Page 9 of Empowering the Wolf's Heart

“I wasn’t—Yes, please. Shut up.”

“You are much too nice for a kidnapper.”

“Thanks?”

I hadn’t dosed the dude with wolfsbane again, mostly because he’d asked for it. Yes, I was petty like that.

And yes, that also made me an idiot. Who let a werewolf who’d tried to take your life multiple times and nearly succeededlive?

Me. That’s who.

The moon and stars overhead lit my path, the silvery light filtering through the leafy canopy, and something in me uncoiled. Heck. I’d actually pulled that off.

Now if I just survived this coming night, I’d call it a win.

“Are you going to say where we are heading?” the werewolf asked nonchalantly, as if we were a couple taking a stroll through the market.

“Shut up.” I was busy checking the little wolf over, letting my poor legs relax at Ran’s sides since they were nearly shaking with the aftereffects of adrenaline and holding tight to a blasted unicorn who enjoyed throwing in a few crowhops over streams.

“Oh? Are you talking tomeor your animal companion?”

I clenched my teeth. Something about him just got under my skin. A mountain loomed ahead, just a black outline where the stars disappeared.

The little wolf was fast asleep in my arms, his tiny feet kicking out in a dream. I smiled down at the small fellow, covering him with my cloak. I felt eyes on me and glanced over to find the werewolf staring at me and the pup with an undefinable look in his eyes. His neck would get a crick if he held that angle much longer. A scowl crossed my lips as I looked away.

That was when a tiny pop like a bubble came from the little pup and a scent like rotten meat reached my nose. I waved my hand to get the scent away from my nose.

“I believe I may barf,” the werewolf said.

“Don’t, unless you wish the unicorn to dump us both in an icy river.”

He glanced up to find Ran craning her head around to stare at him. He nodded and swallowed hard.

After wading through dozens of rivers and hearing Ran complain about toting two rotten humans not even suitable for munching, we arrived at a cavern. The dark maw held a sense of timelessness, as if it had seen ages pass and the years had wizened it.

Great. I was thinking of caves as sentient. Missing a few nights’ sleep was making me loopy.

I eased down from the saddle, my legs protesting. I rode often, sure, but not over miles of twisting, turning pathways, all while trying to keep a gentle hold on the pup and not slam my body against the werewolf lumped on Ran’s wither.

Ran’s pace picked up as we entered the cavern, her haggard body knowing rest was imminent. I didn’t bother lighting a torch. It took a few turns for us to arrive at a cavern lit by what appeared to be starlight but was in fact a special purple and green glowing moss I’d cultivated for this purpose. Ranimmediately plopped her head in the sweetly seasoned rabbit meat I’d specifically saved for her. While she dug in with her pointy teeth, I unstrapped the man from Ran’s back.

I untied him and he dropped feet first. He landed and his legs gave, sending him sprawling on the floor. He lay there for a moment, his face ashen and expressionless.

It was creepy, as if he were a corpse.

I dropped and pressed my hand to his stomach, where blood still welled. A tiny groan escaped him, the first sign of pain I’d heard from him.

His body called to me, a sensation like a gentle breeze raising the hairs on my arms.Rest and red meat.He needed it along with something deeper. A need for anonymity. Which was weird. Most werewolves, especially nobles, were in control, notbeingcontrolled.

Then his needs cut off as if he’d erected a wall around them, making me raise a brow. Very few people had the mental fortitude to cut their internal needs off from me, and most didn’t because they didn’t know I had a Gift.

He either cut himself off from the world all the time without realizing it or was paranoid. Perhaps both.

His hands were bound behind his back, but I knew he was still just as deadly. I jerked back as his legs swung up and nearly caught me in a headlock.

“I amtryingto tend to your wound, you blasted stubborn fenbutt!”

He rolled over to his stomach, his face twisting in pain, and then hauled himself to his knees. I nearly whistled in appreciation of the will that move took when his stomach and detached ab muscles had to be screaming in agony.

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