The Boy Next Door

Chapter Twenty-Three

I wake with a start. I struggle against the rope in my wrists, holding me to the cave floor. I see the boy, the girl, and Wolf circled around a fire. I growl, telling Wolf to come. He tries to, but the rope around his neck doesn't let him. They tied us apart, smart humans.

"He's awake." The girl.

"Hey, Bud. How's it goin'? I'm sorry we had to tie you up. We didn't want to, really. You left us no choice. I'm so sorry, brother. Here have some breakfast."

He passed me a bowl with some sort of flattened bread.

"It's a pancake. You use to love them, remember? You loved the homemade syrup too. Remember?"

I kicked the poisoned food away. I smell rabbit. I look behind me to see a rabbit. Only two feet behind me. I can get him. Quickly, fast as a water bug, I grab his foreleg between my jaws. He screeches as the girl let's out a cry of surprise. I drag the rabbit towards me.

I wrap my feet around his small body as I rearrange my jaws to fit his neck. I bite down, snapping the bone, killing him. Breakfast.

Wolf tries to come over and share. I growl, he needs to learn that alphas eat first. I continue eating until I'm full. Of course I leave the four legs, the head, and a quarter of the middle for Wolf. I use my feet to toss him the rest. He eats happily.

The girl is crying. "I know I've killed bunnies before. I know. God being pregnant makes me emotional. I'm not even sad. I'm sorry, Aaron. I'm sorry."

"You're okay. You're fine."

I look between the two. Obviously, they hadn't missed me enough to search. I look at Wolf and grab his attention by pawing the ground. I look at the rope holding him. I bite mine. He turns to his and starts chewing. Good Wolf.

He frees himself, I tell him to wait. He does as I start on my rope. I untie myself and signal to Wolf. We are free. We run into the woods, away from the cave. Away from any human.

...

After we ran, we made it to our pack ground. It was really a small clearing with a small cave. It's our new home.

We ate dinner and lay down to sleep. I lay half on top of him, getting warm and comfortable. He doesn't mind. We fell asleep as the moon made its way high in the sky.

I jolt awake. I thought I heard . . . yes, a crack. I listen closely. There it is again. I shake Wolf awake and start towards the sound.

We creep behind trees, rocks, and bushes. I stop Wolf as I see a person. I point to him. Wolf sees and pounces. He catches the man in an instant. I laugh and walk to the man's side. He looks at me with terror filled eyes. The 'man' is just a teen. About my age, maybe two years older.

"Please, let me go. Call your wolf off." He smacked Wolf in the chest. My amused expression dropped as he repeatedly slaps Wolf. I back hand the boy's face, he looks at me surprised. I shake my head slowly. He looks terrified.

I give Wolf a nod, he lunges, taking the boy's neck in his jaws. He isn't going to kill the boy until I nod again.

"Please, don't!"

I nod again. Wolf snaps his neck. I laugh. We hide the body for searching in the morning and go to bed.