Page 71 of Summoned
“The Wolf watched her from the shadows and wondered…”
As I follow the sound, I imagine him watching me, shrouded in the darkness. A strange thrill runs down my spine.
I catch his scent again. Close. Too close.
“What would she taste like?” His words come from behind me. Damn it. I could chase him forever at this rate, and not find him until he wants to be found. “When they met, her first instinct was to stomp him with her precious shoes. She was quick to realize though… they were useless against him.”
I plunge onto yet another path, desperate to catch up to him.
“He tied her to a tree and began to taste her slowly. From the tips of her sharp shoes to the soft skin on the inside of her thighs. She was so delicate, so fragrant, that the Wolfdecided to take care of her…”
I pause in my tracks, a scene unfolding in my mind. Me, ropes binding me to a tree, Gaetano tracing my thighs with his lips. Blinking away the distraction, I refocus.
I can smell him.
“The Wolf wanted to feed her. He gave her meat to eat and wine to drink. What Little Red didn’t realize was that the food contained her own parents’ flesh, and the wine, their blood. She devoured it with greed. Even licked her fingers…”
I frown at the last image.
“Instead of thanking him for satisfying her hunger, she panicked. Afraid he’d reach the treasure before her. So when he least expected it, she pulled a small knife from her basket and stabbed him.”
My steps slow down as the words register.
“What Little Red didn’t know,” his voice comes again, this time close too close, “was that the Wolf couldn’t be killed. He healed from the wound… and chose revenge.”
Something shifts the air near the bend in the hedge. A low, vibrating growl echoes down the corridor. Then come the sounds—claws scratching against dirt, a heavy paw landing, the quick rhythm of breath.
Paws, closing in.
“Run, Baroness…”
Everything inside me stiffens. He can’t be serious.
A wolf—thewolf, from the story—appears in the distance. He’s dark gray, swift, and enormous.
I bolt in the opposite direction. My breath rips from me in ragged gasps. The ground beneath my feet is slick and dangerous. The hedges on each side shimmer.
It’s an illusion. He wouldn’t hurt me. If I die, the contract is broken. Gaetano will be affected, too. The wolf… He’s not real. All I have to do is stop. Close my eyes. Wait it out.
The growl vibrates against my back, and every instinct in me is already screaming,Run!Panic ignites in my chest.
The creature behind me scratches. I swerve hard, my foot buckling beneath me, but I don’t stop. I run through the labyrinth, taking every sharp corner I can to my advantage. They slow me down, but they also slowhimdown. It’s enough.
And then the scent ghosts past me, causing my body to pause for a brief moment. Gaetano is nearby.
“Don’t let him catch you…” The voice is just around the corner.
I push forward, but the path splits. I dart right and—
My heart stutters. Dead end. The wolf’s scraping grows louder; he’s meters away. I press myself into the wall, clenching my teeth. The sounds approach… then fade. As if… he passed me.
I hold my breath. He took the other turn. It gives me seconds, no more. I launch myself back down the corridor I came through. I need to get out of here. I have to—
A guttural snarl tears through the hedge behind me, followed by thunderous steps. He realized his mistake.
My throat is dry, my lungs burn, but I don’t slow down. And then again—
The scent. Stronger than before. Now I’m sure it’s coming from the hedge. I skid to a halt in front of it, heart pounding, and scan both walls. Black leaves. Gnarled branches. Vicious thorns.
