“Have you talked to your wolf? How is she?” I ask as we warm ourselves by the fire.
“I haven’t talked to her yet. She’s there, I can feel her, but she’s still locked away somewhere. How did yours come back so quickly?”
It didn’t even cross my mind that it was a fast return for my wolf and the only thing she suggested was that Jena had more time with the poisons and other sedatives in her system than I did. Which I told Jena, but I have a feeling that it has something to do with my weird abilities. The same way my body encapsulated the silver in my scars. I don’t mention that part though, because I can’t explain it.
Through the night, Jena tries to sleep and I think she gets small pockets of real sleep right before she is torn from her dreams, or based on the screaming, her nightmares. But she always manages to scream for me and reach out for me, which means in her subconscious she trusts me even though we haven’t been around each other for that long. I take a small comfort in that, but I can’t bring myself to sleep. She needs me and I won’t feel safe until I see my team here, then I can rest.
The darkness settles around our cave and the cool night air chills me to the bone. Jena is curled up next to me sharing body heat. I managed to get a small fire going, but the area is still so wet, it was hard to find things that would burn properly without causing a ton of smoke first.
The noises of the spring night are loud and boisterous. Everything sounds alive and happy coming out for the summer weather that should be visiting us soon. This is a sound that I will forever associate with freedom. I take a deep breath in, filling my lungs with the fresh scent of the growing forest around me, the water streaming below and a calmness washes over me. We are safe.
Silence. That’s all I hear in a split second between breaths. All the buzzing, chirping, rustling just stops. There’s a predator near. The hair on the back of my neck and arms rise, my wolf on full alert.
To my left, I hear a footstep press into the soft earth. It’s coming from the path we walked up here. Someone is following our scent, but they are downwind so I can’t tell if it’s my team or one of Mike’s minions. I move into a crouched position just in front of Jena, ready to strike my would-be attacker. Another step, I work to control my breathing and my heart rate. I can’t let whoever it is hear the fluctuation, that will give me away. Another step, they are right outside the entrance about three feet from me. The final step, I lunge out and grab the person by the hair and twist them to their knees facing away from me, my claws extended into his throat.
“What. Do. You. Want?” I snarl.
“Midge, it’s me. Relax.” His hands fly up in a sign of surrender and I take a deep breath in, smelling…
“Wyatt! What the hell? Why would you sneak up here like that? You know what we just went through. You’re lucky I didn’t kill first and ask questions later!”
“And that, my friend, is why you went first.” Lillian steps around the cave’s edge.
“Oh Goddess! It is so good to see you guys!” I drop Wyatt with a grunt and run to her wrapping her in a hug.
“Love you too, Midge.” I look over to see Wyatt nursing the deep red scratches at his neck. He really was lucky I didn’t press harder.
