by Anna Collins
That one arm was hanging by my side like a lifeless piece of log. The other one was trying to hold up my weight. Each time that I thought that I was going to lose my grip, I only had to look into their eyes to know that that would be the last thing that I ever did in my life. I’d come a long way and the teachings of Devlin had shown me that my world was not the one that I wanted to live in. It was mundane, boring and really wasn’t conducive to the way that I was feeling anymore. I wasn’t going to allow my own insecurities and fears of the unknown to trap me into a life that was this never ending hell.
I could swear that the wolves were trying to figure out a way to get me down to them quicker. I’m sure if they could use an ax and disposable thumbs they would probably have no problem chopping it down and letting me know where I stood on the food chain.
Tears were streaming down my face and I started to weep uncontrollably for a life that I didn’t get a chance to live. It was right there in my reach all the time and I had refrained from taking the necessary steps to live to the fullest. Hiding from my shame and from those things that were considered taboo had weighed an anchor around my neck.
One of my boots came loose and fell into the circle of wolves. The leader motioned with its head and the rest went after it. They knew that wasn’t me, but they wanted me to see them working as a team. They wanted me to know what my fate was going to be when we came face to face with one another.
I wasn’t sure what to do and Devlin didn’t look like he was about to spring up like some kind of jack in the box. He was most likely hoping that I could handle this on my own, but hanging there over the wolves was asking a lot of me.
I think I knew deep down that the wolves were a patient species of animal. They were not in any rush and they were waiting. Patience was not one of my virtues, but these wolves had it down to an absolute science. I began to think that it was useless to deny them and it was as if my fate had already been sealed from the moment that I arrived on the island. If I were to go down like this, I was going to do it fighting and clawing all the way.
The leader of the pack stood in the middle looking up and it somehow sensed or hoped that I was going to be his. He licked his lips and I think that he understood that my resolve was slowly crumbling. I couldn’t hang there forever. It felt like a noose around my neck in the gallows. If I were to let go, then I may not hang like those criminals back in the day, but this was going to be far worse than having my neck snapped by the weight of my body falling into some hole in the floor.
With my heart in my mouth, my fingers let go and it was as if I had ringed the dinner bell.
Chapter 28
There was that crack of thunder again but this time, I knew that Devlin had decided to intervene on my behalf. I landed awkwardly twisting my ankle and feeling like my body was falling apart one piece at a time.
“Get moving, Lucy and don’t look back whatever you do. Follow my voice,” He said from wherever he was hiding.
The sound of the gun did not deter them from chasing me down like I was getting away from their clutches. I hobbled with the pain shooting through my shoulder and through my ankle at the same time. I could only take solace in that my tears had dried. Maybe I didn’t have anything left to give. I had resigned myself to what was going to happen next and then Devlin had thrown me a curve ball.
“Where the fuck are you? I can’t see a damn thing and you’re really going to have to guide me the rest of the way,” I said knowing full well that my voice would draw them to me.
“I’m over here. Turn to your left and you’ll see a clearing. Move quickly and I will be on the other side waiting for you,” He said in the darkness as my heart was thumping in my chest.
I turned to my left and found that clearing. It was a wide expanse of field and getting through it without the wolves leaping onto my back was going to be virtually impossible. I remembered what was said about people using their adrenaline. It gave mothers the strength to lift a car off of their baby. It gave people the extra little something that they needed to do extraordinary things. I was banking on using that same adrenaline from the pain that I was feeling and from the terrified notion of them tracking me down and killing me with extreme prejudice.
Gritting my teeth and keeping my eyes on the prize, I moved quickly, but definitely not quick enough. I thought that I saw a glimmer of hope. It was possible that I was looking at the glint of the rifle, but I couldn’t be sure. It was probably just by overactive imagination trying to throw me some sort of life preserver.
A wolf was standing right in front of me and staring me down. I turned but found another one right where I wanted to make my escape. At every turn, there was another wolf. I tried to think of anything that might help me to get out of this in one piece, but I couldn’t even begin to think straight.
They had surrounded me, but they had yet to attack. I could tell that they were only sizing up the situation and surveying the area to make sure that there weren’t going to be anything that was going to stop them. Two of the ones in the back split off from the rest of them and began to search the woods.
I was terrified for my own life, but I was more worried about Devlin than myself. He had definitely gotten to me and wiggled his way into my good graces. I didn’t want anything to happen to him and he was the one responsible for showing me that I was able to climb out from the life that I had built for myself. It was a much of a life to begin with and I had allowed money to be the root of all evil.
I saw a broken branch and I picked it up and I waved it back and forth. I could only hope that this was enough of a menacing gesture that they would, at least, think twice about coming after me. I think that I would’ve had better luck had it been set on fire, but that was not something that was in my control. I was kind of glad to have it in my possession, even though a piece of wood didn’t seem like it was going to do all that much against this kind of foe.
