Chapter 14 #3
Was this an act? Should I strike while he was seemingly showing me grace and docility? But if he wanted to attack, he would have in a flurry of fur and aggression.
The wolf lifted his head, padding slowly toward me. I made a show of returning the knife to my backpack, hoping I hadn’t made a deadly mistake. Suppressing any display of fear, I relaxed. As much as anyone could when faced with such a massive creature.
Inches from me, the beast pressed his muzzle against my palm, huffing warm breath against my skin.
Lance had recovered and had put some distance between him and Keagan.
He was again assuming the position for when he was about to shift.
The new arrival turned and positioned himself between me and the pair in a protective stance.
“I don’t believe he’s a danger to me. But I’m not sure about you two. You should leave,” I said.
They hesitated, looking at me with renewed curiosity and heightened interest. After several beats, Lance stepped back. Once he was close to Keagan, he took her hand. After they’d backed up a few feet, they exchanged puzzled glances and expressions that were a blend of disbelief and uncertainty.
“Notify Terran once you make it home,” Lance requested before they rushed through the woods, taking a path I’d missed.
If I were a less cynical person, I’d think he cared.
He wanted confirmation that I indeed had the protection of a massive unknown wolf, which added more ticks to his list of reasons I was a problem.
“Hey, Wolfie,” I said quietly, bending a little to his level. He bowed his head, and I ran my fingers gently along the soft fur of his neck and back. The low, self-indulgent rumble was amusing coming from such a menacing creature.
“Please change, so we can talk?” I requested, resting back on my heels.
The massive creature made a pained sound that seemed like a sob.
“Are you stuck?” Another sound. I was sure it wasn’t the first time a werewolf got stuck in his form. But to shift forms required the help of a stronger wolf or his Alpha.
Lance hadn’t recognized him, and my gut was telling me he wasn’t a Chicago wolf. There was a familiarity about this wolf that nagged at me.
He invaded my space, nestling his head on my shoulder. The type of invasion of my personal space that I’d recently become too accustomed to. I took hold of his face. “Cirrian?”
I searched his eyes and face for any micro-expressions that could help me.
Nothing. Cirrian said he couldn’t change into a wolf.
I recalled his exact words, picking apart each one in search of signs of circumvention, at which he was particularly gifted.
The devil was in the details of the things he didn’t say.
“If you’re Cirrian, circle me,” I requested. He stayed in his spot. “Move back if you’re Cirrian.”
Nothing.
This was too weird to be dismissed, but time constraints limited how much further I could investigate.
He was a werewolf, which meant he understood me when in his animal form.
I thanked him for his help and protection.
Standing, I debated whether I should take the wolfsbane Keagan demanded I leave.
I decided against it. This precarious situation with the wolf was going to cause me enough problems with Lance’s pack and the local witches; I wasn’t going to invite more by disobeying her request.
“Thank you, Wolfie.”
He made a face, then peeled back his lips to expose his teeth.
“Cirrian?” I tried again. He responded by bumping his lowered head against my upper ribs.
Okay, not Cirrian. I hated that I couldn’t be one hundred percent certain of it.
“You don’t like Wolfie.” Taking in the midnight fur with the shimmer of silver, I offered, “Onyx.”
He sneered.
“Obsidian?”
Did he roll his eyes?
“Raven?”
He nudged me hard enough to make me fall. What about Jackass? Seems really fitting right now. The idea that it was Cirrian resurfaced.
“No need to be a jerk about a name.” I gathered my bag. “Let’s hold off on giving you a name. If we cross paths again, we’ll figure something out, okay?” I got nothing. “I’m Kara.”
I tried not to read too much into the expression he gave, but it was a very unsettling and human, “I know.”
“I’m leaving. If you want, you can come with me.
I’ll try to get our Alpha to help you change into your human form.
” There was no guarantee Terran could. He’d have to be stronger than this werewolf, and I wasn’t sure he was.
Not completely versed in pack dynamics, I didn’t know if a wolf had to be part of their pack for them to help it change.
Backing away slowly, I waited for him to follow.
He remained rooted to his spot. Once I had several feet between us, I offered a farewell and turned my back to him, feeling the weight of his penetrating gaze as it followed me through the woods.
Emerging into the clearing, I was relieved that Lance and Keagan weren’t around to ambush me with more questions. Ones I definitely could not answer.
Driving away, my thoughts kept circling back to the protective wolf. My guardian. The catalog of unexplained mysteries I needed to uncover was getting unmanageable.