Just a Wolf

Dominic

I’ve got my arm wrapped around Evan’s waist, and he has his up over my shoulder, hanging on, as he limps down the road with me. I can tell his leg is still really hurting him.

“I’m sorry, man,” I tell him.

“What even happened?” he asks. “I must have fallen asleep, I didn’t see anything until the car was spinning off the road.”

I shake my head. “It was my fault. There was a mudslide coming down off the hill, and I didn’t see it in time. When it got to the stream in the gully we were crossing the water overflowed up onto the bridge. I couldn’t stop.”

He turns his head and stares at me. “How was that your fault?”

“I was driving,” I say, gritting my teeth. “I should have been paying closer attention.”

“Pfsh. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You can’t be expected to anticipate a mudslide, much less see it in the dark with all the rain while you were trying to drive.”

“Still,” I say. It had to have been my fault. I was driving. It was my responsibility to keep the car safe on the road. I hate to think of having to explain to Dad that I wrecked the car.

Evan shakes his head. “I don’t think anyone is blaming you. Don’t worry about it.”

We hobble a few more feet down the road, the wind driving the raindrops into our faces, making it hard to see. The road seems completely deserted, no headlights anywhere in sight. I know Alpha Ross won’t have called 911 - wolves don’t use that. Our speedy healing would be too conspicuous, it would raise suspicions. Besides, I don’t know about anyone else, but my cell phone must be taking a ride in the Trinity River by now, since it was sitting on the seat next to me while I drove.

I think my head is already feeling better, the cut doesn’t sting so much in the rain, and the various achy parts of my body seem to be hurting less. Thank goodness for wolf healing.

“You’re welcome,” my inner wolf says, and it almost startles me. I’ve heard very little from him for the past few days. Amelia said she was told that our wolves will grow more and more quiet the stronger our mate bond gets. The closer to Amelia I have become, the more silent my wolf is getting, like he is fading into the background, being sort of absorbed into me. I wasn’t sure he was ever going to talk to me again. It’s kind of nice to hear from him.

“I’m not gone,” he chides me. “I’ve just been happy to be with our mate. There hasn’t been much to add to what you’ve been doing.”

I almost chuckle. So now that I’ve caused this giant catastrophe he needs to comment on it?

“Get over yourself,” he snidely says. “Evan is right, it wasn’t your fault.”

Maybe I’m not so happy to hear from him.

Evan interrupts our conversation, asking, “Do you think Theo is going to be okay?”

“I hope so. His leg looked gruesome. His wolf will help him heal, but that doesn’t look like something that can be fixed without medical intervention. Maybe even surgery.”

“I think so too. Poor guy. Hopefully he’ll be up and on a surfboard soon.”

Oh. That. Surfing. That feels like it was years ago, so much has happened since then. “Still thinking about surfing?” I tease him.

He sighs. “I’m trying to pretend I’m doing that, and not this.” He pauses, then adds wryly, “I think I’m wetter now than I was then.”

“Ha! You definitely are, you didn’t fall in the water even once that I saw!”

Beta Nolan glances back at us, chattering like silly little kids as we walk, and we fall silent.

Theo

I wake up confused. My head is killing me. My leg is killing me. And I am … wet? And … moving?

I open my eyes, squinting up, and discover the bearded face of Alpha Ross right over mine, as rain pours down over the both of us in the dark.

Um….

He glances down at me, looks back and says, “Nolan.”

It is starting to come clear. He is carrying me, we are walking in the rain, because… oh, because we crashed, because the road was overrun by the river, because I lost control of the car and spun out.

How embarrassing.

“Is everyone okay?” I ask.

“They’re fine.” He has stopped walking.

Beta Nolan comes up to us, peers into my eyes, then glances down at my leg. “How do you feel?” he asks.

I feel like crap. I’m in agony. “Fine,” I say. “Um, you can put me down,” I tell Ross.

Nolan shakes his head. “You can’t walk yet. Your leg hasn’t healed.”

Malcolm comes up, concern all over his face. “Here,” he tells Ross, “let me take over.”

Really? They transfer me over into Malcolm’s arms, and I feel ridiculous to be treated like a baby. Malcolm gets a good grip on me and starts walking.

“What’s happening?” I ask my boss. I know he’ll be straight with me.

“A mudslide washed out the bridge and wrecked the cars.”

“Yeah, I remember that part,” I say gloomily.

“So we’re walking down to Willow Creek. Kanen is on the way from the packhouse, he’ll meet us there.”

