Page 19 of The Wolf's Secret Baby

She grunted a laugh. “You obviously don’t know what kind of world I live in. It’s never been easy for women. Perhaps that’s why I can sympathize so much with your struggle. I know what it’s like to be treated like an outsider, even when you know you have what it takes to prove yourself. I suppose at some level I have always wanted to throw everything aside and let go of my responsibilities. I have spent so many times listening to people sharing their mistakes and deep down I’ve been thinking that at least they have been able to live. Sometimes it feels as though I haven’t lived at all.”

Tension rippled through me as I latched onto a particular word. “You think of this as a mistake?”

She lifted her head and horror adorned her eyes. “No, not at all. That’s not what I meant. It’s just, as I said… it’s unexpected. It doesn’t feel like this is the kind of thing I should do.”

“Maybe it’s time for us to stop thinking about the things we should do and instead think about the things that we want to do,” my voice was terse.

“You sound angry. What are you going to do about Vance and your standing in the pack? What’s going to happen to me? Typhon, I don’t want to be a slave. I don’t want to be forced into manual labor, and I certainly don’t want to be taken away by that other horrible person.”

“Nobody is going to take you away,” I replied. “All my life I have tried to fit in. I have tried to do what was expected of me, following rules that were clearly meant to hold me back, not allow me to flourish. The only thing I have ever wanted is to matter in the eyes of the pack. I thought respect was something that I could earn as long as I proved myself but now I see that I was deluding myself. Kull has tried to tell me this on many occasions before, but I allowed myself to ignore him. That was amistake. The other wolves fight me at every opportunity. There is only one language they understand and it’s violence.”

I could feel the terror rushing through her body. “Typhon, I don’t think taking the fight to them is a good idea. There are so many more of them. Look, we’re out here in the open world. We could just leave. There’s nothing that says we have to go back.”

“They would only come looking for us when they realize we have not returned.”

“But why?” she asked, a perplexed look on her face. “Why do you matter so much to them in this regard when they have shown you nothing but disdain?”

“Because we are still part of the pack and Vance sees us as belonging to him. If we leave, then it shows a measure of autonomy that he would not want us to express. He wants us to stay so that he can keep his heel on our throats and use us as a way to focus the ire of the other wolves. If we should leave, then the others may start finding fault with his leadership. Their urges for violence may find other targets and the pack may fall into discord.”

“Then let it. Let them come after you. You could come back with me, and I can show you my world. I’m sure there’s a way you could fit in. We can make it work, at least for a short time. It would take a while for them to find us. Maybe we could even get far enough away to beyond their reach. I don’t imagine they would travel too far just for a fight, would they?”

I smirked. “There is still much you need to learn about wolves. Besides, they are going to come for your world anyway. I do not know the nature of Vance’s great weapon, but he is confident that it can bring him the world and turn your city to ruins. I’m not sure there’s any point in running.”

“That doesn’t sound like what I’ve come to expect from you. I thought you were more defiant than that,” she said. I cocked my head and gave her a side-eyed glance.

“I am not afraid of a fight,” I spat through clenched teeth.

“Then why not do something to fight for your future? You can’t go on like this, Typhon. None of us can. If we go back to the pack, you know what things are going to be like for us. They’re always going to exploit us, and I know that you like watching me, but are you still going to enjoy it when someone else takes me?” there was a tremor of fear to her voice. I was suddenly filled with a deep resentment towards anyone who would treat her in that way.

“I won’t let them. You are under our protection,” I promised. I wasn’t sure she understood the depth of that obligation.

“Then protect me by keeping me away from that pack. I don’t want any part of it. I’m not about to be made a prisoner. Please, Typhon, I can’t be that kind of woman. I’d rather die.”

“You’re not going to die, Ambrosia. I am not going to allow anyone to touch you. I am not opposed to leaving the pack, but it must be done in the right way. There is no sense in leaving without a plan, for they will come after us with a vengeance and whatever pity they might show us within the pack will be absent. They would surely tear us apart. I am only trying to protect you.”

“And I appreciate that but right now it feels as though there’s no way out for me. I only came out here to stay at the cabin. I never imagined something like this would happen.”

“Do you regret meeting us?” I asked. She looked at me. There was a faltering sense in her gaze.

“No, I just regret everything else that’s happening. Part of me wishes that we could just leave the world behind; and we could become creatures of desire, giving into our wildest impulses but we can’t. You have the pack to worry about and I still have a life waiting for me at home, one that I hope to return to.”

“I see.” I couldn’t help but be disappointed.

“Typhon, I didn’t mean it like that. You and Kull have shown me a side of myself that I’ve never explored before. I didn’t even know it existed. I always suspected… but certainly not to this extent. It’s just… there are so many factors to think about and I’m struggling to make it all make sense in my mind. I just think it’s a waste to not make use of the opportunity that we have now to break free, and what if you’re wrong? Maybe they’re not bothered at all, and they won’t chase after us.”

I pursed my lips and was about to respond, when suddenly my ears pricked up. My arm fell away from Ambrosia, and I rose to my feet, concern etched upon my face.

“Typhon? What’s going on?” she asked, for her hearing was not acute enough to hear the disturbance nearby. I peered towards the edge of the glade. I could feel the vibrations in the ground and then I sensed the trees fluttering. I stepped in front of Ambrosia, ready to shield her with my body. I bristled with vicious energy, gritting my teeth, feeling the hot flow of anger rushing through me.

Then, Kull emerged. He sprinted towards us as a wolf and then shifted as he approached.

“They’re coming!” he cried out. I prepared for battle.

Chapter Fifteen

Ambrosia

Kull burst out from nowhere and sprinted towards us. His cry of warning made me tremble with fear. My throat grew tight, and I shrank behind Typhon. It was another reminder of how ill-equipped I was for this wild world. We had become so civilized that our instincts had been neutered and we didn’t deserve to be in the wilderness. I wondered if our distant ancestors would have been ashamed of us for removing ourselves so far from our instincts. They may not have recognized us at all. Kull joined us and stood beside Typhon. They both bared their teeth, ready to fight. I imagined it was the members of the pack, coming to hunt us down. Perhaps they were going to use this opportunity to kill Typhon and Kull, dragging their bodies back and using them as examples for anyone else who dared drift away from the norm. And what fate awaited me after this? Not a pleasant one. I shuddered as I tried to push the thoughts away from my mind. I would rather die than be held prisoner. The longer I spent out here, the more I was beginning to come to terms with the fact that I might never get to return to my old life.

---