Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
We hit the water, the cold a massive shock to my system. I yelped underwater, drinking in the dirty river, the force of the current slamming into me.
That certainly woke me up.
Miko didn’t lose his grip on me, dragging me to the surface. I gulped air, coughing and spluttering, snot shooting from my nose.
“Fucking stars!” I cried, gripping Miko’s shoulders, kicking my legs in panic.
“Hold onto me!”
He changed under me, his face elongating, becoming a snout. His clothes tore as his muscles rippled and bulged, skin transforming into black fur.
I almost let go, startled by the transition.
Bodies tumbled into the river behind me, the speedies launching themselves into the water without a care in the world. The current took them, their limbs thrashing, no ability to swim. And we drifted with them, getting too close.
I gripped the big black wolf’s fur tightly, adrenaline suppressing the pain in my hands and knees as I wrapped my legs around him, saying a silent prayer to the stars.
Miko took off, cutting through the water with enough force and speed to resist the current. A real machine of determination. He took us west rather than to the other side of the river, not stopping until we reached the mouth of Deptford Creek.
He shifted back into his human form—his naked human form. I dug my fingers into his shoulders as he swam to a stone ladder, climbing up the rungs, finally getting us to dry land.
Maneuvering me off him, he collapsed, rolling onto his back. Panting, a hand on his rapidly rising and falling chest.
“Give me a minute.”
Knees begging for mercy, I sat clumsily, sucking air between clenched teeth. Shivering, stinking of the polluted water, so much of it in my system.
My natural resistance tingled inside, battling bacteria attempting to breach my defenses.
He’s naked…
Sunlight sparkled across the planes of his naked flesh.
I averted my gaze before I saw much else of him, not wanting to see, too angry, too bewildered.
He’d dragged me into danger and forced me to touch some weird symbol without much of an explanation.
Like an idiot, I did it, obeying a man who held no power over me.
My stomach lurched as nausea rolled through me, a sour taste tainting my throat and tongue. Now my adrenaline fell and everything else came rushing back.
Miko sat up. “Let’s get you some help.”
Stay away from me…
“Climb onto my back again.” He shifted into wolf form, shaking his wet fur. On dry land, I saw just how huge the beast truly was. The guy could swallow me whole with those jaws.
Miko came over to me, nudging me with his nose.
Wanting to live, I climbed onto his back, riddled with pain and let him take me back to the tower to rest, to bandage these wounds. Then I’d leave his tower.
I never should’ve hoped for friends. Joining him and his pack had been a mistake. Whatever his and their stupid games were regarding that oracle symbol, I’d play no part in it.
The alpha wolf charged through the streets, getting us back to Haven without another incident.
When he shifted again to open the gates, he seemed exhausted. Understandably after all that swimming and running.
Good! He deserved to be as worn out as the most threadbare of rugs.
“Sir!” James and Paige cried at the same time, throwing the gates open.
“Get…get Orion to the med flat.” Miko collapsed to his knees with a growl.
The beta helped him up, walking him inside.
Paige came to me. I leaned against the open gate, trying to stay vertical. A slowie groaned, staggering toward us, constantly listing into the fence.
“One second.” Paige took care of it quickly, returning to me, a hand on my wet back. “What happened? Wait. Tell me inside.”
I leaned on her for support, taking it slow.
“Easy does it,” she said. “Do you want me to carry you?”
“No!” I retorted sharply.
The last thing I wanted was another wolf manhandling me. I’d experienced my fill for the day.
Still, I felt bad for the snappy answer. “Sorry. I’m just pissed off.”
Not piddled this time. Fully pissed off, anger ebbing and flowing with the pain.
Curse Miko.
Curse him hard.