think he’s unconscious. Help me!”

Seeing I was not a threat, she dropped to the ground and reached out to check on him.

I growled at her.

She stared up at me, but I was too shaken to apologize or explain myself.

My mate was hurt and there was a naked woman about to touch him. My wolf was not handling this well.

“Relax. I’m not going to hurt him. I’m Gracie. What’s your name?”

“Bailey.”

“We don’t get many wolves in this area, Bailey. What are you doing out here?”

Her voice was calm and soothing. As she spoke to me, she began checking Dean’s raven for injuries.

“I’m here with Westin Force. I was just going for a run on my break.” It wasn’t entirely true, but not really a lie, either.

“Oh. Is that how you know Dean, then?”

“How do you know that’s Dean?”

It was a stupid question, no better than someone asking me how I knew another wolf in my Pack. To others, some of us looked the same, but to us, everyone was unique. I assumed it was the same for ravens, even though they all looked alike to me.

---