Wolf5pub

by K Matthew

  “Devon, I need you to come with me to Emmett's,” I said to him, more an order than a request.

  “Why?” he seemed genuinely puzzled, but that didn't stop him from sticking another chip in his mouth.

  “I don't want to be alone with him,” I confessed.

  “Well I don't want to be around him at all. That's your problem, not mine.”

  “I thought we were friends.”

  “We are friends, but I'm not stupid. I'm sorry Taya,” Devon sighed. “Let me just give you a friendly word of advice. Judging by the desperate look in your eyes, I'm guessing that you know what he wants. Just give it to him. It will save you a whole lot of trouble if you just give him what he wants.”

  “How can you say that?” I looked at him incredulously.

  He shrugged. “Because it's your only real option.”

  Was it my only real option? For the first time ever, I wished that I had taken Rex up on his offer. Now he was gone, and that ship had sailed. I had to face the consequences of yet another mistake I had made.

  My steps were slow as I walked up to Emmett's door, postponing the moment that I would have to give in to him for as long as possible. I raised my hand to knock, hesitating. The sound of my fist on wood was foreign to me, drowned out by the surreal feeling that was taking over with every passing second.

  Emmett opened the door, grinning down at me with wicked eyes, assessing me like I was something to conquer. “You made the right choice,” he said, opening the door for me to come in. When I stepped inside, he closed the door behind me and then took my hand to lead me to the living room. There was a strange gentleness to Emmett's touch, something I probably wouldn't have felt had I chosen to refuse him. “I wasn't sure if you were going to come when you weren't present for lunch or dinner. It amazes me how you can starve yourself like that.”

  “I wasn't hungry,” I replied dully.

  “Are you hungry now? You're going to need your energy.” He told me, seating himself beside me on the couch. Close—too close.

  Eating would postpone the moment. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea. “Yes. I am hungry,” I said quietly.

  Although my stomach was empty, it didn't ache for food. Perhaps it knew that thoughts of what was coming would only make it nauseous.

  “What would you like? Unfortunately, there's nothing very nutritious, but it should tide you over.”

  “Sun Chips, if you have them, and a Coke.”

  “Alright.” Emmett left me for a few minutes, and my mind instinctively began thinking of escaping. It would be my only chance to run. But where would I go? Unless I took off into the forest, he would find me. Even if I did take off into the forest, I didn't know how to survive out there. I wouldn't last long. Then again, was death a better option than what was about to happen to me? Part of me thought so, but it wasn't a big enough part to move me from the couch.

  He returned with my requested items, and I took my time consuming them. Each bite, I chewed at least thirty times. Each swallow was slow and purposeful. Emmett knew that I was stalling, but he didn't seem to mind. Why would he? It was only a little after seven, and we had all night.

  While I ate, Emmett rubbed my back, raking his fingers gently through my long brown hair. My stomach twisted at his touch, filling me with fear and nausea. I hated Emmett's hands upon me, but there wasn't much I could do about it at this point.

  Finally, the chips were gone, and when he saw me meticulously eating one crumb at a time from the bottom of the bag, he decided to take the bag away, setting it down on the coffee table in front of us. Now I was focused on the soda, but Emmett pulled that away as well, and I let it slip from me like my last shred of protection.

  “Um, I need to brush my teeth,” I said as he lifted a hand to caress my cheek.

  “No, you don't,” he replied, leaning in to kiss me.

  Just the feeling of Emmett's breath against my face, his thin chapped lips against mine, made my skin crawl. I wanted to shriek and push him away, but I knew better. This was my fate, and I couldn't run from it.

  One of Emmett's hands reached up to cup my breast, and I felt my fingers wrapping around his wrist. As much as I knew I shouldn't resist, my body refused to give in.

  “It seems that there's still some fight in you.” He smirked as he pulled away from the kiss.

  For a second, I thought Emmett was going to hit me. Instinctively, my arms went up to shield my face, and in that moment, he gripped me by the wrists, forcing me down onto the couch.

