“Stay calm,” she commanded herself. If she panicked, she wouldn’t have a hope in hell of making it out of this situation alive.
She shifted position, moving closer to home. If she could get behind the wolf, maybe she could back up until she reached the house. It was a slim chance, but it was better than nothing.
The wolf circled and Anny moved with it, always keeping it in front of her. She remembered a documentary she’s seen on television and averted her eyes, but not quite all the way. No way was she taking her eyes off him, but she was trying to appear as though she wasn’t challenging him either. Maybe that would appease him and he’d leave.
The wolf gave a low rumble that almost sounded like a laugh. Her fingers tightened around her makeshift weapon. Anny was basically a nonviolent person, but she’d give just about anything to have her grandfather’s hunting rifle in her hands right about now.
“Please leave,” she whispered. Her clothing was damp with sweat and clung to her body. The combination of the cold wind and fear made her shiver.
Anny took one step backward, placing her foot carefully since she couldn’t look behind her to see where she was going. Then another and another. It was slow going and seemed to take hours even though she knew it had to be only minutes. One step became two, which became three.
She began to recognize landmarks and knew the back garden was only a few feet away. And once she hit the yard, the house and safety was close.
The wolf followed her, patiently taking one step for every one she took. At least it no longer seemed angry. It wasn’t growling or snarling. It simply matched each of the steps she made. She didn’t know which was worse, the menacing growls or the ominous silence.
It was still stalking her, but she felt as though she had a chance to make it out of this situation alive. When she’d left the house this morning, she’d never dreamed a simple walk to the stream, one she’d made hundreds of times, would turn into a life-and-death situation.
But that was life, wasn’t it? You never knew when a life-changing event could happen. Just as she’d never expected to meet someone like Armand the night she and Sue had gone out to the bar to celebrate her birthday.
Two life-changing events in less than a month was more than enough for any woman. She was almost to the house now. Getting closer and closer to safety.
The wolf lowered its head and swung away.
Anny breathed a sigh of relief and lowered the branch she held, her arms quivering with exhaustion. The wolf was leaving. All the tension drained out of her, leaving her shaken and weak. She had no idea why the wolf was abandoning her, but whatever the reason, she was thankful for it. Maybe being closer to the house, the animal smelled civilization and didn’t want to get too close to it.
Anny swallowed hard and sent up a small prayer of thanks.
It was then the beast suddenly veered back and pounced, covering the ten feet separating them as though it was nothing. Anny swung the branch upward, but it was too late. The wolf had outsmarted her, and she’d let down her guard.
She was knocked backward, skidding across the hard ground. The wolf landed heavily on her, pushing all the air from her lungs. She tried to yell but couldn’t find the breath. Razor-sharp teeth clamped down on her neck while sharp claws raked her skin.
Pain exploded inside her.
Anny was mindless, striking the wolf with her fists, digging her nails into its fur, but it was no use. The wolf outweighed her by probably one hundred pounds, if not more. It was stronger and more vicious.
Still she fought, not willing to give up.
Weakness seeped into her body, starting at her toes and pushing up toward her head. She was bleeding heavily. Could smell the metallic tang of her own blood as it spilled.
She was dying.
The wolf suddenly stepped back and looked down at her with utter contempt in its eyes. Anny blinked, her vision blurry. She had to be hallucinating. Because the wolf changed before her very eyes. Its fur disappeared and it stood on two legs, not four. The wolf had become a man, a very tall man with cruel eyes and black hair. He was big and brutish, his fingers curled into large fists. He smiled at her and what little blood she had left in her body ran cold.
“You stink of him.” The man leaned down and sniffed her face and neck. “I can smell him on you.”
Anny had no idea what he was talking about. The wolf and the man couldn’t be the same. That was impossible. Maybe the stranger could get help.
“Help,” she managed to croak, although speaking even that one word hurt. She tried to swallow, but couldn’t. Her throat was too swollen.
He laughed and straightened, and that’s when she realized he was totally naked. “Help. Yes, I’m helping myself. You mean something to the boy or you wouldn’t smell like him.”
Smell like who? What was he talking about? Nothing he was saying was making any sense.
It was difficult to think, to put any kind of thoughts together. Then she had a memory of burying her face in the pillowcase that still had Armand’s scent on it, of rubbing it over her face before she tossed it into the laundry.
Was this about Armand?
Was she going to die simply because she’d taken too long to do the laundry and let go of that last piece of her night with Armand?
The man kicked her in the side. Pain exploded from the spot, expanding outward until it covered her entire body. She cried out, her entire body arching in agony.
He spit on her chest. “Weak. Just like my son.” One corner of his mouth turned up in a malicious smile. “Your death will hurt him, I think. This is good.”
The stranger stepped back and began to change before her very eyes. The man disappeared before her very eyes, morphing into the creature that had attacked her. Anny whimpered, but the beast turned his back on her and padded away as though she was no longer worth his interest. He left her there, bleeding on the ground, dying.
