Page 43 of Wolf Fated
Here we were in the middle of the forest, and angry bear underneath us, Nathan severely injured and no supplies or weapons.
A hysterical sob broke from my lips, and I clamped my hand over my mouth to stifle the sound. I didn't know why I thought the bear might forget we were in here.
Okay, I needed to figure out what to do. I inhaled a shaky breath and tiptoed over to one of the blinds on the side. No grizzly there. So, I checked the other slots and didn't see anything but grass and trees. That didn't mean the bear had left. What was it that Drake had said, it will come back? I rubbed my arms from the sudden chill.
Behind me, a low growl vibrated through the deer stand and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Huffs, like an animal panted, sounded like they were inside the stand with me. Like right behind me.
Impossible. There was no one in here but me and Nathan. He had closed the panel; I would've heard if an animal broke through.
The rumbled growl sounded again.
I turned as slowly as I could. My heart drummed a staccato rhythm in my chest.
At first, I didn't believe what I was seeing and blinked before forgetting how to breathe.
There in front of me was the wolf I'd seen in Nathan's cabin.
My gaze darts to the blood-stained floor and where Nathan was unconscious. There was a pile of clothes, but no body.
The wolf snapped its teeth at me, and I shuffled back a step.
This isn't possible.Nathan couldn't have vanished, nor could this wolf suddenly have appeared in his place. The latch was still closed and all the windows in here were small, horizontal slats only big enough to slide my hand through and peer out of, not climb through.
Still, with the facts staring at me with green eyes, I couldn't deny what I was seeing. Wolves didn't have green eyes, did they?
"Nathan?" my voice squeaked out.
The wolf snarled and I jumped back, banging my head on the far wall.
"Listen," I said in a light, sweet tone like I was talking to a dog and not trapped in here with a huge wolf. "It’s all right. Are you still hurt?"
As crazy as my mind was, the thought that this wolf was Nathan wouldn't leave me. It had to be him, there was no other explanation.
“Y-You’re a werewolf?” If anyone heard what I was saying, they wouldn’t believe me.Hell, I’m seeing this and not believing it, but I know I’m not dreaming.
There was an intelligence behind his eyes, then the feral wolf was back, and he growled a warning.
Nathan—or the wolf—or whatever he was lunged at me, and I pressed myself against the far wall.
But he didn't keep coming, just watched me like he was debating which part of me to chomp into first. Then I noticed his body trembled. His gray fur was matted in patches of blood. Whatever injuries Nathan had looked like they had transferred over to his wolf. Or what if his wolf was a separate beast from Nathan? I'd read some werewolf romance books like that. This poor creature probably woke up bleeding and hurt and thought I did this.
I held up my hands, trying to calm myself despite feeling like I needed to run away. "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you, okay?"
The wolf growled, his hackles raised.
"It was a bear that hurt you." I clawed my fingers and did my best imitation of a bear roar, which is laughable at best.
Nathan's ears twitched and I swore if he'd had eyebrows, they'd be in his hairline.
"Yes, yes, a bear hurt you." I pointed to the panel, then to myself. "You saved us and brought us here."
The wolf paced back and forth in front of me, and I didn't think that was a good sign at all. Surly he'd sit down and do whatever he needed to turn into Nathan again? Unless he was too injured to do so? I'd rather have an unconscious Nathan in here with me than a wolf that was looking like he was debating how yummy I'd taste.
At that thought, all those novels I used to read about werewolves came flooding back. How Mom had said they were trash and threw them away. How obsessed I had been with those stories and continued to sneak one or two into my room from the library or used bookstore and read them as fast as I could so I could return them within a day or two so I wouldn't get caught with them.
I even pretended to have detention at school sometimes so I could stay late and finish the latest book from the library I'd gotten. Guess that's why Mom always branded me a trouble-maker. She had no idea that I was just being rebellious of her silly rules.
As though tired, Nathan sat down on his haunches, his gaze never leaving me.