“Oh, that’s good,” I reply. I’m starting to feel waves of pain from my leg, and my head is throbbing, and I feel nauseous. Getting bumped up and down in Malcolm’s arms isn’t helping, but I’m not complaining.

“A little help here?” I silently ask my inner wolf. Where’s all our famous wolf healing?

“I’m working on it,” he growls. “Why do you think you’re even awake?”

Oh. “Sorry.”

I try to twist up far enough to look down at my leg, to see what the hell hurts so bad. I’ve never felt anything like this before.

“Quit wiggling around,” Malcolm says, trying to sound stern. “You’re hard enough to carry as it is.”

Well, shit. I know I’m not that hard for Malcolm to carry. He could probably carry an elephant, he’s so strong. He’s just trying to stop me from seeing my leg. It must be really bad.

“It’s pretty bad,” my wolf admits. “I can’t heal it completely, you’ll need a doctor.”

Ugh. Well, maybe I’ll be able to go see Dr. Hughes in the morning, I’m sure she’ll fix me right up. This is out of my hands, it seems.

I fall silent, trying to neither barf nor pass out from the pain, and let Malcolm carry me and my wolf try to heal me.

Amelia

Bob is silent as he drives. He’s never been the chatty type. He prefers the company of the plants in his garden over people. It suits me just fine. I am too worried to carry on a conversation right now, anyway.

I stare out the window into the rain, trying to imagine what Dominic is doing right now. He’s out there in this, exposed to the elements, trying to find his way to shelter. It’s been over an hour since our bond woke me up, and the emotions I feel from him now are less panicky and alarmed, and more glum and resigned. And miserable. He has been miserable all day, I know. He is cold, and wet, and I think he’s hurt, and I can’t wait to be holding him again. All I want is to help him feel better.

We get into the outskirts of Willow Creek, and I watch the car in front of us to see if they pull into one of the motel parking lots. When they don’t, I ask Bob, “Are we stopping?”

“Not unless they do,” he says, indicating the SUV with the Alpha and Luna in it.

“The others haven’t made it into town yet?” I muse.

“I guess,” Bob says, and lapses back into silence.

I wring my hands in my lap, and realize that I’m doing exactly what I always see Corinne doing. I wonder if she is always this anxious.

Our little caravan leaves the 299 and turns north on the 96, and I start looking even more closely out through the thwapping windshield wipers, but I can’t see anything except rain, wet road, and the SUV tail lights in front of us.

Just a mile or so outside of the town, though, the Alpha’s car pulls over to the shoulder, and the rest of us quickly follow. I’m already opening my door and jumping out before Bob has even shut off the engine, and running forward.

Alpha Kanen beats me to them, but I am right behind him. A sadder sight I have never seen. Oh my god. They look like drowned rats, limping down the road towards us. It looks like Malcolm is carrying someone, probably Theo, and Alpha Kanen goes to them first. Alpha Ross is right there as well, and he helps them move Theo towards the first car, and I assume they’ll load him into the back seat. I catch a glimpse of his leg, and it is horrifyingly crooked, apparently it was smashed in the accident. Dr. Hughes comes running up from behind me. I’m glad she came.

Everyone else is gathered around the Alpha’s car, helping Theo and talking about what happened, but there is only one person I have any ability to focus on right now. I run up to the last two pathetic men walking down the road, Evan and Dom, holding each other up.

Seeing him, filling my eyes with him, finally being close to him, brings a tremendous sense of relief. And of something like closure, like I am no longer missing the most important part of myself. Without even touching him, I feel complete.

I want to grab him in my arms, but Evan apparently is injured and is leaning against him, so I throw my arms around both of them. “I’m so glad you’re all right,” I say, then I move over to Evan’s other side to help Dom lead him the rest of the way to the second car. My arm touches Dom’s behind Evan’s back, and the tingling sensation of togetherness is wonderful.

We help Evan sit down in the passenger seat, and he leans back with obvious relief. I close the door behind him to keep the rain out of the car as much as possible. I am going to push Dom into the back seat, but I don’t have the chance.

He seizes hold of me, here in the rain, on the side of the road, and his arms are around me, and his mouth is on mine. Water pours over us, between us, rain joins our kiss, and none of that matters. Nothing else matters. We are together again, he is safe, and I never want to let him go.

“Ahem.”

We break apart, reluctantly. Bob has returned to the car. “Malcolm and Dr. Hughes are taking Theo to the pack hospital,” he informs us. “Alpha Kanen said everyone else should go back to the packhouse. You ready?”

Oh yes. We are ready.