Anny raised her hand to her neck. It took a Herculean effort to make her hand obey her command. Sweat broke out on her brow and every muscle in her body quivered with utter and total exhaustion. The skin on her neck was ripped open where the wolf had bitten her. She tried to stem the loss of blood, to push it back into her body, but it was no use.
There was no way she had enough strength to remove her sweater and use it as a bandage. She was going to bleed out. There was no one to save her, and she didn’t have the ability to save herself.
A lone tear leaked from the corner of her eye, trickled down her temple and into her hair. None of the man’s words made sense. How could this be about Armand?
She was getting colder and colder with each passing second. She could no longer feel her legs. The world was growing darker.
“Anny.”
She thought she heard her name in the distance, but it sounded so far away and she didn’t have the strength to answer.
“Anny?”
She heard it again and knew she should answer. She knew the person calling her. She was sure she did.
Anny’s eyes grew heavy and she let them start to drift shut. A woman screamed and then Anny’s world went dark.
The next thing she knew was pain. Anny whimpered as awareness hit her hard. Voices surrounded her, their words unclear. Then she was moving, floating through the air. No, not floating, she was being carried.
“Miss Conrad, can you hear me?” The male voice carried a hint of authority, as though it was used to being answered.
Anny wanted to reply, but it was simply impossible. Pain tore at her like the crazed wolf had done. No, the wolf hadn’t been crazy, it had been deliberate and calculating, which was even more frightening.
The wolf hadn’t really been a wolf, had it?
“Miss Conrad, we’re taking you to the hospital.” The male voice seemed farther away. “The sheriff has called in an air ambulance.” She felt something press against her neck and she whimpered again, slipping back into darkness.
Her last thought was one of wonder and amazement.
Maybe she wasn’t going to die after all.
Chapter Eight
Anny knew she was going to die. No one could live through the excruciating pain ripping through her body. She was locked in a world of pain and fever with no way out. Every part of her hurt. Even the roots of her hair and her toenails ached.
But if she was in pain that meant she was still alive.
“…infection…need to bring down her fever…”
Anny caught snippets of the conversation around her, but not enough to understand what was really wrong with her. Just enough to know someone had found her, but she could still die.
No.
She wasn’t giving up. Wasn’t about to let that crazy wolf…man…whatever he was…take her life from her. Something pricked her arm and the pain subsided, but only slightly. Her skin burned from the inside out. It felt as though her internal organs were being roasted.
She sensed people moving around her, felt her clothing being cut away and the cool, smooth sheets against her back and legs. The medicinal smell of a hospital filled her nostrils and gave her hope.
“Shit, this is a mess. Get Dr. Evans in here.”
Anny floated in a sea of pain, not quite in this world, but not quite unaware either. She wished they’d give her enough medicine to knock her out. She tried to swallow again but found she couldn’t. She whimpered in pain.
“Why isn’t she out?” a male voice demanded.
“I don’t know, Dr. Grace. We’ve given her all we can.”
“Shit.”
Anny would have smiled if she could have found the strength. That particular word seemed to be Dr. Grace’s favorite one. She’d heard him say it several times now.
“What have we got?” This voice was male and very authoritative. Must be Dr. Evans.
“Mauled by a bear or wolf or a big dog or something. The authorities aren’t quite sure.” She thought it was Dr. Grace speaking but couldn’t be sure anymore. The world was fading out and a dark void was swallowing her whole.
She fought it, afraid if she gave in to the darkness she’d never find her way out again. She curled her fingers in the sheets, holding on tight to them.
Armand. His face flashed behind her eyes and then she toppled into the void.
Time ceased to exist for Anny as she floated in and out of consciousness. Rivers of pain raced through her body nonstop. She whimpered and thrashed in the bed.
Something touched her forehead, and she tried to bat it away but couldn’t raise her hand. She frowned and tried to open her eyes. They were heavy and didn’t want to obey her command, but she persevered until they parted, just a little. The light hurt her eyes even though they were only open in slits, making her blink.
“How is she?” The voice was male and familiar.
Where was she?
“No better, Dr. Grace. Her fever is still up. Whatever is causing it, we can’t seem to get it down.”
The hospital. She was in a hospital. She had a vague memory of what sounded like a helicopter. Flashes of memory flitted through her brain, but she had no reference for them. The sheet covering her was white and cool against her heated flesh.
“Keep her sedated. I don’t want her thrashing around and tearing out her stitches.”
“Yes, Doctor.”
“And let me know if there’s any change in her condition.”
“We’re keeping a close eye on her.” This was the woman’s voice again. A nurse or another doctor?
“Have you reached her family?”
“No.” Disgust tinged the female’s voice. “According to her friend, the parents are somewhere in an RV in Arizona and they don’t own a cell phone. The friend didn’t seem to think they’d bother coming even if we did find them.”
The doctor sighed. “Keep pumping the antibiotics and fluids into her. That’s all we can do.”
“Yes, Doctor.” The sound of a pen scratching against paper drew her attention. It was the woman. She was wearing a white smock, her dark hair slicked back in a ponytail. Anny still couldn’t tell if she was a nurse or another doctor by what she was wearing.
Anny let her eyes close once again, not wanting to talk to anyone. She hurt too much to talk. It was hard enough to think.
