“So, tomorrow, you’ll lead me into the nearest town,” I told him. “I’ll find the next train station, and take a train as far away as I can. I’ll start a new life in a place where no one knows me. It won’t be easy, but it’s better than being stuck in a sham of a marriage.”
I pulled the cheese out of my bag and cut a slice, adding it to the bread. I sighed contentedly. The wolf curled up beside me, still trying to keep me warm.
I felt a slight thump in my stomach. I sat up straight, my free hand flying to my belly.
Thump.
There it was again. My jaw fell open, and my eyes were wide.
“Oh my goodness,” I gasped as the wolf looked up at me. “The baby! The baby kicked!”
I wanted to cry, this time from happiness. This was my first contact with my little bundle, the first proof I had that this child was real. I felt a little thump again, like someone beating a drum from inside of my stomach. I couldn’t help but laugh. Life would be hard ahead. Life was hard now. Despite all of that, feeling my baby kick inside of me was one of the greatest joys I had ever known.
The wolf rested his head against my belly, right by my hand. I waited breathlessly for another kick, and after a few moments there it was again. I savored the sensation as the baby kicked right where the wolf had rested his head. The wolf jerked his head up, looking up at me.
“You felt it too?” I asked, scratching his head. “It’s quite amazing, isn’t it? Do wolf pups kick in the womb? I would imagine they do, there’s so many of them in there at one time. Do you ever get to feel it?”
The baby kicked again, hard, again where the wolf’s head was. He pulled back, a little startled, and shook his head.
“Sorry,” I said. “That was a hard one.”
He paused, then planted kisses all over my face. I laughed as I hugged him, one hand still resting on my belly, waiting for another kick.
“I can’t believe it,” I whispered. “I really can’t believe it. I’m going to have a little baby, and it’s kicking me!”
I finished the bread and cheese I had cut for myself, jumping with excitement any time I felt a kick. After a while the kicks sort of faded away.
“The baby must have fallen asleep,” I said. I yawned, leaning back against the tree. “God knows I could use a nap myself.”
The rain was still falling in sheets, but under the heavy coverage of leaves, we stayed mostly dry. I began to drift off, the sound of the rain oddly soothing despite the circumstances. The wolf stayed by my side, ensuring that I would stay warm. My hand rested on his coat.
I don’t know how long I stayed like that, but the sound of a twig snapping through the rain made me bolt upright. My mind flashed to the memories that had been dredged up by the woods earlier, and I was immediately on the defensive. It seems I wasn’t the only one, either. The wolf was on all fours, his ears perked up and hair standing on end. I pulled myself to my feet, pressing my back against the tree. I listened, but all I could hear was the rain and wind.
“What is it?” I whispered to the wolf.
If he could have given me an expression telling me to be quiet, he would have. As it was, he settled for a quick glance back at me and a shake of his head. I stayed as silent as possible after that, trying to keep my quivering breaths slow and steady so I could hear what was going on and not draw attention to ourselves. My heart was beginning to beat loudly and I wondered if the wolf could hear it.
My mind swirled with all the possibilities of what was waiting for us in the trees. A bear, or some kind of mountain lion. The idea that was most prevalent in my mind was that it was another wolf. Knowing my mother had been killed by one in these woods, and knowing the forest was thick with them, this seemed to be the most likely option.
It was only a few more minutes before I would be proven right. A few more moments of standing still as a statue, breathing ragged, heart thumping through my chest. A wolf crept out of the trees, teeth bared, looking straight at us. He was lean but big, with thick black hair covering his entire body. I recognized this wolf.
It was Seth.
My wolf crossed in front of me. His teeth were now bared as well, and he emitted a low growl from his throat. The two stood there for a few seconds, snarling and growling at each other. After what seemed like an eternity, the two leapt at each other’s throats.
Chapter Twenty–Seven
The two collided in midair, crashing to the ground in a tangle of writhing muscles and teeth. I was amazed at the sound punching through the rain, that the two wolves could be heavy enough to cause such a noise. Lightning crackled across the sky, illuminating the wolves as they struggled for domination on the ground. Thunder boomed above us, loud enough to shake the ground, but they didn’t seem to notice.
