dangerous.”
But the closer they came to the trees, the less Brooke feared what was waiting for them there. Partly because Cody was at her side, partly because she was finally facing the fear and facing it in daylight, and partly because the inner voice she listened to now was a quiet one. She stopped suddenly, staring toward the trees.
Cody followed suit. “What is it?”
“It’s coming out,” she murmured.
He moved another couple of steps toward the trees, straining his eyes to see clearly. Automatically thumbing off the gun’s safety catch, he mentally prepared himself to act quickly when—if—the need arose.
They saw the animal a moment later, and Brooke realized instantly why she’d felt the primitive terror, and why she’d sensed an intelligent wildness as well as pain.
Though pitifully thin, the wolf must have weighed close to two hundred pounds. Gray and white fur showed through the layer of snow, and yellow eyes examined the two humans in turn before settling on Brooke. Moving with an uncanny grace, the wolf slowly pulled itself through the snow toward Brooke, dragging an obviously broken and useless front leg.
Instinctively Cody cocked the gun, and the soft click stopped the wolf. Eerie yellow eyes turned toward him and small, pointed ears pricked up as the creature looked at the man. As if he knew. As if he understood. Then the wolf sank silently down in the snow, rolling over almost onto his back and showing them his vulnerable belly. His tail moved weakly.
Cody hesitated for a moment and then eased the hammer back down. Cautiously holding the gun, which was still pointed at the wolf, he glanced at Brooke and then started slowly toward him. “I don’t think he’ll attack us. No, stay back,” he warned Brooke softly as she began to move toward the wolf. “I’m not sure, dammit.”
“I am. He won’t hurt us, Cody.”
“Brooke—”
“He won’t hurt us.”
“Dammit,” Cody muttered, still moving toward the wolf and making sure he had a clear shot just in case. He hoped Brooke was right; he didn’t want to be forced to kill such a proud and beautiful creature.
They reached the wolf at the same time, both kneeling in the snow. Brooke reached out slowly to touch the fur between the small pointed ears, gazing into yellow eyes that held a curious reassurance. And when the wolf licked her cold hand, the last of Brooke’s fear melted away.
Cody thumbed the safety catch of the gun a second time and slid it into his pocket. Cautiously stroking the fur over a still-muscular shoulder, he looked across and met Brooke’s eyes. “Even if he wanted to hurt us,” he murmured, “I don’t think he has the strength.”
“How bad is his leg?” Brooke asked.
The wolf was lying on his side now, his head a little raised and resting against Brooke’s thigh as the yellow eyes watched Cody’s gently probing touch. After a moment Cody said, “A clean break, I think. It’ll have to be splinted. I guess there’s something to be said for growing up on a ranch; I know how to splint an animal’s broken leg.”
Frowning, Brooke said, “I think there are some splints in the big first-aid chest, but they’re for people. D’you think….?”
“We can modify them. Go.”
“Cody, I can—”
“No, you can’t,” he interrupted quietly. “Brooke, I’m not going to leave you alone with him. Not until we have more experience in his temperament.”
Brooke wanted to argue, but the rising wind and the wolf shivering with cold beneath her hand decided her. They had to get the animal inside. Gently easing from beneath the animal’s head, she quickly rose to her feet and headed for the house.
She was back in ten minutes, immediately warmed to see that Cody’s thigh had replaced her own beneath the wolf’s head and that he was stroking the animal comfortingly. She changed places with him smoothly and silently, then watched as he went to work.
The wolf stiffened only once, when his leg was
But the closer they came to the trees, the less Brooke feared what was waiting for them there. Partly because Cody was at her side, partly because she was finally facing the fear and facing it in daylight, and partly because the inner voice she listened to now was a quiet one. She stopped suddenly, staring toward the trees.
Cody followed suit. “What is it?”
“It’s coming out,” she murmured.
He moved another couple of steps toward the trees, straining his eyes to see clearly. Automatically thumbing off the gun’s safety catch, he mentally prepared himself to act quickly when—if—the need arose.
They saw the animal a moment later, and Brooke realized instantly why she’d felt the primitive terror, and why she’d sensed an intelligent wildness as well as pain.
Though pitifully thin, the wolf must have weighed close to two hundred pounds. Gray and white fur showed through the layer of snow, and yellow eyes examined the two humans in turn before settling on Brooke. Moving with an uncanny grace, the wolf slowly pulled itself through the snow toward Brooke, dragging an obviously broken and useless front leg.
Instinctively Cody cocked the gun, and the soft click stopped the wolf. Eerie yellow eyes turned toward him and small, pointed ears pricked up as the creature looked at the man. As if he knew. As if he understood. Then the wolf sank silently down in the snow, rolling over almost onto his back and showing them his vulnerable belly. His tail moved weakly.
Cody hesitated for a moment and then eased the hammer back down. Cautiously holding the gun, which was still pointed at the wolf, he glanced at Brooke and then started slowly toward him. “I don’t think he’ll attack us. No, stay back,” he warned Brooke softly as she began to move toward the wolf. “I’m not sure, dammit.”
“I am. He won’t hurt us, Cody.”
“Brooke—”
“He won’t hurt us.”
“Dammit,” Cody muttered, still moving toward the wolf and making sure he had a clear shot just in case. He hoped Brooke was right; he didn’t want to be forced to kill such a proud and beautiful creature.
They reached the wolf at the same time, both kneeling in the snow. Brooke reached out slowly to touch the fur between the small pointed ears, gazing into yellow eyes that held a curious reassurance. And when the wolf licked her cold hand, the last of Brooke’s fear melted away.
Cody thumbed the safety catch of the gun a second time and slid it into his pocket. Cautiously stroking the fur over a still-muscular shoulder, he looked across and met Brooke’s eyes. “Even if he wanted to hurt us,” he murmured, “I don’t think he has the strength.”
“How bad is his leg?” Brooke asked.
The wolf was lying on his side now, his head a little raised and resting against Brooke’s thigh as the yellow eyes watched Cody’s gently probing touch. After a moment Cody said, “A clean break, I think. It’ll have to be splinted. I guess there’s something to be said for growing up on a ranch; I know how to splint an animal’s broken leg.”
Frowning, Brooke said, “I think there are some splints in the big first-aid chest, but they’re for people. D’you think….?”
“We can modify them. Go.”
“Cody, I can—”
“No, you can’t,” he interrupted quietly. “Brooke, I’m not going to leave you alone with him. Not until we have more experience in his temperament.”
Brooke wanted to argue, but the rising wind and the wolf shivering with cold beneath her hand decided her. They had to get the animal inside. Gently easing from beneath the animal’s head, she quickly rose to her feet and headed for the house.
She was back in ten minutes, immediately warmed to see that Cody’s thigh had replaced her own beneath the wolf’s head and that he was stroking the animal comfortingly. She changed places with him smoothly and silently, then watched as he went to work.
The wolf stiffened only once, when his leg was
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