The gig is up. I sense someone in front of me. I can feel his shadow over me. I can’t crawl forward anymore. He reaches his hands on mine and to my surprise, his touch is soft, almost gentle.
Maybe this one isn’t bad.
I slowly relax my eyes, opening them. I can’t help but gasp. The man kneeling in front of me is covered in scratches and cuts. His skin is dirty and dark, but his eyes are gentle and filled with concern.
Suddenly, without a word, I know that he saved me. I know he came to my rescue when I needed him most and I hesitate to admit it’s because we love each other. We couldn’t, could we? It’s too soon, isn’t it?
“Wolfy,” I murmur quietly, because he doesn’t have to explain who he is.
I know.
I can see it in his eyes.
“Wolfy, you saved me.”
Then everything goes black.
10.
Nash
I carry Red back to the cabin and get her cleaned up. She seems so frail, so fragile. I lay her tiny body in the bed and just run my fingers through her hair. Finally, I’m touching her. After all this time, I can finally feel her skin against mine.
I just wish it didn’t have to be like this.
I wish my baby wasn’t afraid.
Now I have to leave her. As much as it pains me, as much as it tears a whole in my freaking heart to have to go, there is work to be done. Red will be safe enough in bed for now. I lift the blankets to her chin and make sure she’s not too warm.
There’s a pair of my jeans in the dresser and I yank them on, along with some sneakers. I haven’t worn them in ages. It’s a wonder Red never commented on them. Then again, her grandmother was an eclectic woman. The cabin is full of all sorts of strange things that I’m quite sure I don’t want to know about. I head out to the porch and lock the door, placing the key back in my new hiding spot: an abandoned bird’s nest in a nearby busy. I’ll show Red the spot later. That hide-a-key stone was just an all-around awful hiding spot.
It’s a wonder no one found the cabin before.
After one last long look at the cabin, I go take care of the bodies. Shifters are easy enough. Once a shifter dies, he or she usually turns back to their human form. Some species of shifters will disintegrate, but not all.
Not wolves.
The forest is isolated. No one is going to bother Red again, not so soon after the last attack. If I’m lucky, Jeffrey won’t even notice his men missing for hours, maybe even a day. I don’t know if he sent he men directly after her or if she just stumbled upon an unlikely hunting crew, but it doesn’t matter now.
She’s safe now.
I keep trying to remind myself of that.
Right now, I need to stay focused. I try not to worry too much about the pack or why they were sent to get Red. I don’t know if they planned to kill her or just break her before they brought her to the Alpha. It doesn’t matter, though. All that matters is that she’s safe now. I won’t let anything else happen to her.
Part of me is horrified that I almost got there too late.
Just a few more minutes and it would be all over.
I won’t let myself think about that. Even though I don’t think anyone will see the wolves, I need to take care of disposal. Cleanup is never fun, but unfortunately, I’ve seen my fair share of bodies and I’ve learned what it takes to get them hidden away.
It wouldn’t do to have someone come across half a dozen bodies in the middle of the forest, so I dispose of them. The task takes me over three hours. It’s not pleasant. It’s messy and gross and my clothes are ruined. I thought it would be easier to deal with while dressed, but I was wrong. I ditch the clothes, go for a swim, then head back to the cabin.
Red should be awake. Hopefully she isn’t too freaked out or upset that I left her. I’ll explain everything, then she’ll understand. She has to.
She seemed pretty happy that I saved her. Then again, I’d be happy if anyone came to my rescue from a horrible attack, too, no matter who my savior was. It doesn’t mean she’s crazy about me. It doesn’t mean she even likes me very much.
When I step up to the cabin, I hesitate for just a moment. Am I ready for this? When I walk through that door, everything will be different. I won’t just be Wolfy, her friendly pet. I won’t be some animal who brings her dinner. No, I’ll be me: shifter and all. I’ll be Nash, the guy who saved her, but who is damaged. I’ve got baggage. I’ve got crap I carry with me. Will she be willing to deal with that? Will Red see the real me through the pain?