true. There really were werewolves up here, and I'd just let myself get captured by them. I yanked the knife free and ripped the sheath away from the blade. "Stay back." I edged away from him.
Luke laughed. "If we wished you harm, you would have found it. Come, we have a fire and food. Surely you're hungry?"
"I have trail rations." I backed further away, until I lost my footing and fell heavily backward. My knife slipped from my gloved hand. I landed with at thump and a whoosh of powder that fell back into my face, stinging my eyes. "Damn it," I muttered.
Luke laughed long and hard. "You won't even make it across the meadow. If you make it that far."
I wriggled out of my straps and climbed to my feet. My face was flushed with the prickles of the cold powder. Or maybe with the exertion of the hike. Whatever it was, it definitely wasn't embarrassment. I was too mad to be embarrassed. "Fine. Show me your den, werewolf."
He rolled his eyes. "You say that as if it's a bad thing. Let's go." He came over and grabbed my pack and slung it over one shoulder like it was a child's backpack. I gasped at his display of strength. He really wasn't kidding--if they meant me harm, I didn't stand a chance.
***
The cave turned out to be downright cozy. It was tucked into a tumble of boulders only a few hundred yards from the base of the trail. Even if I had been looking, I would have never found it in the maze of rocks and trees. The entrance itself was hidden behind some kind of animal hide that looked the same color as the stone. A little trailer of smoke drifted through the corner of the hide, but it disappeared in a snow covered cedar tree that overhung the entrance. When Luke pulled the cover aside, the smell of cooked fish made my mouth water.
"What is that?" I asked.
"Trout," Romelu said from inside the cave.
Luke led me inside and Romelu served us fish on cedar planks. I copied them and ate with my fingers. With my belly full and the exhaustion of yesterday's hike to the meadow and today's slog to the cave both creeping up on me, I could barely keep my eyes open. I leaned back against my pack and nodded off.
I woke to a tongue on my face. A long, wet dog-like tongue. I opened my eyes and looked directly into the mouth of a wolf. It sat back, its tongue lolling free. Luke sat across the cave with his hands over his mouth. He didn't succeed at hiding his laughter. His whole body shook with it.
I wiped my face. "What. The. Hell."
"Oh God, you should see your face." He giggled again. "That was priceless."
The wolf sitting in the floor blurred from a hairy animal into a reclining human. "Got you," Romelu said.
My brain caught up with what my eyes had just seen. I stared at him in shock. Part of me had known what they were, but seeing really is believing. I could barely form words. "But you... wolf... tongue... person."
"Werewolves," Luke said. "Don't worry. By the time you get out to civilization and try to bring someone back to find us, we'll be long gone."
"I wasn't..."
"It's okay. I'd want to shout it from the rooftops if I were you."
I sighed and pulled my pack off so I could rummage inside for a change of clothes. The cave held the heat incredibly well and I was already sweaty under my outdoor gear. "I need to change clothes. Would you mind going outside? Or at least turning around?"
Romelu cocked an eyebrow at me, then shifted to his wolf form. He padded to the covering at the entrance, ducked his head and disappeared outside. A frigid draft of air blew in behind him. Luke just turned around.
I stripped down to my bra and panties, but as I put my leg into a clean pair of tights, Luke glanced over his shoulder. He whistled appreciatively.
"Really?" I yanked my pants up. "You couldn't give me a little..."
I saw the bulge in the front of his pants. I stared. It flexed.
"You see something you like?" he asked.
I studied him more closely. He had such a carefree smile, and a sparkle in his eyes that made me tingle
Luke laughed. "If we wished you harm, you would have found it. Come, we have a fire and food. Surely you're hungry?"
"I have trail rations." I backed further away, until I lost my footing and fell heavily backward. My knife slipped from my gloved hand. I landed with at thump and a whoosh of powder that fell back into my face, stinging my eyes. "Damn it," I muttered.
Luke laughed long and hard. "You won't even make it across the meadow. If you make it that far."
I wriggled out of my straps and climbed to my feet. My face was flushed with the prickles of the cold powder. Or maybe with the exertion of the hike. Whatever it was, it definitely wasn't embarrassment. I was too mad to be embarrassed. "Fine. Show me your den, werewolf."
He rolled his eyes. "You say that as if it's a bad thing. Let's go." He came over and grabbed my pack and slung it over one shoulder like it was a child's backpack. I gasped at his display of strength. He really wasn't kidding--if they meant me harm, I didn't stand a chance.
***
The cave turned out to be downright cozy. It was tucked into a tumble of boulders only a few hundred yards from the base of the trail. Even if I had been looking, I would have never found it in the maze of rocks and trees. The entrance itself was hidden behind some kind of animal hide that looked the same color as the stone. A little trailer of smoke drifted through the corner of the hide, but it disappeared in a snow covered cedar tree that overhung the entrance. When Luke pulled the cover aside, the smell of cooked fish made my mouth water.
"What is that?" I asked.
"Trout," Romelu said from inside the cave.
Luke led me inside and Romelu served us fish on cedar planks. I copied them and ate with my fingers. With my belly full and the exhaustion of yesterday's hike to the meadow and today's slog to the cave both creeping up on me, I could barely keep my eyes open. I leaned back against my pack and nodded off.
I woke to a tongue on my face. A long, wet dog-like tongue. I opened my eyes and looked directly into the mouth of a wolf. It sat back, its tongue lolling free. Luke sat across the cave with his hands over his mouth. He didn't succeed at hiding his laughter. His whole body shook with it.
I wiped my face. "What. The. Hell."
"Oh God, you should see your face." He giggled again. "That was priceless."
The wolf sitting in the floor blurred from a hairy animal into a reclining human. "Got you," Romelu said.
My brain caught up with what my eyes had just seen. I stared at him in shock. Part of me had known what they were, but seeing really is believing. I could barely form words. "But you... wolf... tongue... person."
"Werewolves," Luke said. "Don't worry. By the time you get out to civilization and try to bring someone back to find us, we'll be long gone."
"I wasn't..."
"It's okay. I'd want to shout it from the rooftops if I were you."
I sighed and pulled my pack off so I could rummage inside for a change of clothes. The cave held the heat incredibly well and I was already sweaty under my outdoor gear. "I need to change clothes. Would you mind going outside? Or at least turning around?"
Romelu cocked an eyebrow at me, then shifted to his wolf form. He padded to the covering at the entrance, ducked his head and disappeared outside. A frigid draft of air blew in behind him. Luke just turned around.
I stripped down to my bra and panties, but as I put my leg into a clean pair of tights, Luke glanced over his shoulder. He whistled appreciatively.
"Really?" I yanked my pants up. "You couldn't give me a little..."
I saw the bulge in the front of his pants. I stared. It flexed.
"You see something you like?" he asked.
I studied him more closely. He had such a carefree smile, and a sparkle in his eyes that made me tingle
Similar Books