  “Emmett no,” I cried. “No!”

  Now I was full out kicking and screaming and doing anything I could to get him off me. He was as big as a bull and as strong as an ox though. For all of my fighting, Emmett held me down with ease, towering over me, a pleased expression on his face.

  “Calm down,” he told me, but the tone of his voice indicated that he rather enjoyed the struggle. “Where's all of that spirit you showed in your apartment? I thought that you were going to kill me.”

  “She won't, but I will.” The voice came out of nowhere, and before I knew it, there was a crashing sound, and Emmett was laying sprawled unconscious on top of me. Rex stood over us, the light-bulb portion of a lamp in his hand, the base of it shattered. Everything had happened so fast, I had hardly seen a thing. “Come on,” Rex said, helping me up.

  Before I had time to get my bearings about me, we were running out the door, my hand in his, heading for the forest. My feet stuck in the dirt for a split second as I hesitated, but with a jerk of my wrist, I was running again, following Rex into the unknown.

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “Away from here. He's going to be pissed when he comes back to. Now stay quiet until I say you can talk again.”

  While I didn't want to trust Rex, I knew that I had to. He had told me what would happen, and he hadn't been wrong about it. Not only that, but Rex had kept his word about protecting me from Emmett, even though I had no idea how he knew I was at Emmett's house or where he had come from. The man was a mystery, and while I had once thought of him as a villain, he was now my hero.

  We walked through the darkness until my feet were sore with blisters. I did my best not to whine, but soon the pain was more than I could bear. Despite Rex's desire to continue on, I dug my heals into the ground, pulling him to a halt.

  “I can't go any further,” I panted with pain etched on my face.

  “What's wrong?” he asked through the darkness, obviously annoyed.

  “We've been walking for hours. My feet have blisters on top of blisters.”

  “Well I ain't carrying you.”

  “I'm not asking you to carry me. I just need to rest for a few minutes. Do you have any water? I'm so thirsty.”

  “Here.” Rex pushed a bottle into my hand, and I gulped at its contents desperately. Water had never tasted so good in all my life.

  “Thank you for saving me,” I said when I had finished drinking.

  “I warned you about that asshole, but you didn't listen,” his tone was harsh and a bit frightening.

  “I know. I thought that Chris would protect me.” My heart sank at the memory of how Chris hadn't seemed to care.

  “Of course he ain't gonna protect you. You think he wants to get in trouble with Emmett?”

  “But you were willing to.”

  “That's because Emmett don't scare me like he does people at the base. I don't live by their rules.”

  I didn't know what to say to that, so I just took another drink of water before handing the bottle back to Rex.

  “We'll make camp here tonight and continue walking in the morning. We still have a long way to go,” he said. “Are you hungry?”

  I hesitated, thinking about the squirrel he had offered me before. In truth, I felt like I was starving though. Those chips had been burned off long ago, and my stomach ached for something more. “Yes,” I admitted. There was a rustling sound before Rex poked my chest with something. I reached up to feel the thin slivers of jerk
y he offered me, taking them with much gratitude. “Thanks.”

  “Don't mention it.”

  As much as my feet burned from the popped blisters inside my shoes, I followed Rex a few yards further to an area he found suitable for camp. We nestled ourselves between a small alcove of pine trees. While it wasn't the ideal spot, it would provide some protection should the sky give way to rain.

  “You're not going to light a fire?” I asked cautiously as we settled in.

  “Not tonight. If Emmett goes to the compound and tells them what happened, they'll be out looking for us. You wouldn't want to be taken back right now, trust me. That asshole would finish what he started tonight and make it ten times worse on you.”

  “I wouldn't like that,” I admitted, thinking about how the compound was so warped. They would take Emmett's side over mine, no doubt. “And what would happen to you?”

  “Solitary, more than likely. Not that I would care except for worrying about you. Sticking me in a box ain't never driven me crazy like it does these other people.”

