Page 50 of The Wild Man

We stayed at Wild Man’s parents’ burial site for a while. He found a spot against the tree beside their graves and he pulled me down between his legs. We didn’t talk much. Just a few words here and there.

When we do leave, we do so with our hands locked together. Wild Man walks slowly so I’m able to easily keep up with him without shredding my feet. I kind of want him to carry me again. I liked being in his arms.

We’re not far from the tree hut when a branch snaps to our left. Hearing random sounds in the forest isn’t uncommon, but I’ve grown accustomed to knowing what to listen for. A twig snapping isn’t a bird flying off or a little harmless critter scurrying away.

Wild Man and I both spin around at the same time, and I’m shoved behind him. I peek around his shoulder. Something thick wedges in my throat and fear spikes through my veins when I see a big dark-gray wolf standing not ten feet away from us. He’s standing on all four legs and the sides of his mouth are raised, showing off long gleaming white teeth. Although the growl coming from the thing is barely discernible, the sound is ominous.

My first thought is to grab Wild Man’s hand and start running, which is stupid, right? I mean, the wolf would catch us and maul us to death with his huge teeth in two-point five seconds. I’m pretty sure there is no outrunning a wolf.

I don’t know what to do when faced with a wolf. Do you run? Stay still? Drop to the ground in a submissive position? Try to intimidate it?

My first instinct is to not move. Wolves are alpha creatures. I would think intimidation would anger them.

I grab Wild Man’s hand in a death grip, scared down to my bones.

We stay that way for several moments. Us eyeing the wolf while he continues to stare at us. Surprisingly, the wolf stays where he is and even stops growling.

Then the idiot at my side does something stupid. He peels my fingers from his hand and takes a step forward.

I want to screech at him and ask what he’s doing. Maybe living in the wild really has made him crazy.

I don’t yell, but I do hiss. “What are you doing?” I’m desperate to reach out and snatch him back to me.

For all the attention he gives my question, it’s like he doesn’t even hear me. He just keeps walking. I look from him to the wolf, and my eyes turn to saucers when I find him sitting on his haunches, no longer in a threatening pose.

Wild Man doesn’t stop until he’s right in front of the wolf. I tense, unsure of what I’m preparing to do. Part of me wants to run toward Wild Man and drag him back—which is asinine because the animal could finish me off with one bite and still attack Wild Man. The sane part, the part that has a hole wanting to rip through my chest because it means leaving Wild Man to fend for himself, urges me to run in the opposite direction, which I couldn’t do anyway because of the damn rope.

Instead of doing either, I stand there stupified as Wild Man reaches his hand out and lays it on top of the wolf’s head. And the wolf does nothing! He just sits there and allows it.

What in the ever-loving hell?

Wild Man steps aside to stand beside the wolf, his eyes coming to me. “Come meet Teeja.”

I swallow through a dry throat, trying to gather some saliva to coat my mouth. I slowly shake my head, still afraid to make any sudden movements. “No thanks.”

Wild Man’s lips twitch behind his beard. “He no hurt you.”

I eye the wolf warily and find his bright blue gaze on me. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s watching me with curiosity.

I shake my head again. “Still no thanks.”

“Come, momor.” He leaves the animal’s side and walks to me. He grabs my hand and begins tugging me forward. “Teeja curious ’bout you.”

I dig my heels into the leafy ground and try to pull my hand free. “I really don’t want?—”

I cut myself off because the wolf begins walking toward us and my fear has mounted to epic proportions. He seems friendly enough with Wild Man, but that doesn’t mean he won’t try to bite my head off when he gets close enough.

The wolf stops right in front of us. I lock my shaky legs in place and hold my breath when he tips his head back and his eyes meet mine. I’m reluctant to admit, the wolf has beautiful eyes, crystal blue like the sky. They look too inquisitive to belong to an animal.

Teeja drops his snout and the first place it goes is to the juncture between my legs. It wouldn’t be as bad if I had clothes on, but I’m vulnerably naked. I let out a little squeak and my hand in Wild Man’s tightens, my nails digging into his skin. I clench my thighs together, feeling really fucking uncomfortable in more ways than one at the moment.

The wolf’s snout twitches, and I feel a blast of warm breath fan across my thighs and other parts.

“He smell me on you,” Wild Man says beside me

Smelling him on me? Like I’m some fucking animal or something.

Thankfully, the wolf only gives me a couple more sniffs before he moves his attention away. His nose moves down my legs to my knees before moving upward. He sniffs my stomach, and the animal is so large his head almost reaches my breasts.