Grace of a Wolf by Lenaleia

Chapter 3: Grace: Protector

Chapter 3: Grace: Protector

The wind steals every bit of the warmth the strange wolf had gathered, and I crouch behind a tree to block the worst of it.

A slinking shadow skulks forward, slowly coalescing out of the abstract darkness of the forest.

Andrew.

His lithe wolf body slinks forward, lips curled back in a snarl.

My mysterious protector tenses, fur bristling along its spine. Another low, menacing growl rumbles through its chest.

Andrew's head snaps back, releasing a bone-chilling howl that echoes through the forest. Answering calls rise from all directions. I know those sounds. The pack is coming.

Whoever my furry furnace is, he isn't known to the pack. Which means he's an intruder—which means...

The massive wolf at my side snarls, snapping its jaws at the air between itself and Andrew. A clear warning for him to keep his distance.

"Shit." My soft whisper is enough for my protector's ears to swivel in my direction, and I press myself against the tree trunk, hoping I don't get in its way. No, not it. Him, I think.

His identity might be a mystery, but he still kept me warm and safe, at least for the last few hours. I don't want him hurt.

need to go. They're all going to come

a howl that shakes the very earth beneath my feet. The sound reverberates through my chest, a primal force that steals the breath from my lungs. Even Andrew, cocky and aggressive moments ago, shrinks back, his ears flattening

echoes fade, an eerie silence

answering howls erupt from every direction. The predatory sounds have goosebumps erupting, as if they weren't already

with renewed aggression. His lips curl back, exposing gleaming fangs as he snarls. My protector responds in kind, hackles raised and muscles coiled tight beneath his

my fight, but I'm somehow caught

without warning—at least for me. Some signal I don't recognize has

the forest floor. Andrew occasionally escapes the strange wolf's jaws, darting away a few steps with

body language screams that he's on the defense, even to someone like me, who's rarely seen a true wolf fight. I'm not often around when the betas fight with each

can barely follow the action, but even I can see the moment the tide turns. My protector's jaws close around

cuts through me like a knife. Andrew might hate me, but he's still Rafe's best friend. Still someone I've grown up with for

scrambles away. His yelps of pain fade into the distance as he flees, leaving behind tufts of fur and spatters of blood on the forest

but only for a second. Reality slaps into me as my protector stands tall

is coming. I can hear them drawing closer, their howls growing louder with each passing second. My wolf isn't

gleaming with what almost looks like satisfaction. But there's no time for

in a resounding smack that startles us both. "Go!" I yell, my voice cracking with desperation. "Run! You need to get out of

preparing for retaliation. But there's no time for regrets. "They're coming.

A wolf's gaze is intense, but this time I almost feel like

presence to him that