Chapter 8
One Year Later
It’s been too long since I’ve let my wolf Annika out to run. She’s grumbling in my head.
“Medical school is boring. Humans are boring. I want to do something fun,” she mutters in my mind.
“We’re going for a run, Annika. Calm down.”
“Next time, don’t wait so long.”
It’s been a few months since I let her out. She’s right, it’s been too long. But I know how the packs fight, and I don’t want to risk getting caught in the middle of a battle, or worse, being discovered by Simon, especially since our running spot is somewhat close to his Pack.
When we reach our usual spot, I carefully sniff the air to make sure there are no other wolves.
around. Annika seems almost sad when she doesn’t smell any.
I look around once more, then make my way into the forest before stripping off my clothes and tucking them onto a tree branch.
The shift is more painful than it should be, bones snapping and reshaping after so long. Soon enough, though, Annika is shaking out her reddish–brown fur and taking off into the woods.
Even from the background as Annika runs, I can feel how good it is to stretch her legs, to feel her muscles flexing. It’s quiet tonight, and Annika’s paws are nearly silent as she runs, giving us both a chance to enjoy the sounds of the forest.
I’m not sure how long she’s been running when we smell it: blood.
Annika slows, lifting her nose in the air.
There was fighting nearby,‘ she says in our shared mind space.
‘Do you hear anyone?” I ask.
I’m not sure. I hear rustling, what sounds like a wolf in trouble. Do you hear it?‘ she asks as she tilts her head from one side to the other.
Chapter 8
I do hear it. It does sound like a large animal who is struggling.
Annika moves slowly and carefully toward the sound of the struggling animal. As we near, I can tell it’s a wolf from its soft noises. I’m not sure what it’s up to. Maybe it’s caught in a snare and trying to escape, or perhaps it’s stuck in a hole the pack dug to trap and interrogate other wolves for information.
‘Please be careful, Annika. We can’t afford to get caught.”
“I’ll be careful, Yara.
When we get close, she begins to belly crawl, slowly making her way closer. When the wind shifts, her whole body goes rigid, the scent of teakwood filling my nose and making my body tingle with unwanted desire.
“Mate,‘ she says softly.
“WHAT?”
“That’s our mate, Yara. Our mate is injured.”
It’s takes me a moment too long to realize that I found my true mate.
This is terrible. I can’t leave him out here to die, but I also can’t have him trying to take me back to his pack. I have school, and I’m still in hiding from Simon.
Annika barely breathes, waiting to see what he’ll do.
He chuffs at us, letting us know that he knows we’re here.
going to hurt us, but something in his chuff seems more like a
I’m not sure how I know that he’s no request for help, than a threat of violence.
Annika slowly and carefully makes her way through some bushes until we can see him. SHIT! He’s caught in a bear trap. No wonder he’s still in wolf form. If he shifts, it will rip his leg off.
I can’t believe he’s not howling in pain,‘ Annika says.
She’s right. His leg, where it’s caught in the trap is shattered, no question.
‘You have to help him, Yara. He’s our mate. You have to,” Annika practically begs me.
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My Claws Were Sharp, Hit His Love Cut De
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‘I know. I will, if he’ll let me.”
As much as I hate the idea of being naked in front of this unknown man, even though he’s my mate, I have no choice if I’m going to talk to him and try to help him.
I pull the shift, standing in front of the midnight black wolf who is watching me with his beautiful, intelligent green eyes.
“Hey, big guy. I see you’re caught in a trap. I want to help you. I know you can’t shift, or you’ll rip that leg off and that looks really painful. Your bones are probably shattered but I want to help you, if you’ll let me,” I say softly, keeping my tone gentle.
I slowly approach the wolf. Or to be exactly, my mate.
I extend my hand, letting him sniff me and see that I mean no harm.
“I’m a doctor. Well, I’m studying to be a doctor, to both humans and wolves. I don’t want to hurt you. Will you let me see if I can help you?”
The woll
my hand, then nuzzles me. I gently run my hand through his fur, stopping when I come to stiff fur that smells like blood.
He’s obviously been fighting and whether he got separated from his pack, or he was part of a group that intentionally separated out trying to cut off the other pack’s escape, he’s now out here alone without anyone to help him. Well, anyone except me.
I look up, trying to see where the moonlight is so I can get a better look at the trap.
“Okay, big guy, are you able to move to your right a bit? I need the moonlight to help me see how I can spring this trap and set you free.”
He moves to his right, keeping an eye on me as I carefully look over the trap. “Nasty piece of work,” I mumble to myself. “Stupid idiots doing this to each other.”
I look back up at him. “Okay, I think I’ve figured it out. Before I spring this trap, you need to know that when I release this, it’s going to
hurt, really bad. But then you’ll be free and I can take a look at how badly your leg is broken,” I tell him. I already know it’s shattered. I can see bone splinters sticking out of his skin from above the trap.
I move my hands in position. I’m going to need Annika’s strength to help me open this trap. “Try not to bite me and if you can, try not to howl. I have no idea if there is anyone else nearby that might hear you, or try to come hurt you,” I tell him. He chuffs at me again, letting me know he understands.
Chapter 8
“On three, ready? One… two… three!” I say and push the release with all my strength, Annika pushing with hers as well. I feel the spring give and the trap snaps open.
The wolf yelps but it’s quickly cut off as he moves away from the trap, keeping his injured leg off the ground.
He turns, looking at me a moment before his bones begin to snap as he shifts back into his human form, his ridiculously gorgeous, tall, muscular form.
C
