Page 44 of Wolf Heart

Once a rogue wolf hunted too close to our lands and Casey led a search party with three other wolf packs. They returned with the wolf’s head and I’d seen the truth. It had been a young teen probably no older than fifteen.

"We are going to die out here,” I say. If Casey and his goons don’t get us, the lost ones will. “You have to know that."

"I know that I need to protect you." He holds onto me.

“And if you can’t?” I whisper as the wind blows past us, sending a chill through me.

"Here." He puts his arms around me, warming me. "Close your eyes."

My eyes flutter shut and I snuggle closer to him. It’s not long before I’m soothed to sleep by his breathing and the steady beat of his heart against my ear.

* * *

In the distance, a ferocious snarl sounds, and my stomach clenches.

"Oh God, they found us.” I push off Dex’s chest. My head pounds as I blink against the late afternoon sun outside the tree. “They’re going to rip us to pieces.”

"No, they won't."

His deep voice is reassuring, but I can't help but feel the need to run. "You can't stop them. They'll kill you too."

"I'm not going to leave you."

"I can take care of myself." I stand and brush the mud off my clothes. "I'm a werewolf. I'll be fine."

"Juniper, you're not a werewolf."

His words are a punch to my gut. “I am. I-I just need to find my mom.”

Dex lets out a sigh and stands with me, grabbing my pack. “At least the rain has stopped. We’ll have to take the long way around to camp and ensure no one’s following us and hope to meet Aspen and Raven there.”

“And if they don’t make it?” My chest feels like it’s wrapped in barbed wire.

“Let’s cross that stream when we come to it.” He holds out his hand and I take it, unable to keep the faith he has in Aspen and Raven. If it was just Casey against one of them, I wouldn’t worry. But these aren’t mindless lost ones they’re facing, but sadistic killers. Wolves who take pleasure in causing pain in any way they can.

He pulls out a plastic vial with a wax seal over the lid from his backpack.

“What’s that?”

“Skunk perfume.” He breaks the seal and the smell of dead skunk wafts through the air, choking me. “Good huh? Paid a fortune for a witch to bottle this for me.”

I hold my nose, trying not to gag. “Why would you want something like that?”

He cocks his head to the side. “You grew up sheltered, Juniper. It’s wolf-eats-wolf out here beyond the pack barriers. Smells don’t affect lost ones like others and this wouldn’t slow them down. But I’ve been at the end of wolf hunts too much not to have a backup plan. Some, like yours, hunt any rogues like us out here for sport.”

“Okay,” I play along, “but what’s to keep them from knowing you’ve done this to throw them off the trail?”

He beams up at me and my breath hitches at the way his green eyes lit up. “Smart. It’s also got a spell tied to it. Anyone wishing me or the others harm will have a sudden urge to run back home before it wears off.”

“How long will it last?” I wrap my arms around myself because I don’t know how magic works. Never thought about it until recently when I found out I was half a witch. Could I do any spells?

Dex dumps the liquid into the tree we rested in before pouring it out behind us.

“Head southeast, I’ll be right behind you. Don’t want them to catch onto our scent any time soon.”

He finishes pouring the foul liquid after us and replaces the bottle into his pack.

“You’re not keeping that are you?” I cough back bile. “It reeks.”

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