Their eyes were locked, trained on each other as they scrambled to their feet. They began to circle, their tails in the air, fur bristling along their backs, completely blocking out the world. Both bared their sharp teeth, the white points glistening with saliva. My breath hitched as I watched, backed against the tree.
Through the wind, rain, and thunder, I could hear low growls emanate from their throats. The white wolf snarled and Seth snarled back, an angry, low growl that shook me to the core. Dirt stained the white wolf’s coat, smudges of brown from where he had hit the ground. Seth was covered in mud too, but it seemed to fade with the rest of his coat. The impact in the ground from where they had fallen was just a meter away, far too close for my comfort. Despite the storm, the rest of the forest was eerily silent. No deer or rabbits or squirrels wanted to get in the middle of this fight. I suspected their snarls and growls would keep even the bears away.
The two reared back again and sprang at each other. The white wolf’s momentum carried Seth over onto his back. From astride the black wolf’s chest, the white wolf snapped and snarled, trying to keep Seth subdued. Seth kicked and clawed, hitting the white wolf, dirty paws leaving muddy and bloody furrows on the snowy fur. The white wolf fell to the side, skidding across the ground while Seth advanced. I thought for sure he was gone, but with an amazing quickness and agility he was back up on his feet, ready for a second attack.
When Seth lunged, the white wolf caught him by the throat, and blood began to mix in the puddles of rain forming on the ground. When the lightning cracked again, I could see red blood staining bright on the white coat, but I didn’t know whose it was. The white wolf knocked Seth to the ground, pouncing on top of him, his massive body pinning the black one down, jaws snapping, trying to keep Seth away.
I hoped this attack would at the very least drive Seth back, but he pulled himself to his feet, undeterred. His eyes locked with mine, and my heartbeat again raced, beating so fast I wasn’t sure how much more I could take. His momentary distraction gave my wolf time to take advantage and pin him down again. After a moment, Seth was right back in the fight, ready to continue their battle. My wolf glanced at me too, but it wasn’t long enough for Seth to take advantage. The small gesture made me worried, though. I didn’t want to be a distraction for him, and I needed to take advantage of Seth’s distraction so that I could flee to safety.
I backed myself into the tree, gathering up my bag. I reached over to grab the lantern. As my fingers grasped over the handle I slipped, the handle wet and the wind strong. I tumbled to the ground, the lantern rolling away into the wind and rain. My body hit the ground hard, dirt and mud staining my skin and clothes. My head hit a stone, and I reached up to find I was bleeding. Bloody hell. That was the last thing I needed.
My head throbbing, I pulled myself to my feet, dizzy from the impact. I needed to stop the bleeding, or I wouldn’t be going anywhere. I stumbled over and picked up my bag. The burlap was rough in my hand and it seemed heavier than before. I rummaged through it for something to staunch the bleeding on my head. I hadn’t packed any bandages or anything, which gave me very few options.
I found my knife, half sunk in the mud, and I used it to slice a strip off of my nightgown and pressed
it into my skull. I pulled it away and saw it soaked with blood, the lace stained bright red. That wasn’t good, but I needed to try to focus. The two wolves were still brawling behind me, tearing at each other, and I needed to take advantage and flee. The lantern was a lost cause; it had been extinguished in the weather and the wick was soaked, so I had to leave it behind. I collected my bag and wrapped the burlap tightly around my hands and peered into the dark woods beyond our clearing.
Through the trees, everything was pitch black. The moon was covered by thick clouds, and the spontaneous flashes of lightning weren’t enough to illuminate my way. Panic was suffocating me, tightening my throat. In my gut, nausea was spreading through my body. I was almost immobile, body frozen by fear. I had no options. There was nowhere for me to go. I was stuck here, two dangerous, angry wolves behind me.
