01 Taming the Wolf - Anna Avery by Stephanie Nelson

as I fled as far away from my problems as I could.
    Tiptoeing out of my bedroom, I made my way to the sliding glass doors in the kitchen. With delicate hands, I unlocked the door and shut it quietly behind me. The night was a bit cool, but felt amazing on my heated skin. My wolf scratched at the surface. My bones contorted and shifted as my body changed forms. It only took a few seconds between changes. Once I was on four paws, I bolted from the deck and disappeared into the tree line. I ran without purpose, stretching my muscles against the burn that surged through my blood. Whipping around trees and leaping over large rocks, I pushed forward. The wind ruffled my fur, cooling the heat that rose from my body. I leapt over a downed tree and when I landed, something clamped around my back leg. I yelped in pain and tried to pull free, but whatever had me sunk its teeth in. Turning, I saw the bear trap fastened around my hind leg. I immediately shifted forms and cringed when the pain intensified. Blood seeped down my ankle, the skin torn from my thrashing. Bending over, I used my strength to pry the mouth of the trap open. I slipped my leg out and tried to stand, but the pressure made me collapse.
    I heaved myself up, using the support of a tree. You’ve stepped in it this time. Just had to sneak out, didn’t you? Leaning against the tree, I took a moment to catch my breath. My eyes scanned the perimeter, seeing only dense forest all around. The trees were so thick that the diamond encrusted sky wasn’t visible. I knew the area around our compound like the back of my hand, and this wasn’t it. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been running before the hunk of metal attacked me. Deciding I needed to move, I hopped from one tree to the next. At this rate, I won’t get home until next week! Lifting my leg up, I inspected the wound. I healed at an exceptional rate, but it wasn’t an instant healing. The wound was deep, and I could see bone through the flaps of skin. It looked like my leg had lost a fight with a meat grinder. It’d take at least a week before the skin and bone healed back to normal—a thought that didn’t help me right now.
    With each hop, electric agony shot up my limb. I gritted my teeth and continued my journey back to the main house. My body grew weak as I trudged on; my movements becoming slower than they already were. For the healing process to begin, I needed sleep. My body was shutting down, and no matter how hard I tried to keep my eyes open, they grew heavier by the second.
    A deer crossed my path, its big brown eyes laughing at the helpless wolf. Even though in human form, the animal knew what I was. I’d killed countless of its brethren. Because God has a sense of humor, the deer stepped closer to me and sniffed my belly and then trotted away.
    “I’ll see you soon, Bambi,” I said to it as it went about its business. I could feel my energy draining and my legs growing weaker. I slid down the tree I used as a crutch and fell to sleep.

 

    The man had a gun slung over his shoulder as his flashlight swayed from side to side. I crouched down behind him and waited for him to turn towards me. His walkie talkie chimed, and he pressed the button to speak. “Okay, heading back now.” He didn’t know how wrong he was. As the man turned around, I pounced. My teeth made contact with his throat. With a tug to the right, his blood filled my mouth, causing a shiver of delight to soar through me.
    My eyes snapped open. Daylight caused me to blink a few times. Squinting, I could make out the outline of a man’s face and realized I was being carried.
    “Adam?” I croaked.
    “Shh, save your energy.”
    I nestled against his warmth, my naked body no longer producing the amount of heat I was used to. The jostling of his movements caused the pain to pulse through my leg. Gritting my teeth, I fisted his shirt in my hands and focused on his heavenly scent rather than the fire that crawled up my calf. I must have