More noises came from behind us, and my head snapped toward them, seeing the cabin’s door swing open. We weren’t far enough yet.
Heart crashing against my ribs, I halted and faced the man. “I have to carry you, or we are both dead.”
For the second time, shock filled his eyes, but before he could say anything, I pulled all the strength my wolf could give me and lifted him clear off the ground into my arms.
“Hold on!” I yelled, running as hard and fast as my legs would let me, just as raged-filled growls burst behind us.
Paws struck the earth over and over at our backs, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.
The forest blurred before my eyes, but still, I kept going.
Wolf snarls turned to howls, calling on the rest of the Hunters. I pushed harder than I ever thought possible, driven only by my innate need to keep this human, this stranger, safe.
Soon, all sounds of danger were drowned by the quick beating of the man’s heart, the ragged breaths escaping his lips, and the whooshing sound of the blood rushing through his veins. Somehow, all my senses tuned into him, making me acutely aware of every function and reaction his body was experiencing. It seemed so natural, like I’ve been doing it my whole life.
By the time my steps inevitably slowed, we were already down the mountain, and the sun was starting to rise on the horizon, taking with it the cover of night. We were technically in human territory now, with the national park encompassing the area and filling it with nature trails, bird-watching stations, and even a couple of kiosks that offered cold beverages and snacks for the hikers. Of course, I only knew about the snacks thanks to what Isis had told me about the human park.
The kiosks were still closed, but being so close to the city gave me a false sense of security.
Following the wild song of the river, I neared it, carefully placing the man at its bend. My knees hit the forest floor when the last bits of miraculously summoned energy drained out of me, and I sat on my heels next to him, taking long, restoring breaths.
“You can’t go back now…” The man’s hesitant words made me open my eyes, and I found his back half resting on the boulder while his face and chest glistened with water. He was drinking from the river.
“I know,” I sighed, finally processing the gravity of what I had just done.
“You went against your own kind for me… Why?”
My eyes connected with his, and I slowly shrugged because it should be obvious, shouldn’t it? “It was the right thing todo. I couldn’t leave you there to be tortured and beaten by the Hunters. If I did, it would make me just like them, and after seeing what they did to you, a helpless human, I can’t even imagine calling myself one of them anymore… We arenotthe same.”
It was a bittersweet thing to accept after the worddifferentwas thrown at me like a slur my entire life, by my uncle. The realization was sobering, to say the least, but as I looked into the crystalline hazel eyes of this stranger, gaze filled with hope and a million other emotions because I had saved him, I knew it was true.
I wasverydifferent from them.
Gently, his large hand curved over my cheek, and he caressed me with his thumb before reaching for the river. His other hand lifted to my lips, holding water for me to drink.
Grateful for his kindness, I pressed my lips to the edge of his palm and drank the water he scooped for me over and over again. I was glad to see he looked a bit better than he seemed in the cage, his energy returning even as his wounds remained.
Once I was done, I ripped the other end of my shirt and dipped it in the river, bringing the damp fabric to his chest, and beginning to clean his wounds before they could get infected. One by one the strange drawings on his neck, chest, and arm came back to life as I wiped them clean, becoming brighter.
“I don’t understand,” I admitted, glancing at him with confusion. “Why aren’t they washing away?”
An endearing smirk transformed his face, and he looked at me as though I was the most adorable thing. “They are called tattoos, and they are made by injecting ink into the skin. They mean a lot to me, so they are not going anywhere. I chose them for life.”
“Oh.”
My attention returned to his arm, seeing what seemed like swirly vines depicted down his bicep, though I could be wrong since there were so many scratches. I carefully cleaned the wounds there, dipping the fabric into the river again and again until I reached a part that seemed to have a large image. It must have been important because it was framed by the vines that curled along his arm. Sadly, claw marks and jagged skin ran across it, destroying the beautiful ink drawing.
“You should be a nurse.”
A small smile captured my mouth. “I only know how to do this because Isis has been treating my wounds for so long—Isis!”
The gasp that left my lungs was filled with regret, and my eyes closed while I kicked myself for sneaking out of the house. “She doesn’t know where I am, or what happened. She’s going to be worried sick, and?—"
“Vai tudo ficar bem…” the human spoke in the language I still didn’t understand, causing the strange feeling his sensual accent ignited to rush through me. When he cradled my cheek, I could do nothing but look at him, my wolf stretching delightfully under his touch. “If you hadn’t done what you did, I would probably be dead right now. So, thank you. Thank you for going against everything you know to save me.”
Sighing, I nodded, but there were still so many questions. “What were you doing so far up the mountain? Those monsters could have hurt you; they could have?—”
“You mean, more than the Wolf Shifters did?” A guilty breath left him when pain stained my expression. “Wrong place, wrong time, I’d like to say,” he continued, “but the truth is, I’m a little impulsive.” His nose wrinkled. “A lot, actually.”
