Chapter 7 Rob
ROB
Branches scratched the fuck out of my face as I pushed through the forest. Every step made my head pound a little harder, and despite the disgusting state of the diner, I was wishing now that I had at least ordered some food.
No matter how poisoned it might have been.
Tripping over a branch, I nearly took a header right into a pile of crap so large, it could only be left by a bear.
“Fucking great,” I muttered as I pushed myself off the forest floor.
Brushing the dirt off my clothes, I stumbled along the uneven ground, fighting the dizziness washing over me. Fuck, I really needed some water and food.
The sound of growling had me pausing in my tracks. Very slowly, I scanned the area, spinning slowly so I didn’t freak out whatever was tracking me. And there, right behind me, was the source of the shit I nearly fell in.
Not a bear, but a huge gray wolf baring his teeth, looking at me like his next meal.
“O…kay,” I said quietly, taking a step back. “Just…be cool. We’re all good here.”
The growl increased as I stepped back, so I paused. Moving might be the wrong way to go. Maybe I needed to stand stock still.
“Okay, I’m not going anywhere, big fella. I’m just gonna stand here and talk to you soothingly. Sound good?”
The wolf made a confused noise, then cocked his head at me.
“Yeah, you like that?” I asked, my voice turning softer and a little playful. I felt like I was talking to a cat. “It’s all good. I’m just gonna stay here and talk to you for a while. That sound good to you?”
The wolf whined, then let out a big yawn, licking his chops.
“Okay, I gotta be honest with you. I’m not sure which way to go with that. Are you saying you’re tired of looking for food and you want me to lay down and make this easy for you? Or maybe you’re saying you don’t want to fight me. That you’re tired and just need a friend.”
He whined again, this time pawing at the ground.
“What the fuck is with these signals?”
He growled, snapping his jaws at me, though he didn’t move any closer.
“Alright! Alright,” I said in a more soothing tone. “No swearing. You don’t like that, huh?”
Shaking out his fur, he circled before sitting on his butt.
“Okay, I got it. It’s a little weird, but I can understand how you wouldn’t like swearing. I mean, I bet you get that all the time. People are scared of you, right?”
He barked, then whined and dipped his head.
“Poor guy,” I sighed. “Yeah, I get it. You’re misunderstood.”
The wolf laid down, resting his head on his paws, which were crossed in front of him.
The exhaustion from a night tromping across the state had done me in.
Maybe I was foolish, but I felt for the guy.
Slowly, I lowered myself to the ground, resting on my ass for the first time in hours.
Letting out a heavy sigh, I felt like the wolf and I were as one, both exhausted and in desperate need of a break.
“Oh, that’s the good stuff,” I groaned, stretching out my legs. “I could take a nap, you know?”
He huffed, his eyes getting sleepy as he sat a few feet away.
My eyes were heavy as I watched the wolf fall asleep. Damn, what I wouldn’t give for a few hours of shuteye, but I wasn’t stupid enough to be lulled into a false sense of security just because the wolf was currently docile.
At least, that’s what I told myself.
Then I woke up to early morning light shining through the trees and a very heavy paw resting across my face.
My eyes widened slightly as I did my level best to stay perfectly still.
Which was really fucking hard when I could make out every speck of dirt on the giant paw just centimeters from my eyeball.
Warm fur was pressed against my back, and the steady rhythm of the beast’s heartbeat against my ribs. Was the wolf spooning me?
I didn’t know what to do. I’d never been in a situation like this before. In fact, I was pretty damn sure no human on earth had ever been in this situation before.
Very carefully, I lifted the massive paw off my face, wincing as I imagined the claws coming out and slashing at my face. When nothing happened, I rolled away from the wolf, freezing when I heard him yawn.
I swiveled my head very slowly, careful not to disrupt the big guy. Smiling, I stared into his beautiful blue eyes and fell just a little in love.
Even if he was about to eat me.
“Hey, there, big guy.”
He made a disturbed noise, leading me to believe that he didn’t like being called that.
“Uh…Bert.”
His head perked up and he growled.
“Okay, not Bert. Sorry, that was stupid. It just came to my mind. You’re definitely not a Bert. Maybe a…”
He cocked his head at me, waiting for whatever name I would give him.
“Storm.”
He let out a yip of approval. Frankly, I was just happy he didn’t eat me for daring to move. Or for giving him such a stupid name. Bert. Like any gray wolf would dare be called Bert.
“Fuck, what I wouldn’t give for some food,” I rumbled as my stomach let out a groan of protest.
The wolf growled again.
“Sorry. I know you don’t like swearing.”
Licking his chops, he glanced away before getting to his feet and trotting off through the woods.
“Are you leaving?” I called after him.
I watched as he disappeared, leaving me all alone. “After allowing him to spoon me all night, you’d think he could at least say goodbye,” I grumbled, getting to my feet.
Giving a good stretch, I cracked my neck and fingers, relieving the tension in my body. I was sore from sleeping on the forest floor, but at least the wolf’s fur kept me warm.
I had a long way to go before I met civilization. There was no way I was going to make the trial out here in the middle of Bumfuck, Nowhere, and every time I turned around, someone was trying to kill me.
Why?
Fuck, I had no idea.
But the only way out of this was forward, so I started trekking through the woods again, keeping my pace quick. The sooner I got to a town, the faster I could eat.
After about half an hour, rustling caught my attention to the right.
I stilled, wondering if my little friend was following me.
Very slowly, I shifted a branch, expecting it to open to a large space.
Instead, a squirrel jumped out at me, landing on my face.
His little fingers dug into my skin as he scurried over my head, running over my neck, down my front.
Screaming, my hands grasped at the little fucker, but he was fast. Just when I thought I had him by the tail, he leapt off my leg and flew through the air straight at my face. Yelling bloody murder, I fell backward as he latched on, his little mouth opening wide as he zeroed in on my nose.
Orange, long teeth darted forward, but before the fucker could bite me, he was gone.
Breathing hard, I sat up, looking around in a panic.
That’s when I heard it—the low growl of the gray wolf.
Shaking the squirrel in his mouth, the little bastard went limp.
I never thought I would be so fucking happy to see the death of a squirrel.
I usually avoided them like all other drivers, doing my best not to hit them on the road, but I would be all too glad to hit them anytime now that I knew how vicious they were.
Getting to my feet, the gray wolf looked over at me, then trotted my way, dropping the remains of the squirrel at my feet.
Grimacing, I held out a hand. “No, thanks. You eat it. I’m…no longer hungry.”
The wolf cocked his head at me before tearing into his breakfast.
“That’s…disgusting.”
But who was I to complain? At least I no longer had to worry about the demented squirrel.
“Well, it’s been real, Storm, but I have to get back to civilization.”
He perked up at that, and as soon as I started walking, he trotted right alongside me. I kept going, glancing over at him every so often. His tongue hung out as he happily followed me.
It had been one hell of a night. I thought being stuck out here without a weapon would be the worst thing I encountered.
Little did I know the dangers of the squirrel.