“Yeah, I’ll grab that, too.”
“Thanks.”
While Michael loped back to the vehicle, Myra considered her options. She needed to decide what would be best for a wolf she’d never spoken to. Stay out here until he woke up, probably still weak and sick, based on what Michael had told her about his wolves; send Michael out to see if he could track Adam’s scent to his cabin, thereby invading his privacy; or take him to a pack location where he might feel captured and surrounded.
In the end, there wasn’t really a choice. She wouldn’t do anything more than she’d already done to force the man’s compliance. She might as well get comfortable.
She focused her senses on him, letting the hand on his forehead slide into his dark brown hair, analyzing what she could sense of him. His sleep wasn’t deep. She fed him a slow but steady stream of power, not trying to heal him since she didn’t know what was wrong, but giving him strength.
His muscles were hard and defined, though not bulky. He was lean, and probably about her age.
Her sharp ears picked up a sound indicating Michael was on his way back. The man lying across her lap stirred, a nearly soundless growl vibrating through her.
“Shh, it’s okay. You’re safe.”
The only response was a huff of breath, but Adam relaxed again.
Michael jogged into the clearing and set the pants down next to her, hunkering down to be at her level. “We wait?”
She considered. “I think you should head back. Make sure there were no other outbreaks of this…whatever this is.”
He shook his head. “I have my cell, I would have heard by now.”
“Good point. I have mine, as well. Head back, and I’ll call when I need a ride. I’m going to try and talk him into letting me help him back to his place, and he’s probably feeling too vulnerable right now to invite two alphas home.”
“I can leave you the truck. I’ll head back toward the house, call for a ride in a couple of miles, so he doesn’t get upset by more arrivals.”
“That works, thank you.” She lifted up slightly to pull her cell phone from her back pocket, made sure she had reception. Only two bars, but it would do. “I’ll update you in an hour, no matter what.”
He hesitated. “You’re sure?”
She nodded. “I’m sure. I’ll call you.”
Adam stirred twenty minutes later. Left to his own devices, he probably would have rolled over and gone back to sleep, but Myra had other plans. She moved her hand to his neck, resting it there lightly.
“Adam.” She didn’t say it loudly, but strongly.
His eyes opened a slit and focused immediately on her. Tension rang through his body but he didn’t move. She tightened her hold on him and he relaxed some.
“I need you to get up now, Adam, so we can get you home.” He blinked at her and rolled his eyes to the side, realizing they were out in the woods. His gaze glanced down to his naked self, lying on the ground, curled around a strange but dominant wolf’s fully clothed body. She was watching for it, so the tiny spark of fear that he carefully shook off was plain to her. Her thumb brushed over his neck and she leaned down close to his face, her eyes steady on his.
“I’ve got some pants for you. We can either hang out here in the woods a while, or we can walk about fifty yards to Michael’s truck, and you can give me directions to drive you home. Your choice.”
His breathing was a bit faster than it should be but he moved slowly, cautiously rolling up off her lap, his eyes going to the pants at her side. She scooped them up, held them out to him. He took the offering, stood, stumbled, righted himself quickly, and pulled on the pants. Myra rose slowly.
“Truck.” The word seemed to stick in his throat a bit and he coughed, but he was already looking stronger than he had just moments before. Pleased, Myra didn’t give him a chance to stagger through the woods on his own. She stepped forward, wrapped an arm around his waist and motioned in the direction they needed to go.
He stiffened, blinked at her, gave his head a tiny shake. Together they walked, his body still warm with fever, his steps uneven, his hold on her firm. He was about three inches taller than her five-foot-five frame and probably had twenty pounds on her, but they managed well enough.
She got him to the passenger door and he sagged against the truck while she opened it. “Are you well enough to direct me to your cabin?”
The affronted look he gave her was pure male and she had to bite her lip to keep from smiling. He hauled himself into the truck and leaned his head back, his face slick with sweat. He pointed up the road and closed his eyes. She worried he’d fall asleep and she’d just keep driving, but then again, that wasn’t really a bad thing. But he grunted out the occasional directions and before too long, she was pulling up to a small but well-maintained log cabin. Clothes strung along a line swayed slightly in the breeze. What looked to her untutored eyes like a vegetable garden spanned the length of one wall.
He got out of the truck before she made it around to him, but didn’t resist when she tucked herself to his side. She supported most of his weight up the stairs and was relieved to find the door unlocked. Inside, there was a neatly made bed along the back wall and she headed straight for it, ignoring the rest of the surroundings.
Adam fell onto the bed, face first, and didn’t move. She shoved him over to the far side, pulled the covers down on her side, then dragged him back over to free the rest. Pulling just the sheet up, she draped it up to his hipbones, then checked his forehead. Burning up.
Turning, she surveyed the one room cabin.
