Page 51 of The Wild Man
After a moment, his wet nose butts against my balled-up fist and he lets out a huff of air. I hold still, not daring to move a muscle in case he wants to chomp my hand off and use it for a chew toy.
“Momor.” I hear Wild Man speak, but I don’t tear my focus off the wolf. Teeja is what he called him. “He no hurt. Want you touch.”
My touch? I’m not touching a fucking wolf. A wild wolf at that.
Teeja nudges my hand again and tips his head back, looking at me like he’s expecting something.
“You want Teeja think you don’t like him?”
I grit my teeth at Wild Man’s manipulative cajoling.
It’s not out of fear of offending the animal that has me eventually, slowly, lifting my hand. What softens my heart is when Teeja’s tongue slips out the side of his mouth over his long teeth and he begins panting. It almost looks like he’s smiling at me, which is ridiculous. Animals don’t smile, but I swear Teeja is.
My muscles are solid as I lift my hand and cautiously slide my fingers through the hair on top of his head between his ears. It’s surprisingly soft and very thick. I relax a little when Teeja seems to enjoy my caress.
Never in a million years would I have thought I would ever pet a wild wolf.
I feel Wild Man come closer, his naked body—except for the cloth covering his groin—pressed against the side of mine. I look at him, a small smile sliding across my face.
“He’s beautiful,” I state. “Is he… your pet?”
Lines form beside his eyes, showing his amusement at my question. “Teeja, pet? No creatures in forest are pets. ‘Specially Teeja. Too wild and free.”
I look back down at the wolf, my fingers still gliding through his thick hair. Teeja still watches me inquisitively, and I have to agree with Wild Man. This animal would never allow himself to be a person’s pet.
After a few moments of me petting Teeja, he suddenly stands and turns away from us. He takes several steps before he looks over his shoulder.
“Come.” Wild Man grabs my hand. “We follow.”
Teeja trots ahead of us and we trail behind him. It’s not long before we round a small group of trees surrounded by thick bushes. Remember me mentioning my heart melting a few minutes ago? Now it’s a soggy puddle of goo sloshing around in my chest.
Right in front of us, only a few feet away, is another gorgeous wolf. Solid white, as bright as snow, except for a jet black patch surrounding the wolf’s left eye and ear. What makes her more unique are her eyes. One is just as black as the patch, while the other is a blue so light it almost looks clear.
But it’s not that wolf that brings a silly grin to my face. It’s the four bushy-tailed pups that are playfully nipping at each other. They look to be no more than a couple months old.
My hand goes to my chest. “Oh my, God. They’re so precious.”
I look over at Wild Man, but he’s not looking at the pups. His gaze is on me. I quickly move my eyes away. The way he’s looking at me makes things happen in my stomach. Like he’s just as mesmerized with me as I am with the pups.
“Teeja is gone. I think this why.”
“What’s her name?”
“Vena.”
“Vena,” I murmur the name.
My eyes move back to the pups. I laugh when one wiggles his butt, his bushy tail swaying, before leaping on one of its siblings.
I want to run my fingers through their thick pelt of hair, but I’m not sure Teeja or Vena would appreciate it. Wolves can be very protective of their mates and offspring.
As if sensing my thoughts, Teeja trots to one of the pups, a dark gray with a few lighter gray stripes, and latches his teeth into the scruff of his neck. He picks the pup up and carries it over to me, dropping the small bundle of fur right at my feet.
I look at Wild Man expectantly, hoping I’m not reading the situation wrong and Teeja is giving me permission to touch his pup.
“Go ahead.”
I move slowly as I get down on my knees. I don’t even notice when the rough ground scrapes against my skin. I hold my hand out first, letting the pup take a sniff. A small laugh escapes me when its tongue darts out to swipe across the back of my hand.