“Yeah.”
“Cool. See you back at the cabin, Goldilocks. And hurry up. I miss you.”
Zeke looks back at me at the same time I feel my smile widen. “You wouldn’t have to miss me if you had come with us like I begged you to.”
“Fishing? Nah. That shit is boring.”
“Thank you!” I shoot Thorin, who’s walking a few feet away, a smug look. Hearing me, but not looking away from his constant scan for threats, he flips me off.
Khalil is saying something else on the radio, but I don’t hear a word of it because in my peripheral vision, Zeke has gonedeathly still. He was leading the way home, but now he’s facing me and his green eyes are full of panic.
A moment later, there’s a low growl that comes from my left. Fear melts into my bones, and I wish that I could evaporate too. Better than being torn apart by whatever made that sound.
“Aurelia, don’t move,” Thorin warns.
“Really? Because I was leaning strongly toward running for my life.” Another low growl reaches me from another direction, and my voice trembles when I ask, “Wolves?”
Why is it always wolves? I swear they’re drawn to me like flies to shit.
“It’s not Meera.”
“Does that really matter?” I hiss. All around us twigs snap as the brush is disturbed by the padding of multiple sets of paws. Two more wolves finally come into view and… Fuck, they’re huge. Bigger than Meera. A shuddering breath escapes me. “What do we do?” I whisper-yell.
“Try not to look appetizing?” Zeke suggests like he’s bored.
“Oooh, I don’t like the way that one is looking at meeee,” I squeal as I point toward a black wolf. He snarls and snaps at me, and I flinch, yanking my hand back.
I’m vaguely aware of Khalil screaming my name over the radio.
“Aurelia, back toward me slowly, baby. Donotrun.”
I don’t immediately do as Thorin orders because terror has me rooted to the spot. My gaze shifts to Zeke, who’s farthest away, wanting to see for myself that he’s still in one piece.
“No,” he immediately scolds, sensing more than seeing my gaze on him. He’s staring down a brown wolf with a missing eye. Oddly, I think of Meera’s pups, wondering if this wolf or one of the others could be the father. I thought Meera was a lone wolf, but maybe not. “Keep eye contact. Make yourself appear as big as possible.”
Thinking of a bear standing on its hind legs, my arms immediately shoot into the air, and I take big stomping steps backward to Thorin.
The punchline: it actually works.
The black wolf that was eyeing me like fresh lamb chops suddenly looks unsure as it whines and looks at one of the others. Zeke breaks his own rule and glances at me, making a strangled sound that sounds suspiciously like choking back a laugh when he catches sight of my ridiculous movements.
Seriously? Who laughs when only seconds away from being torn apart?
I’m reminded of Seth, but there’s no room for longing when I’m this close to death. I take another exaggerated step, and then I feel Thorin grab my shirt, tugging me the rest of the way. The drooling, gray wolf that wants Thorinbadgrowls again. He must be hungry because a second later, he looks as if he’s about to go for it and leap.
Sensing this too, Thorin curses and releases me as suddenly as he grabbed me.
I assume he’s going to do something stupid like try to fight the wolf, but he starts yelling and beating his chest like he’s King Kong. Catching on, Zeke and I join him. We jump up and down, clapping, stomping, and screaming at the top of our lungs.
After what feels like forever, the gray wolf howls, and the three of them run off.
“Whew,” I exclaim as soon as it feels safe enough to do so. I don’t have to mock wiping the sweat from my brow. My entire body is soaked in it. “That was a close one, am I right? It’s a good thing I suggested that walk, huh?”
Thorin and Zeke both throw me vicious glares.
“Is this what you wanted, Goldilocks? Is that what you wanted to feel?”
“Yes,” I answer Khalil while strangling Thorin’s sheets in my fists. Thorin’s fucking my ass from below while Khalil pounds my pussy between my thighs. I’m in heaven. “I want it.”
