Page 13 of The Alpha Dire Wolf
Was it telling me to leave? How could it …
The bear was charging again, and the wolf played matador. With the beast distracted, I got to my feet.
“T-thank you,” I said to the wolf as it risked a glance at me again.
It dipped its head.
My jaw dropped and I stopped moving, despite the bear roaring. “Can you understand me?” It was a stupid question. Of course it couldn’t. It was a wolf.
The mighty gray hunter blinked its multicolored eyes slowly, and then, in a blur, it sprang at the bear, clawing its face and further enraging the thing before leading it deeper into the forest, away from me.
Leaving me alone.
Leaving me safe.
Chapter Six
Lincoln
Cold wetness instantly matted the fur on the sides of my neck as I plunged my entire snout deep into the fresh waters of the river. After giving my head a shake while submerged, I came up for air. The fast-moving water was already ridding itself of all traces of the blood that had covered me. I repeated the maneuver, again and again, until the water ran clear.
But the taste remained on my tongue. It never seemed to go away as fast, leaving a sharp acrid tang that was impossible to get rid of. Food and drink would be ruined for at least the rest of the day. A lime, raw and fresh would sometimes help. But not always. I doubted I would be so lucky today. The bear’s blood had been vile and rancid.
I studied the corpse where it lay on the banks of the river with much of its throat gone, the sands of the riverbank stained dark nearby.
Quite a coincidence it was to have just stumbled upon her in that exact spot. At that exact time. And a creature so rarely affected by the virus as well.
That was a few too many coincidences for me to believe.
Padding over to it, taking care to go easy on my hind leg until it healed, I considered the appearance of the beast and the disease it carried. How had it come to be in this part of the forest? Bears were not rare by any means. But here, so near town, was not an area they frequented. The scent of my pack usually kept them at bay.
But not this one.
I contemplated my next move. Should I continue my surveillance of the Wilson woman, as was my original mission? Or did I return to discuss what had happened?
She’s going to go home and shut herself inside after this. Maybe even call the sheriff, who will call animal control to come take a look. A rabid bear, and a wolf that stepped in to protect her, is strange behavior.
I had lured the bear deep enough into the woods that I didn’t fear it being discovered, but I also didn’t want to stick around and risk it either. The corpse would have to wait until I could send some people to burn it, but that didn’t mean I had to wait around and risk being spotted.
Claws dug into the ground, protesting my attempt to spin around and head back to the den. A low whine from my wolf echoed the same sentiment.
It didn’t want to go home.
Not happening.
The whining grew louder. It was ridiculous. The woman was a danger to us all. That was why the elders had “recommended” I surveil her to see just what she was planning and how much danger she was going to be to us.
Now my wolf wanted to get closer to her? The woman that could destroy us all, according to legend. It was preposterous. All because she’d landed on top after I’d tackled her.
True, her touch was … electric. Nor did I sense any danger from her. Quite the opposite.
She was beautiful too. Tall and willowy, she smelled of blooming flowers with a subtle hint of vanilla. The tantalizing combination made my wolf drool. Drinking her scent deeply had nearly made me lose my mind in the middle of a fight.
Perhaps sheisdangerous after all.
The elders would not approve of my thoughts. If I told them, or anyone, they would scream murder, that the witch had taken control of me somehow. Especially if they knew it wasn’t just my wolf that felt a pull toward her.
I needed to find out more. Somehow. Which meant having to return, to watch her, and learn just what she was doing.