  “You'd worry about me?” I tried not to smile through the darkness, fearful that he would see it. Part of me thought that Rex must have the eyes of the wolf at night. He had navigated us through the woods this far without need for a flashlight. Then again, from what he had told me before, he had years of practice with hunting and tracking through the dark. This was probably easy for him.

  “I got you into this mess. I ain't about to let you pay for my mistake,” Rex replied, his voice as hard as ever. For a while, we sat in silence, then he spoke again, “There aren't a lot of natural predators out here, if that's what you're worried about with the fire.”

  “Oh?”

  “Most of the big predators, bears and what not, have been moved off of the reservation.”

  “Why's that?”

  “I don't know, but I don't much approve of it. Nature needs its balance, you know, and they don't have any rights to move the animals off their land.”

  While I wasn't sure if I agreed with Rex, I was far too tired to voice my opinion. Despite my exhaustion though, I couldn't seem to get comfortable enough for sleep. The cool air kissed my bare arms, sending waves of goose pimples across my flesh, and I kept feeling like bugs were crawling on me.

  By the next morning, I was about twice as exhausted as I had been when we stopped to make camp. I knew better to complain though. Rex wanted to push on, and the sooner we got to his cabin, the sooner I'd be able to get some real sleep.

  My feet ached as we walked through the forest, the blisters from the day before shedding their scabs to bleed once more. The ones that hadn't popped from the day before seemed more than eager to do so, keeping me in a state of agony throughout the seemingly endless trek.

  We ate Rex's leftover jerky and drank water as we went. I hoped that the rest of his cooking wouldn't be so bland. With no salt or spices to season the jerky with, it wasn't the most desirable thing to the palate. Still, it was sustenance, and anything was better than nothing.

  The forest began to look a bit more familiar as we approached Rex's cabin, and the second it came into view, I wanted to run to it and leap onto his bed for a proper sleep. Rex seemed apprehensive to approach though, slowing to a stop while we were still a safe distance at the treeline.

  “I'm gonna go get some things we'll need,” he told me.

  “What do you mean?” My eyes flashed between Rex and the cabin. He couldn't possibly mean that our journey wasn't over. I needed to sleep so badly and didn't think I could take another night in the forest.

  “If they're still going to come, then it's going to be today or tomorrow. They're not as tenacious as you. If they don't find us here, they're not gonna keep coming back. It's best if we stay away for a few more days.”

  “You mean, we're going to have to sleep in the woods again?” As much as I tried to keep the disgust from my voice, it shown through full force.

  “Nah. We can come back at night. Just need to stay away during the day. I'll lead you somewhere safe, and then I need to go hunting, unless you want more jerky tonight.” He looked over his shoulder at me, the obvious answer written all over my face.

  Begrudgingly, I stayed put while Rex went to get his needed supplies. It wasn't long before he returned to me with a homemade bow slung over his shoulder, a small quiver of arrows, and a few animal furs from his bed.

  “I brought these for you,” Rex said as he handed me the animal furs. “It ain't gonna be the most comfy thing, but at least it will help a little. I'm sure you'll sleep most of the day since you didn't get any sleep last night.”

  I wanted to ask how he knew that I hadn't slept, but I was too tired for it to matter. Reluctantly, I followed Rex back into the forest, now at a full limp, taking my time instead of fighting to keep up.

  “Hurry up, you're slowing me down,” he chastised me, but it didn't make me quicken my pace.

  “I can't hurry. I think my feet are just one big blister,” I growled at him between clenched teeth.

  Rex huffed, continuing on several yards in front of me. When it became apparent that I wasn't falling for his rush game, he slowed his pace, though he still stayed far ahead of me.

  Soon, the sound of rushing water became audible from a distance, and within a few more yards, the forest gave way to the river. I thought that we were going straight for it, but then Rex made a turn and led me towards a hollowed out tree. It was a majestic wonder, with a trunk bigger around than any I had seen in the reservation so far. While I couldn't determine the species, it definitely wasn't a pine.

