The Beast Lover's Anthology: Vol. 1 - Bastion [Wendigo x Reader] M/F

Chapter One

   I woke to the smell of fire. It wasn't nostalgic or pleasant; not like the scent clinging to your clothes after a midsummer bonfire, or the crisp aroma of burning charcoal in the belly of a cookout grill. It stunk of melting plastic and hot metal, and my nose burned as it wound its way into my sinuses. My heavy eyelids cracked to let the world in, and it was then that I registered a bitter taste on my tongue. Something white and baggy filled my vision, and though it took a moment, I remembered the ice; remembered losing control of my front tires and the guard rail that failed to stop me from sliding off the cliff side.

The burning stench was coming from my car, and even with how disoriented I was, I knew I needed to get out. When the door didn't respond to a few firm tugs on its handle, I held my breath and kicked it as hard as I could.

Again and again, I tried, but it wouldn't budge, and when I took another toxic gulp of air, my head grew light. I crawled across the console to the passenger door, but as I reached for it, a burst of flames licked up the interior panel. Tears stung my eyes, and even though I knew the air would kill me, fear of death pushed me headfirst into a fit of hyperventilation.

I don't want to die. I thought frantically, looking back, knowing that of the two, the driver's door would have to be my exit. I tried to break it loose again, kicking the frame, the window, and the panel, but the force I conjured up in my air-deprived state was simply not enough. My lungs grew tight, and fuzzy splotches dotted my vision as my brain started to run low on oxygen. The next time I tried to lift my booted foot to kick, I could barely move it. My fingers and toes grew numb.

No! No, no, no, please! Internally I screamed, fighting to bash that door just one more time, but I couldn't even hold myself up, and no sooner than my body slumped onto the console, I was out.

It could have been minutes or hours between then and when I awoke with my face pressed against a wet stump, but I never found out. I blinked the post-trauma daze from my sensitive eyes, finding myself utterly alone in the middle of the forest. Snow dusted my clothes, and more fell from the darkening sky, clinging to my hair and long lashes.

Where am I? I thought, pushing myself off of the ground with great effort. My muscles ached, and when I took my first deep breath, I could feel my lungs protest the stretch. My car was nowhere in sight, and barren trees and snow graced my vision no matter what direction I looked. I wasn't surprised that my phone was no longer in my jacket pocket, but absolute terror gripped my guts at the fact that I had no way to contact anyone and no idea where I was. I wasn't sure if I should move or not, and I swallowed, looking to the sunset as a frigid gust pushed against my back, snowflakes dancing in the air around my body.

An ominous howl made my senses perk up. I couldn't tell if it was the wind or a wild animal, but I quickly found out when three sets of reflective orbs flashed in the shadows to my left. Wet, snarling muzzles and yellow eyes with blown-open pupils confronted me as three brown wolves stepped in my direction with slow, calculated steps.

"Fuck..." The word couldn't even be considered a whisper as it left my lips. I froze in fear and couldn't stop the tears from pooling on my lashes.

"Looks like the human needs saving again." A low voice breathed just behind the shell of my ear, and when I opened my mouth to scream, a clawed hand clamped over it. My teary gaze blew wide. "Hush, unless you want me to let them eat you."

I shook my head frantically 'no', and my eyes squeezed shut as I tried focusing on steadying the breaths whistling through my nose. After a moment, I was released, and the animals were gone when I found the courage to look again.