Grace of a Wolf by Lenaleia

Chapter 12

Chapter 11: Grace: Rules

Time isn't my friend, so I lay down the ground rules. "Look. I'm trying to get out of here, okay? You can come with me if you want, but no more skulking around in the shadows. And definitely no pouncing on me anymore. If I sprain my ankle, I'm never getting out of here. Got it?"

Not even a flick of his ears to show acknowledgement.

He has to be a shifter, though. There's no way some random, glowing wolf just exists on its own in the wild.

"You're a rogue, right?"

Ear flick.

I guess that's his way of saying yes. "Okay. I don't know why you won't shift, but that's not my business. Either help me or stay out of my way. That's all I'm asking."

No ear flick, or tail wag, or any change in his body language whatsoever.

Fine. Don't answer. Two can play the quiet game.

Turning my attention to my mission, I glance around. Which way was I headed?

East, because I need to head east toward the city. But which way is east? Now that I'm all turned around, I'm not sure. The stars peek through branches above, but their patterns mean nothing to me. That definitely is something we covered in training, and would be helpful to know about now.

My feet crunch over dead leaves as I pick a direction that seems right and start walking. The wolf's massive paw steps behind me pause. A low rumble draws my attention back to him as he winds around me.

He plants himself in my path, blocking the way forward.

"What now?"

His head tilts to the right, ears perked forward.

"That way?"

Another ear flick. Progress.

I change course, following his suggestion. The tension in my shoulders eases as he falls into step beside me. His ethereal glow provides better light than my dying flashlight ever did.

My hand reaches out, brushing over his side. The fur feels softer than I expected, almost silk-like between my fingers. He doesn't pull away.

His presence keeps the worst of my fears at bay, lulling me into comfort.

"I'm heading to Sterling City," I say, breaking the silence after a while. "It's the closest human settlement I know of. Should be about east of pack territory."

east, but I do know it isn't

pace never

anymore. Humans don't belong in wolf packs.

but I'm

is, I don't know the first thing about being human. I lived a normal human life until Alpha took me in, but that was a long time ago. A really long time ago.

ears swivel toward me,

know how to get a job, or rent an apartment,

root. The ground rushes up to meet my face, but sharp teeth snag

once I'm back on my

"Thanks."

Ear swivel again.

He's listening. We're

lonely I feel. It hasn't been that long since I was happy. Only days, really. And yet it feels like months since the last time

much of a talker. It isn't like I won't, but

doesn't seem

did you

—shit.

heart plummets to Earth's core, taking my blood pressure with it. My knees? Traitorous things, they buckle, causing me to stumble three

hand that's hard and cold as

even if it is a little too fast and furious, and I curse myself nine ways from Sunday for being so stupid as to trust some random fucking shifter in

course he

Of. Fucking. Course.

Idiot!

berating myself, iron-hand-guy

is enough to shrivel my soul and every last

The nightmare kind.

course he is. All

and disappear beneath the collar of his shirt, intricate designs that shouldn't exist on a shifter's skin. The patterns seem

cologne. The kind with half-naked guys on TV. Warm, dark, sexy.

though it makes my head spin. Or maybe it's my bottomed-out blood

commanding. Each word drips with barely

maybe he did, when I was busy

arm tightens, and pain shoots through my muscles. It feels like he's going

I wish I hadn't. A scar cuts through his left eyebrow. He has a scar under his bottom lip, like he used to have

the last part is really just the lower half of my body

about him screams danger. Power. Authority. And sex. Lots

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