If I stayed, I ran a huge risk of becoming meat for Seth. I didn’t want to leave my wolf behind; I had grown so fond of him. But I didn’t want to die in the middle of the woods. I stumbled behind the tree, keeping one hand on the trunk to steady myself as I tried to collect my thoughts. Wandering in the dark would almost certainly result in getting myself even more lost or injuring myself further, and since I couldn’t wander, I needed to find a place that Seth wouldn’t find me until the fight was finished. I looked around, trying to see through the dark as thunder roared in my ears. Lightning flashed brilliantly across the sky, allowing me to make out a small hill off to the side, behind some low, thick bushes. Taking my bag with me I crouched low, darting from tree to tree, before hiding behind the briars. There wasn’t as much coverage here. I was exposed to the rain and the wind, and I started to shiver all over again.
The wolves were closer to this hiding place, but I was out of their sightline. I could hear the snarling and growling as the rain pummeled down on me, dripping in large drops down my face. As I huddled, shaking behind the bush, the sound of the fight changed, and I heard a piercing whine.
I waited, breathing shallowly, but things were quiet. I couldn’t handle the suspense. My breath came in tight gasps as I slowly peeked my head over the bush to see what had happened.
The white wolf was lying on the ground, fur matted with dirt and blood. Seth was standing over him, looking menacing. I couldn’t help but gasp. At the realization that I had made such a loud noise, I ducked back down behind the bush, but my foot slipped. On the muddy ground, it was almost impossible to regain my footing, and I continued to slide down the hill. Dirt, leaves, and grass scraped against my skin as I fell backward, tumbling to the brush below. I could feel the wound on my stomach tearing open as blood began to soak the bandage I had used to protect it. If it wasn’t going to get infected before, it surely would now.
I stood back up, trying to steady myself. My ears were ringing and my head was spinning as I worked to regain my feet, but I only ended up stumbling again and falling on a bush of thorns. My hands stung as I put them down, trying to push myself up, and I stumbled into a tree, face scraping against the bark. I clung to it; it was the only stable thing in the world at that moment. The wind was blowing hard, and it made it all the more difficult to stay standing up.
I closed my eyes, blocking out the shifting shadows and trying to keep myself grounded. I rested my head on the tree trunk and took deep breaths, suppressing the urge to vomit. I was frozen, bleeding, and everything hurt. I was lucky I hadn’t heaved up everything in my stomach yet. My hands flexed on the bark, tightening my grip, as if the tighter I held onto the tree, the more control I would have and the more stable I would feel. I kept breathing deeply until things steadied a little bit. Finally, the world was still enough that I could open my eyes.
Only to look right into Seth’s black eyes.
I screamed, stumbling backward. A flash of white darted in front of my face, and I blinked a few times before realizing it was my wolf. I climbed into a sitting position and kicked, pushing myself back as far away as I could. The white wolf stood in front of me, shielding me from Seth. His fur was on edge, and he was growling, trying to keep Seth at bay.
Blood drained from my face as I watched the scene, and a shiver ran through me that had nothing to do with the cold. Seth’s eyes glinted in the light, a sort of reddish–green hue that held no trace of humanity. Clumps of fur were missing from his body, revealing white patches of skin underneath. Blood dripped down a gash on his head. His lips were pulled back in a snarl, and it almost looked like he was smiling with razor–sharp teeth streaked red with blood. Had my wolf been bitten? If so, and if it was bad enough, I couldn’t imagine how much longer he would be alive. The wolf looked exhausted and haggard, blood and mud staining his white fur a shade of brown. What would I do if he lost? I would be dead, for sure, and quickly.
He didn’t seem concerned about losing as he stood in front of me—the only thing between me and death in black fur. He launched himself forward, aiming at Seth’s throat. Seth swung at him savagely, fighting to get him off. The wolf fell backward and I had to imagine the angle was painful as his legs bent backward, but he paid it no mind. He was instantly back on his feet, protecting me and my unborn child from Seth and an excruciating, violent death.
What happened next was really my fault, and there’s no way around that. I was still on the ground, trying to put as much distance between myself and the wolves as possible. I kept moving backward until I hit a tree, my head knocking hard against the bark. I cried out as stars and spots danced in front of my vision and agony shot through my head.
