If there had been anything left in my stomach, I’m sure I would have thrown it up. My nerves were shot. I couldn’t hide the trembling in my legs, but I still managed to stand tall. I looked the wolf in the eyes and said, “Do it.”
The wolf leaped into the air.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, readying myself for the pain.
Sharp and vicious, the first bite tore through my shoulder, narrowly missing the critical jugular vein in my neck.
I let out a cry but it was muffled by thick fur. The wolf toppled me over and pinned me to the ground. I thought that would be the end of it. I’d been seriously injured. I prayed that it would be enough, but the wolf wasn’t done with me yet.
It snarled and took another bite, digging its teeth into my already ruined shoulder.
Agony rang out in my voice. I howled louder than any wolf I’d heard in the past. Still the wolf would not stop its assault.
Though this was part of the process, my instinct to survive outweighed any thoughts I might have had at allowing any more of this torture. I threw my good arm around the wolf, grabbed as much fur as I could grip, and pulled. Clumps came away, but the wolf wasn’t fazed at all. It towered over me, biting at my shoulders and chest as if playing with me, purposely avoiding the deadly blow, dragging out the moment of death.
Adrenaline fueled me, giving me the strength to continue through the raw, angry pain. I reached out and grabbed a fallen branch lying near my head. Swinging as hard as I could, I slammed it into the wolf’s back. I fought back the best I could, popping my knees up into the underbelly of the beast.
Nothing I did had any effect. The wolf would not be moved. My throat was hoarse from retching and screaming already; the only sound I could manage was a raspy squeal. “Enough, please.”
Diving for another deadly blow, the wolf’s teeth dug in hard around my collar bone. I felt something snap, and I lost all control of my left arm. It should have been a different level of hurt, but I was already too overwhelmed with pain to feel the new damage. Warmth rose up through the pain. A mild and sticky heat. It oozed over my shoulder and dribbled down my neck. I knew it now. I was bleeding to death. This was the end.
Through watering eyes, I looked up at the wolf. “That’s enough!” I choked. “Stop now before you kill me.”
But the wolf didn’t respond. It pawed at me and dug its massive claws into my chest. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was actually trying to ensure I did die and would not turn.
How much damage could I really endure? I’d already thrown up, even though Aiden had told me not to.
Blood loss and pain were finally taking their toll. I’d burned through all of my adrenaline. I couldn’t fight back any longer. My limbs went limp. I watched the wolf open its mouth one last time, ready to strike the final blow that would end my life.
Goodbye world. Goodbye Aiden.
But thankfully, the blow didn’t come. A dark gray blur swept across my vision. I’d recognize Aiden anywhere. There was a yelp, and then a thud on the ground next to me.
Though woozy and ready to pass out, I still managed to turn my head to spy what was happening.
The two wolves were tangled together, looking as if they were hugging before falling to the ground and rolling around in the dirt. Each wolf, it appeared, was lunging and snapping its jaws at the other’s neck. Then a third appeared. This one was a two-toned masked wolf with a dark line down its snout. Three wolves turned into four and five. Was I seeing things or were the wolves actually multiplying? I was losing it. Dizziness struck hard and fast and the world faded into cold darkness.
Chapter 8
Scratch what I’d said before about the worst headache ever.
Though thankful to be alive, part of me wished for death when I awoke. Every muscle in my body screamed with rage. My chest felt as if it were on fire, throbbing, aching, and burning all at once. I didn’t dare try to move my left arm. If it was still there. Last I remembered, it looked as if the wolf wanted to tear it off. I wouldn’t have been surprised if all that was left was a ruined stump.
The all-over pain was so acute that it drowned out all other senses. My body screamed so loudly that I couldn’t hear anything else around me. I didn’t dare open my mouth, fearing the sound would actually escape my body and give away the agony I was in.
Aiden’s deeply concerned face appeared above me. His dark eyes pleaded for forgiveness without having to hear him speak the words. He shook his head and gently swiped a hand across my forehead. I might not have been able to hear, but I read his lips well enough.
“Sleep, babe,” he told me. “It’s going to be all right.”