  Rex poked around inside of the hollow before going to gather some pine branches to cover the entrance with. Since he didn't seem to require my help, I stood and stared at the river, letting the serene landscape lull me into sleepiness.

  “You can sleep in there while I'm away. No one will find you. These branches should keep predators out, not that there will be any, but they should also help block out the sun so you can get some sleep. Plus, if you need water, well, you know where to find it.” He gestured to the river with a branch in his hand.

  “Thanks,” I replied, obediently crawling into the hollow to lay out one of the animal furs. The inside looked relatively bug free. Even if it hadn't been, I didn't think I would have cared. My exhaustion was so great that I felt I might pass out at any moment.

  As soon as the entrance was covered, I was asleep, and I didn't wake again until it was night. My eyes tried to adjust to the darkness, but it was pitch black. Initially, I didn't remember where I was, and desperate panic consumed me as I struggled to search for a light switch. But as soon as my hand landed on the scratchy tree bark inside of the hollow my memory came back too, and I wasn't sure if that made me more or less afraid.

  The night was alive with the sounds of insects, owls, and night birds, all seeming dangerously close. Maybe some were even inside the hollow with me. I couldn't tell. All I knew was that I was cold and frightened. Where was Rex? Why hadn't he come for me yet?

  Feeling my way through the darkness, I found the entrance to the hollow. My hands worked to push back the pine branches, wincing in irrational fear as the needles poked at my fingers. Rex had done well to conceal the hole.

  On hands and knees, I crawled out of the hollow, crunching over the downed branches that I had pushed out of the way. I could hear the river as plain as day to my left, but there was still no sign of Rex. Reluctantly, I stood to scan the area, though I was too afraid I would get lost to move away from the tree. My eyes were not accustomed to seeing in the night as Rex's were.

  The wind howled, and in the distance, coyotes joined in, baying as if they were celebrating a fresh kill. My mind raced with possibilities. Had Rex been captured during the day, and if so, what was I to do? I wouldn't be able to find my way to the cabin at night, and I was frightened of being alone. Maybe allowing Rex to drag me back out into the forest hadn't been such a good idea. Perhaps we should have stayed at his cabin. At least then I'd know what had
happened to him, if the compound had come to pick him up.

  Fear drove me back into the hollow, though I didn't bother covering it this time. I sat directly in the center, holding a thick branch in my hand for protection, should one of the few remaining predators in the reservation stumble upon my hiding spot. How I hoped that wouldn't happen. I must be pretty stupid to think that a scrawny little stick would protect me if a bear came along. Still, there was a small sense of security in holding the thing.

  Hours passed. It had to be somewhere around ten o'clock at night, I imagined. Rex obviously wasn't coming back. Something must have happened to him, which meant that I would have to make a new game plan tomorrow—have to find his cabin.

  It was another restless night. Between worrying about Rex and not feeling safe, I couldn't expect much more. When the sun broke over the horizon, I was ready to move again.

  I crawled out of the hollow and made my way to the river, pealing my shoes off to soak my feet in the cool cleansing water. They looked worse than I had imagined they would, with a line of blisters practically ringing the bottoms of both of my feet, not to mention the ones on my toes. While I sat with my feet in the water, I drank and drank and drank until I thought I would vomit. My body was so famished and dehydrated that I felt dizzy.

  As soon as I found Rex's cabin, my next priority would be food. Hopefully, he would have some jerky saved back. Hunting and fishing were not my forte, and I was stupid when it came to plants. If he didn't have something for me to eat when I got there, I would likely starve.

  I let my feet air dry in the sun, knowing that if I tried to put my shoes back on immediately it would only make things worse. It probably wasn't the best idea to stick them in the water to begin with, but they were so sore that I would take whatever relief I could get.

  Finding my way back to Rex's cabin was easier than I had thought it would be. I made a few wrong turns here and there, but I knew the general direction and was able to locate it within an hour. As Rex had done, I approached cautiously, though there were no immediate signs of danger.