Grace of a Wolf by Lenaleia

Chapter 13: Grace: Kidnapped

My head throbs with each pulse of my heart and my stomach churns. A sharp ache shoots through my shoulders as consciousness creeps back. My wrists burn, bound tight behind my back; whatever's holding me captive bites into my wrists. There's a gag binding my mouth, and it takes everything in me not to panic and try to shove it out with my tongue; I can breathe, but it feels like I can't.

Aside from some chirping from birds, there's no other sound to be heard.

I open my eyes to look around.

Still in the forest—somewhere. Dawn's covered the area in a soft haze, the grass misted over. I should be cold, but something warm is covering me.

A quick glance tells me it's a giant black tail.

Heat radiates against my back, and the hint of ethereal light tells me exactly who the massive tail belongs to. Each breath he takes lifts my body slightly where I'm pressed against his side.

My furry captor sleeps curled around me like some kind of protective barrier. The irony would be funny if I wasn't tied up.

Damn it. I thought he was my friend, and he betrayed me. This is why you don't go around picking up strays.

The events of last night crash back in a flood; the serial killer/Lycan King/weird stranger with tattoos isn't around, but he's clearly not worried about me getting away.

Arms bound behind my back, gag in mouth, and giant wolf on guard, even if he's asleep. Check, check, and check. There's no escape in my future, but I test the ropes anyway, unsurprised when they don't budge. The more I struggle, the tighter they become, cutting off circulation to my fingers.

The wolf's twitches, and a soft whine escapes his throat. Whatever he's dreaming about has his massive paws twitching against the ground.

My shoulders scream as I try to sit up, stiff and aching from my position on the ground. The movement pulls at muscles I didn't know existed. The gag muffles my groan of pain.

The wolf's tail tightens around my waist like a furry seat belt.

"Mmmph!" The shocked sound I make is embarrassing, but the gag at least muffles it into something unrecognizable.

flicks. One gray eye cracks open, fixing on my

at him, trying to radiate all my disapproval

lifts his head and yawns, displaying rows of teeth that could snap my bones like

He stretches, pressing closer against my back. His nose nudges my cheek, and his breath fans hot across my

the ground, my fingers have gone numb from

to tell him exactly what I think about this situation. About him. About everything. It's going through my head with a lot of curse words, though. If I'm going to die anyway, I may as well tell him exactly

of light dance through his fur like fireflies. He circles me once, twice, sniffing at the ropes, and I'll die before I admit

gag,

his haunches and cocks his head to one

try to make my eyes wide and innocent. It works in movies,

know how,

in the distance. The wolf's head whips toward the sound, ears forward. A low growl rumbles from his

heart kicks into overdrive. Fight or flight instinct screams at me to run, but I can barely wiggle my

The glow intensifies until it hurts to look at him directly. He positions himself between me and whatever approaches, muscles coiled tight beneath his shimmering

I'm not going to

grumbling sort

steps into view, and my heart stops to see those dark tattoos on his neck. His gray eyes are disturbingly similar to the wolf's—Fenris, this man calls him—so I assume they're... brothers, or

night," he says, as if he's

huffs and settles his massive head on his paws,

damn dog, once anyone shows up with a milk bone.

and destroy fallen leaves as he approaches, the sound far more intimidating than it would be under any other circumstance. My skin prickles

to one side, then the other. The inspection makes me feel a bit like a budget cow at auction, and his touch burns against my

thinking about him shirtless

I

my brain? He must have some insane power to take over a woman's thoughts and throw them straight into the gutter. He's my kidnapper, and