Page 89 of Wolf Tormented
I tentatively trot inside the mouth of the cave, sniffing the air the whole time. My hackles stay raised until I investigate every dark corner of the space.
When I’m sure it’s clear, I curl into a ball in the back of the cave so the howling wind won’t blow through my fur.
I should have known better. I should have known that the sweet, tender Archer who almost told me how he felt about me after the accident would turn back to the cold, unfeeling alpha the second something went wrong or I didn’t agree with him.
My wolf whines, upset that our mate hurt us like that. He confuses me all the time, and it’s like walking on eggshells in my own home.
I never know when something might set him off.
Another urgent howl fills the air, but I ignore it. The pack link is static in my mind, and I block it out. I block him out.
I just need to clear my head and figure out where I belong in his life. If it’s just to be his occasional punching bag, then maybe I need to reevaluate that.
I’m no one’s punching bag, and if he doesn’t start treating me as I deserve, maybe I just won’t be around for him to hurt anymore.
My ears prick at the loud crack of a twig snapping outside. What the fuck is that?
The hair on the back of my neck stands up as I jump to my paws and crouch low.
Someone or something is outside the cave. Did the snow mask the scent of an animal, or is it someone else? Is it Archer or a human or another pack member?
Fuck, this was such a bad idea. Why the fuck didn’t I go back? I sniff the air as my wolf snarls.
The wind shifts, and I smell it. The distinct smell of a human.
What the fuck are they doing in our woods? Could it just be a hiker? Or were the scouts right about the government trespassing on our land?
I creep to the mouth of the cave and peek out, but even with my enhanced vision, I can’t see anyone.
Am I imagining things because I’m on edge? I really don’t think so. There was a sound outside.
I step into the biting wind and snow. The snow has gotten worse since I went in the cave to warm up. The flurries are bigger.
Flakes stick to my fur as I slink around the small clearing next to the cave. Sniffing the air, the scents of humans become stronger. How many of them are there?
I’m not great at tracking so differentiating scents is more difficult. There could be more than one human or there could be only one. I don’t have enough experience with humans to know for sure.
Either way, I want them out of my territory, and my wolf agrees.
My wolf trots down the side of the mountain in the direction of the scent. This is dangerous, and I should probably turn back, but my wolf doesn’t listen to me.
She snarls at something up ahead. The scent of human is stronger the farther we get away from the cave. Shit. I really shouldn’t be stalking a human. I shouldn’t be shifted in the forest at all.
What was I thinking? I never should have come out here like this. But I wasn’t thinking. I was tired—tired of Archer and his bullshit.
I creep forward, and another twig snaps as a man dressed in full tactical gear comes into view.
Peeling my lips back in a snarl, I growl and bare my teeth. What am I going to do?
I glance around the clearing and back away from the human man, but another man steps out from behind a tree. I peer over my shoulder, ready to run, but I’m surrounded.
What is going on here? What do they want from me?
“I know you can understand me,” the man in front of me says.
I snarl at him and crouch low. I’m going to pounce—do whatever I can to get away from these men and find Archer.
Does he know the government is in our woods? Why didn’t he tell me it was this bad? It’s like they knew exactly where I was.