The sound of shoes against the floor told her the woman was leaving. Anny gave a sigh of relief when the door swished shut behind her.
Alone.
But she was always alone, wasn’t she? She frowned. No, that wasn’t right. Not always. There had been one night recently when she hadn’t been alone. Armand.
Why was she thinking about him? He’d left her and hadn’t come back, hadn’t called or stopped by.
There was something important. Something she wasn’t remembering.
An image of a man, cruel and large, popped into her mind. She whimpered and cringed away from him. He spoke, but the only words she remembered him saying were, “I can smell him on you.”
Armand. This was about Armand. Had to be.
But why? She’d slept with him one night. No, that wasn’t quite right. There had been very little sleep involved. She’d had hot, nonstop sex with Armand. Then he’d turned his back on her and left. He hadn’t even had to put on any clothes as he’d been naked when he’d come to her house.
Just like the man had been naked when he’d spoken to her. Then he’d turned into a wolf, the same one that attacked her.
Anny’s entire body stiffened and her head arched back as a fire of agony swept through her. Whatever they were giving her, it wasn’t enough. Even though she’d been found, there was still a good chance she was going to die.
Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes, rolling down her temple to wet her hair. The pain was so deep, so all consuming, she couldn’t even make a sound, not a whimper. It held her paralyzed.
The thin gown covering her was quickly soaked, as were the sheets. She shivered as the damp cold surrounded her even as the heat inside her threatened to devour her whole. Every now and then, she was aware of people coming and going, but it was only a vague sense. All her awareness was locked on what was happening inside her. All her strength was centered on keeping herself alive.
Anny had no idea how long she’d been locked in the battle for her life. It could have been an hour or days. She was getting weaker by the second.
When another wave of unrelenting pain and fire began to sweep over her, she knew this was it. She had nothing left inside her to fight.
She breathed out a low breath and let go.
In the distance, she thought she heard an alarm go off. There was a yell and a flurry of footsteps. Something hard struck her in the chest, making her entire body jump.
Anny was too exhausted to care what they were doing and let herself drift. She found herself in a gray mist, unable to see too far in either direction.
A large wolf stepped into her path, and Anny cringed back, throwing up her arms to protect herself.
I will not hurt you.
Anny slowly lowered her arms and stared at the majestic creature before her. The wolf had fur in various shades of brown and had blue eyes. Did wolves even have blue eyes? Unlike the wolf that had attacked her, there was no malice or cruelty in this creature’s eyes, only understanding and compassion.
Who are you? Anny realized she hadn’t spoken aloud, had only thought the question.
I am a wolf. Your wolf, if you’ll have me.
I don’t understand. She was dying, wasn’t she? Maybe she was dead.
If you accept me, you will live. I will become a part of you for the rest of your life. But time is running out. You must choose.
A sense of urgency hit her.
Do you want to live? the wolf demanded.
Yes.
There was no hesitation in her answer, and the wolf launched itself at Anny. But this time, she wasn’t afraid. This time, she didn’t cringe away from the creature. Instead, she opened her arms wide and accepted the beautiful wolf. She felt herself falling even as the wolf was absorbed into her.
Then her entire body jerked and she gasped.
“We’ve got her,” someone said, relief in their voice.
“I think the fever broke,” another person added.
Anny paid little attention to what was happening around her. For the first time in what seemed like forever, there was no longer a fire raging inside her and the pain was bearable.
More time passed. People came and went from her room. Anny sighed and licked her lips. “Wat—” She couldn’t manage to say water, but someone understood what she wanted. Something cool was rubbed against her lips. She licked at it. Ice. Someone was feeding her small chips of ice. She captured one on her tongue and let it dissolve and soak into her parched throat.
“I don’t know if you can understand me,” the woman said. It was the same one from earlier. The one she’d decided was a nurse. “You’ve been very ill.” Another chip of ice touched her lips and she eagerly took it. “But you’re going to be just fine now. Just fine.”
Anny was starting to believe it.
Less than twenty-four hours later, Anny was sitting up in bed fiddling with the sheet and blankets that covered her. Sue sat in the visitor’s chair, shaking her head at Anny.
“I can’t believe you’re going to check yourself out of the hospital. You died.” There were tears in Sue’s voice. Anny wasn’t sure she’d actually died, even though the doctor assured her she had.
There was nothing Anny could say that would make her friend understand the sense of urgency driving her. She had to get out of the hospital. It was confining, making her anxious. Not to mention she wasn’t certain how much her insurance would cover.
“But I’m fine now. The fever and infection are gone and I’m healing.” Her voice was still raw, but she could swallow now, which was a huge step forward. “I have to go home.”
“I’ve been taking care of Tigger and Seymour,” Sue assured her. “They’re fine. Confused by your absence but fine.”
“It’s not just the cats, it’s me,” she confessed. “I don’t like being here. I want to be home in my own bed.”
Sue nibbled on her bottom lip. “I can understand that. I really can. I hate hospitals.”
Wolf in Her Bed: Salvation Pack, Book 2 Page 8