Every muscle in my body tenses as a man yanks me to my feet and rips off the linen coif I’m still wearing. I know it’s not necessary—I’ve been alone, after all—but the familiar routine of braiding my hair and covering it with the coif has been comforting, with everything else being so different.
Grabbing a firm hold of my hair and placing his knife at my throat, he shoves me toward his comrades.
I stare at the two other men in front of me. Three to one. I still have my dagger, but it’s in my satchel, and even if I got my hands on it, I’d have no clue how to defend myself. Cursing my own stupidity, I stare them down. I should have known better than to let the tranquility of this land lull me into a false sense of security.
“A human,” one of the men says, licking his lips.
“Mm. Much better than those stuck-up Rean bitches,” the one who holds me captive remarks, the whiff of his foul breath causing me to gag.
“It’s because you’re so ugly,” the first one replies with a toothless grin. “If they tried arealman like me, they’d never go back to those Rean assholes.”
“Ha!” my captor replies. “Like you’re not running for your life whenever one of thoseassholesshows up.”
“Shut up,” the larger one sneers. He’s been quiet up until now, but from his tone of voice it’s clear he’s the one in charge. “Turn the bitch around.” He begins to loosen his belt. “Once I’m finished, you can have your turns.”
The bulge in his pants makes his intentions quite clear. A wave of panic washes over me, and I dig my heels in as the two men haul me toward a large, flat boulder, but I’m no match for their strength. They slam me forward onto the stone, which is warm from the golden rays, and press my upper body down, exposing my rear to their leader. Writhing like a snake, I twist and clamp my teeth down on an arm that comes within reach.
“Fucking bitch is strong.” His hand slams against my cheek, the impact ringing in my ears. “Just wait until I get my hands on you. I’ll plow you like the human whore you are.”
“Oh, no. You wait. I’m next.” The other one grins at me, his toothless mouth a haunting sight.
“Fuck you!” He adds a vulgar gesture. “You had second dip last time.” He fists my hair, pulling my head back as he leans in toward my ear. “And this bitch needs to learn her lesson.”
I spit in his face, which earns me another slap across the cheek, but there’s no way I’ll go down without a fight.
“I saidshut up!”
Turning my head to glance over my shoulder, I catch sight of their leader stalking toward me. The sight of his flushed skin and glazed-over eyes makes my skin crawl. He stops not far behind me, and it’s impossible to ignore his heavy breathing as he undoes his pants and starts stroking himself.
He tilts his chin toward my rear. “Lift her skirts,” he commands, slapping his poised limb against his hand with anticipation. Noticing I’m watching him, he gives me a sinister smile. “Like what you see, bitch?”
Nausea churning in my stomach, I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing myself for what’s coming, but the two men don’t move.
“I said lift. Her. Skirts.”
I glance at the two men. Why aren’t they doing as he said? Following their gaze, my breath catches at the sight of an enormous wolf standing in the clearing, its black fur glistening in the light from the sky. It radiates such an intense amount of power that I’m surprised their leader doesn’t notice even with his back toward it.
Cursing his men, he takes the last couple of steps toward me, paying no heed as my two captors scatter and flee in opposite directions. Swearing under his breath, he grabs me by the neck, pushing me down while fumbling with my skirts.
Before I have time to blink, the massive wolf slams into him with a thunderous impact, knocking him off of me, sharp claws digging into his flesh. A guttural scream, raw with anguish, tears from his throat.
I stumble backward, tripping and falling, bile burning the back of my throat. Large jaws snap around his neck, causing a sickening crunch. My insides turn to water. My mind screams for me to run. But my body is frozen. I’m transfixed by the display of power in front of me. Trembling, I squeeze my eyes shut, cold sweat trickling down my neck as I await my execution.
Nothing happens. I dare to open one eye, only to witness the wolf picking the man up with its teeth. With a violent shake, it hurls him aside like he’s a rag doll. Without a moment’s pause, the wolf sprints into the woods to track down the other two men.
Another piercing scream rips through the air, followed by a second, the sheer terror behind them causing every hair on my body to stand on end.
Then there’s utter quiet, as if even the birds are holding their breath, giving the three dead men a moment of silence.
Finally breaking from my stupor, I snatch my satchel from where the men dropped it in their hurry to flee, then crawl on hands and knees toward the shelter of the boulder. Father have mercy on me. I press my back against the rough stone behind me, heart pounding so hard in my chest it echoes in my ears.Where did it go?
If not for the lifeless body only feet away, its limbs torn and brutally twisted, I could have mistaken it all for a nightmare. Maybe if I squeeze my eyes shut, the bloody mess will be gone when I open them again.
I retrieve my black dagger from my satchel, and the blade provides a small sense of relief. I can only pray the wolf is done for today. I tighten my grip around the shaft in a futile attempt to steady my trembling hands, knowing very well I don’t stand a chance if it chooses to come after me.
Please, I pray.Please be gone.Pulling my knees up, I rock myself from side to side, lips moving silently, repeating the prayer over and over.Please.I stare at the tree line for what feels like an eternity, but it’s probably been no more than a quarter of a bell when the large shadow appears amongst the trees. Unable to look away, my eyes connect with the wolf’s as it directs its ice-blue stare at me. The way its gaze seems to see straight into my soul makes my spine tingle. It cocks its head for a moment, then leaps back into the woods, vanishing as quickly as it appeared.
I climb to my feet, steadying myself on the boulder. A wave of dizziness washes over me. Unable to stop the bile rising in my mouth any longer, I fall back to my hands and knees, retching repeatedly until I’m nothing but a hapless sack on the ground. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I glance around. I need water.
