Page 16 of Escaping Monsters

I let out a low whimper and rolled until my injured paw was in the air. My transformation into a wolf had likely sped up my healing a couple of days, but it had also made my paw ache and swell.

Declan sniffed my paw, and then he leaned over me and bit the bandage lying discarded on the ground. In a very human-like move, he slid the bandage back on my paw.

I chuffed and nuzzled his side, showing him my thanks.

Declan’s massive form plopped down just beside me, and he licked my snout once more. I rolled into him, laying my head on his side. If being around Declan in human form felt disconcertingly natural, it was nothing to how comfortable I felt around him as a wolf. His warmth enveloped me, and I felt safer at this moment than I’d felt in a decade. Maybe it wasn’t real. Maybe this would all come crashing down at any second, but as it was now, contentment warmed my heart and lulled me into a deep sleep.

Low voices pulled me out of my slumber, and I opened my eyes to slits as two familiar men crouched over me. Jasper and Lucas looked down from where they huddled a few feet away in the forest. I should have been feeling terror that I was surrounded by three dominant werewolves, but instead, I just felt like curling up closer to Declan and going back to sleep. The werewolf behind me was still snoring softly.

“She’s awake,” Jasper whispered, and then both men turned, and a pair of bright blue eyes and gray eyes found mine.

“Teagan,” Lucas crawled over to me and knelt in the dirt. “I just want to check your paw.”

Behind him, Jasper stood, turned his back to us, and grabbed the hem of his shirt.

“You’re distracting her,” Lucas called over his shoulder, though amusement laced his voice.

“I’d sense it if she was scared.” Jasper turned his head halfway, and then he reached down for his fly.

I turned my attention back to Lucas and rolled further into Declan to hold up my paw.

He lifted my paw, shining a penlight on it. “The stitches held, but a few dissolved, which is good. There’s some dirt here.” His thumb pressed on the side of my toe pad, and I yipped from the sudden sharp pain. I nuzzled Lucas’ leg, and he caressed my head. “Sorry, Teagan. You’ve still got some damage in there. It’s better if you stay…”

Lucas trailed off as in a whirl of motion, Declan dashed out from behind me. The massive dark wolf hunched over me, teeth bared in Lucas’ face. A low growl rattled from his throat. I was looking up from the underside of the situation, and even from here, Declan towered over the veterinarian.

Lucas set my paw down on his leg and tilted back his head, showing Declan his throat. Carefully, Lucas raised his hands. “I need to clean her wound and wrap her paw in fresh bandages, Deck.”

Declan retreated, climbing back over me, and landing in a huff at my side. For a second, I thought it was because Lucas backed down, but then I felt Jasper.

The alpha wolf wasn’t directing his dominance at me, but I felt it ghosting over my skin nonetheless. His presence ignited the forest around us. He wasn’t a werewolf, he was a damn force of nature. Jasper’s wolf was twice my size, pound for pound, but Declan was as large as both of us combined. Still, Jasper dominated the massive wolf without so much as a snarl. The alpha rounded our group and settled down on his rear haunches, nodding to Lucas.

“That happened fast.” Lucas turned back to me, and his gray eyes shone with interest. He scooped up my paw from his lap and met my eyes. “Declan is protecting you like you’re his wounded mate.”

Declan chuffed behind me and laid his head over my side, watching Lucas with concentrated attention I could feel from here. When I nuzzled his face, he licked my muzzle before turning back to Lucas. Declan was indeed treating me like his wounded mate, but the big wolf’s behavior was no doubt due to the fact I was an omega. My nature tended to bring out the basest instincts in wolves.

Lucas flushed out my paw and wrapped it in gauze. He taped the end of my bandage and met my eyes. “This is loose on purpose, so if you try to walk with it, it might fall off. I did it that way so if you have to change without warning, it should come apart easily.”

I nuzzled his thigh in thanks.

Lucas shouldered his jacket off one arm, but he froze and shook his head. “Sorry, Teagan. Do you mind if I join you guys?”

I shook my head.

His head rocked back. “You do mind?”

I shook my head, again and chuffed.

Lucas rubbed a hand over his beard and chuckled. “That’s probably the worst question I could have asked a wolf. Is it okay if I join you?”

I nodded. Of the three wolves here, Lucas was the least likely to dominate me, and somehow, I wasn’t feeling vulnerable at this moment with Declan or Jasper either. I felt safe, which was so strange, but there it was.

Lucas grabbed the hem of his shirt, clearly planning to undress right there, inches away from all three of us. I watched his lean muscle ripple as he pulled off his shirt. Dark hair covered his chest and trailed down, disappearing into his jeans.

He flicked open his fly, and I closed my eyes, giving him the privacy I probably should have been giving him all along. A few minutes later, Lucas flopped down on my other side and leaned into me. I now had werewolves lying up the length of both of my sides, and an alpha sitting over us. I had completely failed at staying away from the Grayhaven pack, but it was hard to care as the sweet warmth lulled me to sleep.

“Little wolf. Sweet, docile wolf,” a high-pitched voice whispered in my ear. “Come dance with us, Omega.”

My eyes opened to the sight of a glowing blue globe. Around me, the pine forest was completely dark, save for the trees lit by the illumination of the light. At some point, I turned back to human, and I stood there, completely naked. Mud and leaves coated my feet, meaning I had been walking without even being aware of it.