Page 42 of Wolf Fated
"I'm afraid I can't do that. Now you either tell me how to help Nathan or get someone here pronto who can." I pressed the phone closer to my ear. "You've got three seconds, or I hang up and call 911."
Curses echoed from the other side of the phone. "Fuck! Fine. Hold on a sec."
I squeezed Nathan's hand gently. He was still breathing, but it was shallow, wheezing breaths.
"Brook?" Axel was on the line with the sound of a shower being turned off. "Put Nathan on the phone now."
"He's unconscious, he can't talk."
"Put... him... on... the goddamn phone."
"Fine." I tapped the speakerphone icon and placed the cell near Nathan's ear.
"Your Alpha commands you to get up and get your ass in the deer stand. And get Brook up there too, then you can heal."
What the fuck was he saying? The guy was insane—
"Now!" Axel's shout roared through the line and seemed to hit every fiber of my being.
Nathan shot up and I screamed, falling back on my ass. He lunged for me like something out of a zombie movie. I crab-walked backward. The phone lay a few feet away but no way in hell was I going for it.
"What did you do?" I shrieked. My fingers brushed the edge of the rifle and I yanked it up, pointing it at Nathan. "Stop, don't come any closer or I'll shoot." Not that I had any bullets. Just hoped he didn't know that.
Nathan didn't even blink. His hands grabbed me around the waist, and he hauled me over his shoulder.
"Stop! Put me down!" I smacked the rifle against his back and over and over, but he didn't listen.
Then he ran with me jostling over his shoulder and feeling like I was going to hurl.
A growl vibrated through the trees. I glanced up to see the grizzly barreling out of the trees after us.
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“Nathan,” I screamed, clinging to his shredded T-shirt as he ran. My heart pounded in my throat.
The bear’s breath came out its nose in white puffs. His muzzle coated with Nathan’s blood.
The bear was going to reach us, and Nathan seemed oblivious aside from bouncing me on his back as he ran. Before I could ask how he planned to climb the tiny stubs to the deer stand, Nathan bound straight up. All the air in my lungs rushed out in a scream.
Then I scrambled to hold onto him as he gripped the edge of the deer stand. His muscles bulged from the strain.
The bear stood on its hind legs, smacking its paws, and trying to reach us.
Nathan's arms shook and I knew he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer, but why wasn't he saying anything?
I swallowed my fear of what was going on or that I was going fall right into the bear's claws and teeth. As quickly as I could, I stretched for the latch. But I couldn't get it opened. Sweat trickled down my back as I jerked on the lock.
The bear roared below and so didn't help my nerves or getting the damn hatch open.
Finally, the bolt slid off and I pushed the wood panel out of the way. My legs dangled underneath me as I hauled myself up and into the stand. Once inside, I rolled across the floor, panting.
Nathan swung up like a damn monkey and replaced the panel before falling on a heap on the floor.
"Thank you." I pushed up, my whole body trembling.
No response and his breathing wheezed again.
I scooted over to him, pushing him onto his side like the CPR class had told me to do if a victim was unconscious, but breathing. Blood coated his torso, and he had a gash down one leg. I rummaged through the six-by-eight enclosed stand. All I found was a few empty rifle shells.
