Page 14 of Running with Direwolves
“Give it.” He went to snatch it from her.
But at that moment a rush of energy and movement came from behind her. It scooted around her shoulder and in a flash of fur and teeth pummeled into her attacker and knocked him to the floor. The knife skittered out of sight and his shrill screamfilled the tunnel.
Sienna gasped and staggered backward until her shoulders hit the brick wall.
What the hell?
A wolf—a direwolf—was standing over the hooded man and snarling into his face, drool dripping from his menacing jaws.
“Argh! Get off me. Get off me!”
The creature lowered its head then snapped its teeth grazing the man’s nose.
“Oh my God.” Sienna pressed her hand to her mouth. How the hell had the direwolf escaped? But … was it even the same one? The tail on the one before her was much lighter, as were the ears. She could see that even through the darkness.
“Help! Help!”
Sienna had no intention of helping the man who had tried to mug her, perhaps even go on to stab her. With her body buzzing with fight-or-flight, she looked to her left. If only there was a cop around. This creature needed containing. It was wild and dangerous as was being proven right now and it could not be left to roam the streets of New York City.
There was a sudden scramble and the direwolf stepped back, seeming to allow the man to wriggle free. He took full advantage, jumped to his feet, and ran at full pelt into the darkness of the tunnel, his footsteps rapidly fading.
“Oh, fuck.” Sienna gulped as the direwolf turned his attention to her. Had she evaded a mugging only to receive a mauling?
It came closer, slowly, its huge teeth on show and its hackles raised. It was staring straight at her with feral hunger in its blue eyes.
Now she knew it was a different direwolf. The markings were quite different and it was paler, white in places. But wherethe heck had it come from? And why here and now?
She splayed her hands on the damp bricks, she had no weapon and stood no chance of outrunning the creature. Her fate was sealed. She’d be forever known as the zookeeper mauled outside of the zoo.
Then something changed. For a moment she thought it was her vision going fuzzy, but then she realized it was the wolf’s fur. It had turned hazy, fog-like. The animal lifted onto its back legs, human-style, and let out a long groan. Fur turned to skin. A wolf’s snout became a man’s nose and broad bare shoulders and lean hips became clear. The eyes stayed the same. And what was more, she recognized them. She recognizedhim.
“Tarl?” His name barely came out of her dry mouth. What had she just witnessed? Was this some elaborate joke? A hoax?
“Sienna.” He stepped up to her. He wasn’t wearing a scrap of clothing. “I’m sorry you went through that.”
“Through what?” Her brain was having a hard time keeping up with events.
“That asshole,” he said, jerking his head to the right. “With the knife.”
“He’s gone,” she managed.
“And won’t be back.” He was so close now, and he pressed his hands to the wall either side of her head, hemming her in, looking down at her. “Because he knows I’ll kill him.”
“What … what was that? Who are you … and why … I don’t understand?”
“No one would expect you to.”
“Tarl, I…” Tentatively she pressed her hand to his warm chest. “Did you see the direwolf?”
He chuckled. “Babe, Iamthe direwolf.”
She gulped. “Yes, I thought so.”
“And I saved you from that thug.”
“I know, thanks.” His body heat was radiating onto herand his scent filled her lungs. “But you just changed from a direwolf to a human, that’s impossible, I mean, I…”
“You graduated in zoology, yeah, you told me, but they don’t know everything at these fancy colleges.”
