Page 24 of Grace of a Wolf 1
A distant howl cuts through the night, freezing the blood in my veins. I stop dead in my tracks, ears straining to pinpoint the direction. It came from behind me, far off but clear.
No. No, it can't be. They're not looking for me. They don't care enough to bother.
But what if they are?
The thought sends a fresh surge of adrenaline coursing through my body. I pick up my pace, no longer caring about stealth. My footsteps seem thunderously loud in the quiet forest, but I can't bring myself to slow down. The need to put distance between myself and that howl overrides everything else.
Branches whip at my face as I push through the undergrowth, leaving stinging scratches in their wake. My lungs burn with each ragged breath.
A heavy weight slams into my back, knocking the air from my lungs. I hit the forest floor hard, leaves and twigs digging into my palms as I scream.
Heart pounding, I scramble to my feet, spinning around wildly.
A massive black wolf stands mere feet away. A familiar ethereal glow surrounds him, casting the nearby trees in an otherworldly light.
My savior.
He pants heavily, sides heaving with each breath. His head tilts to one side, regarding me with a human-like curiosity. There's no aggression in his stance, just... interest.
"You," I whisper, my voice barely audible over the thundering of my own pulse.
The wolf's ears prick forward at the sound. He takes a step closer, and I instinctively back away. My heel catches on something, nearly sending me sprawling again.
He pauses, head cocking to the other side now. A low whine escapes him, sounding apologetic.
I swallow hard, trying to steady my breathing. "Why are you back? I told you to go."
But, of course, he doesn't answer.
Chapter eleven
Grace: Rules
Time isn't my friend, so I lay down the ground rules. "Look. I'm trying to get out of here, okay? You can come with me if you want, but no more skulking around in the shadows. And definitely no pouncing on me anymore. If I sprain my ankle, I'm never getting out of here. Got it?"
Not even a flick of his ears to show acknowledgement.
He has to be a shifter, though. There's no way some random, glowing wolf just exists on its own in the wild.
"You're a rogue, right?"
Ear flick.
I guess that's his way of saying yes. "Okay. I don't know why you won't shift, but that's not my business. Either help me or stay out of my way. That's all I'm asking."
No ear flick, or tail wag, or any change in his body language whatsoever.
Fine. Don't answer. Two can play the quiet game.
Turning my attention to my mission, I glance around. Which way was I headed?
East, because I need to head east toward the city. But which way is east? Now that I'm all turned around, I'm not sure. The stars peek through branches above, but their patterns mean nothing to me. Thatdefinitelyis something we covered in training, and would be helpful to know about now.
My feet crunch over dead leaves as I pick a direction that seems right and start walking. The wolf's massive paw steps behind me pause. A low rumble draws my attention back to him as he winds around me.
He plants himself in my path, blocking the way forward.
"What now?"
