My Best Friend's Werewolf

16 Damsel and Knight in One

The teeth never connect with my skin. The wolf backs away, staring at me. My heart is beating too quickly, forcing me to take deep breaths through my nose.

Tilting his neck back, the brown wolf lets out a howl, and all three run farther into the forest.

Wolves. Wolves. I bring my legs to my chest and continue lying on the forest floor, shaking. Wolves. Wolves. I almost died. No, I almost didn't live is the better way to put it. I push myself into a sitting position, my arms like gelatin. Looking around at my surroundings my heart sinks. I have no idea which way to go. That's the problem when you stray from taking a path. Getting lost is all to easy.

But isn't that what I wanted? I wanted to get lost. I wanted to get away from the world—to be outside of it.

I try to stand up but collapse back to the ground, my legs giving no support.

Checklist:

So I can't walk, have no idea which way to go, my glasses got dirt on them, and my eyes are blurry due to remaining tears.

Great. I'm a damsel in distress. Except I don't have a knight in shining armor to save me.

People to come to my rescue:

Me.

Well my legs should work as soon as the shock of almost being eaten by a wolf wears away.

Should.

I quiver. They could come back. I grasp onto the tree to my right and use it to help pull myself to my feet. If I hadn't fallen down so much I might be able to figure out which way I came from. Then again, I can hardly see.

"Addy!"

I lift my head to see Travis' bare abs.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"What am I doing here? I think you should be the one answering that. What the hell were you thinking wandering aimlessly into the forest?"

I flinch at the harshness in his voice. "I needed to clear my head."

"And you needed to get lost to do that?"

"How did you find me?"

He's silent, his eyes taking in my appearance. "I heard you scream."

"I was almost attacked by wolves."

His face pales. "Where are you bleeding? Where does it hurt?"

I touch the back of my head and wince. "Just my head. I hit it when I fell."

He walks forward and scoops me up in his arms, pressing me into his bare chest. The dude has some serious ab muscles.

My body doesn't have the decency to blush currently. "What are you doing?"

He starts walking. "Taking you back."

"And you're carrying me, why?" I'm not sure where to put my arms so I place them in my lap.

He sighs. "Oh I don't know, Addy. You were attacked by wolves, you look like you're going to pass out."

I duck my head. "Umm..."

"Are you too independent to let a boy help you?" he snaps.

"Excuse me?"

He sighs. "Sorry."

He's been way too temperamental lately. I didn't want to have to admit it aloud, especially in this position, but I need him to calm down for me, considering he could drop and leave me.

I look at my hands, twirling my thumbs. "I'm just imagining how Hanna will make a big deal out of this."

He looks down at me with a cocky smile. See? I can't understand him. "You mean because she wants us to fall in love and give her nieces and nephews?"

The entirety of my face is consumed in a blush. There's that decency. "That's one way to put it." I bite my lip. "Thank you for helping me."

"Don't mention it. And I'm sorry I've been jerk to you lately. Right now is hard for me, and I know it doesn't sound like a great excuse but it's hard for me to control my anger."

I nod but remain silent. He stops when we get to the boulders. Setting me down he climbs down them and picks me back up. I'm pretty sure I can walk now if my legs haven't fallen asleep. I may need some serious guiding though. You know, I can't really see much. "If your arms are tired, I can walk."

"You nearly died. I don't think you're in the right state of mind."

I glare up at him. "I—"

"Need a bath."

Do I smell? I try to discreetly sniff myself. "I can. . .walk?"

"I can smell him all over your neck," he mutters.

"Him? You mean the wolf?"

"Yeah, the wolf." His chest heaves against my shoulder. "My parents are back."

I turn my head to the side to see we're back at the house. Travis is such a puzzle. The things he says—they don't make any sense.

And yet. . .somehow they do.

Dedicated to my awesome friend hannahjoy620 for seeing with me both Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast when they were at the performing arts center.