Hearing my cry of pain, my wolf turned back to look at me. That momentary distraction was all Seth needed to attack. He jumped, jaws open, and latched his massive jaws onto the wolf. The wolf gave an agonizing yelp, and I stared in horror as Seth tore a bloody gash in his side. I covered my mouth with my hands, trying to suppress a scream as the wolf fell to the ground on his side, breathing heavily.
Seth stepped back. For a moment I thought he was going to get a running start before jumping again, but instead he started circling like a vulture waiting for its prey to die. I clutched the trunk of the tree and stood up, tears streaming down my face as my wolf looked up at me with his wide blue eyes.
He convulsed violently, and in the dark I couldn’t tell what was happening. His body arched off the ground and he howled a high–pitched, shrieking howl. He curled up, his body retracting. It was impossible to see what was going on, so I came closer.
Seth was on the other side of his body, watching me. I knew that in moving toward him I was sealing my fate, but I couldn’t leave my wolf to die. I had thought I could. I had been ready to flee, but seeing him in obvious pain, I couldn’t find it in my heart to abandon him. It was like I was tethered to him, like he was an anchor, and I simply couldn’t leave.
I knelt down next to him, and what I saw made me gasp. The wolf was gone, and in his place was Jasper, bloody, beaten, and bruised. His body was covered in blood and mud, and there was a horrific wound across his side. It was so deep I could see his ribs, and blood was pooling underneath him.
Choking on tears, I reached out and gently put my hand on his face.
“Jasper,” I whispered.
Things were coming together now in my exhausted mind. The big blue eyes…how had I not seen it before? I hadn’t known my husband was a werewolf before, but things were making sense now, all the pieces falling into place. Every time I had cried to the wolf, Jasper had worked to remedy my sadness. When I thought I was just venting to the wolf, I was really baring my soul to my husband.
“Christine,” he whispered. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, washed away by rain.
“Shh,” I said, brushing hair out of his eyes as I cradled him in my lap.
“No, Christine. Please. I love you. I need you to know. I’ve always—”
“Shh,” I said again, leaning down to plant a kiss on his bloodied lips to silence him. I looked down at the gaping hole in his side.
I reached for my knife and tore a long swath of fabric from my dress. Ther
e was no way I would be able to wrap a bandage around him, but at the very least I could cover his wound up. The fabric of my nightdress wasn’t very clean, and if we didn’t get him help soon he would probably get infected, but at the very least he wouldn’t get any new mud inside of it.
Seth was still pacing, and I couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t attacked yet. He seemed to almost be waiting for me to finish. I carefully applied the cloth, and it almost instantly turned red as it became soaked with blood. I swallowed hard. I turned Jasper’s head toward me. His lips were pale, and I knew he probably didn’t have much longer.
“Jasper,” I whispered, “I love you too.”
I don’t know if he heard me. His eyes fluttered, and he seemed to go limp in my arms. I looked up.
Seth was getting ready to charge. He had finally stopped circling. His bloody teeth were bared, and he was staring straight at me.
I grabbed my knife.
Chapter Twenty–Eight
My heart raced as I stared him down. My hands clutched tightly to the knife in my right hand. I had no idea what I was going to do with it. How on earth could I fight a massive, feral wolf?
I didn’t care. I was angry, and I wasn’t in the mood to play games. My life had been completely upended. I had endured more in the last three months than many people endured in a lifetime. I had lost people close to me, I had lived on the streets. I had been propositioned and assaulted. Finally, finally things had seemed to be looking up. And then…
“You bastard,” I whispered. I knew he could hear me.
My husband was dying at my feet. I had been poisoned, stabbed, and lost in the woods, and it was this man’s—this wolf’s—fault. So yes, I was angry.
“What is wrong with you?” I screamed, rage rushing through my body. “He’s your brother! Your family! Although I suppose that doesn’t matter at all to you, since you killed your family, didn’t you?”
The Wolf's Wife (The Wolf's Peak Saga Book 1) Page 22