Page 62 of Sawyer
Patrol duty was the last thing I wanted to do right now, but it was necessary.
As I made my way through the trees, my mood only darkened when I spotted Garth ahead.
The sight of him was enough to sour my already foul mood. His presence always felt like a bruise on the pack, a reminder of darker days.
He caught sight of me, and a wicked grin split his face.
“I heard there was a little luncheon earlier. I’m hurt you didn’t invite me. It would’ve been nice to have a little chat with Casey,” Garth said.
The possessiveness flared inside me, my wolf rising to the surface at the mention of Casey.
My teeth clenched, a low growl rumbling in my chest before I managed to tamp it down.
This wasn’t the time to lose control, not with Garth.
That’s what he wanted. But the thought of him anywhere near Casey—his smug face, his leering eyes—was enough to make my blood boil.
“That’s enough, Garth,” I warned, my voice dangerously low. “Keep Casey out of your mouth.”
Garth’s grin only widened. He leaned back against a tree, watching me with a gleam of amusement in his eyes.
“Relax, pack second. I’m just making conversation. Though…” His gaze dropped to my injured leg. “You sure you’re up for a little patrol today? Maybe you should take it easy.”
My hackles raised, but I kept my voice steady. “I’m fine,” I said.
“Are you?” Garth’s grin twisted into something darker. “Let’s have another race today, just like old times. What do you say, Sawyer? You think you can keep up?”
He knew exactly how to get under my skin. After everything that had happened earlier, with my mood already soured, his challenge was like pouring gasoline on a fire.
My temper flared, and I stepped closer, my hands curling into fists at my sides.
“I bet I’ll finish first again,” Garth taunted, his eyes gleaming with cruel amusement.
“We’ll see,” I ground out, teeth clenched.
Without another word, I began to strip down, preparing to shift.
But before I could finish, Garth had already dashed off, cheating like the coward he was. He always had to play dirty.
I shifted fully, feeling the familiar sensation of bones snapping and realigning, fur sprouting along my body as I dropped to all fours.
The transformation was second nature to me, but even so, the pain in my leg flared up almost immediately as I took off after him.
The forest blurred around me as I ran, the wind rushing through my fur. But no matter how hard I pushed, the ache in my leg grew worse with every step.
It was a constant reminder of my injury, a weakness that Garth never failed to exploit.
My lungs screamed for air, my muscles burned, but I wasn’t going to let him win. Not this time.
This leg, I thought bitterly, gritting my teeth against the pain.If this leg gets in the way of me and Casey... I’ll never forgive myself.
The words from the pack healer, from Cooper, echoed in my mind:It’s in your head, Sawyer. The pain isn’t real.But it sure as hell felt real.
It felt like it was holding me back, making me weaker, slower.
And then I thought of Casey. Of the look on his face during our hike, how he’d tried so hard to make things easier for me, to be patient, even when I wasn’t.
He deserved better than that. Better than me sulking over a stupid injury. I wasn’t going to let this leg, or my insecurities, ruin what we had.