I heard the gun go off and looked around but there was no sign that either one of these wolves had been given a new hole that wasn’t given to them by birthright. They felt that they were justified and that my death would serve notice to anybody that would step into their environment without their permission.
I heard another gunshot and this time, there was a whimper of a scalded dog that had been hurt in some way. I thought for sure that they would want to investigate, but they had other things on their mind besides the well-being of two of their pack.
“Get away from her,” Devlin said as he ran into the clearing and began to wave his hands back and forth in the air to get their attention.
“Don’t be a damn fool, Devlin. They already have my scent and they surely don’t need yours to go along with mine. You’re being foolish, although the sentiment of coming to my rescue is not lost on me,” I said knowing full well that we were both now in the same boat together.
“I wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth if I were you, Lucy. I’m the only thing that’s standing between them and a meal that is going to leave you a distant memory. Stay still and don’t make any sudden movements and maybe they will leave you alone. I’ll try to draw them away from you,” He said as he lobbed a rock overhand in their direction.
It hit the leader on one of his back legs. It turned abruptly and made this ungodly growl that was followed by two of the wolves now bounding into battle.
Devlin had the gun in his hand and he may have been shaking from fear, but that didn’t stop him from firing another shot. The first one missed in his overanxious state of wanting to protect himself. The next one was dead center between the eyes of the wolf that was in the lead.
“It’s bad enough that one of us has to be killed here tonight, but it doesn’t have to be the both of us,” I said knowing full well that he was never going to walk away and leave me to the wolves.
“I’m sorry, I thought that you needed my help,” He said with a trace of sarcasm in his voice.
Their numbers had dwindled, but it wasn’t like they didn’t have enough t
o get the job done. By killing a few of their brothers, we had essentially waved the flag of war in their faces. They were not going to take that lightly.
I’d never been so terrified and yet strangely aroused by seeing Devlin act like the kind of manly man that got his hands dirty. He had this caveman mentality that should have sickened me, but it was the exact opposite. He may have been a little overprotective, but I don’t think that I would want it any other way.
There were only two wolves left to guard me while the rest of the pack went on the hunt for something more fat and juicy. They probably saw him as some kind of smorgasbord and me as a late night snack.
With only the two wolves coming after me, I had a couple of openings that I could use. I didn’t think that it was a good idea to run, but my legs had another thought altogether. I began to run like my life depended on it and it did.
The lead wolf and his companion were now on the chase. It didn’t look that they were going to stop until they had me right where they wanted me. I was breathing heavy with my heart about to leap out of my throat. This was what animals felt like when they were hunted for sport. We had no right to treat any defenseless animal like this. It felt wrong on so many levels and yet I would’ve gladly slit both of their throats for the chance to live another day.
There were no trees to climb and I found myself in another clearing that went on for as far as the eye could see. I ran as fast as I could with a prominent limp, but not even contending with the pain that I was feeling. I held my arm. I then saw something that looked a little unbelievable.
Getting away from these things was not going to be easy, but I did see something that I could use to my advantage. It would only work if they had no idea what I was up to. The only way that I could prevent that was to continue to run at full speed, until that last possible second.
I skated to a stop and turned to face the wolves. I got down on all fours and backed away with them still coming after me at a speed that made it hard for them to stop. They thought that I had lost my breath and my will to live, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Chapter 29
The wolves were moving at a clip. When they were right on top of me, I rolled to the side and covered my face from any kind of retaliation that I was going to receive for trying to deceive them.
I screamed bloody murder and that was not for any kind of defensive purposes. It was my body reacting in the only way that it could. My whole body was shaking and it was more like a combination of a scream and crying at the same time.
I knew that I couldn’t wait any longer and I didn’t want to go, but I didn’t want to stay either. The time of hesitation and hope was over. All that I could think about day and night was being with Devlin and showing him that the damage to his soul could be repaired. I wanted to know that the pieces of his heart that had been left behind because of a past love didn’t have that hold on him. I wanted to start something new just for us.
I wanted to make a change and by coming here I had done that and more. I didn’t want to hope that the wolves weren’t there. The only way to find out was to finally open up my eyes.
I raised my head slowly with my eyes shut until it was necessary for me to open them. I was expecting to see them waiting to see that fear in my eyes, but what I saw instead was absolutely nothing. I didn’t consider myself to be in a winning position. I got up and I collapsed underneath my own weight. I was back onto my knees.
I crawled over to where I had lured them. I’d noticed running across the field that there was something different about the landscape. It seemed to drop off at an angle. I took the risk that maybe we were on a deadly incline that was going to give them something else to think about other than getting their teeth into me.
It would mean something to die in his arms tonight. We would’ve made one hell of a grisly discovery in the morning. I peered down onto the rocks below and I could see that the wolves did not survive the fall. They were hell bent on their vengeance that they didn’t notice that I had turned the tables. Who would have thought that a girl like me would’ve been able to do something like that?
I would have loved to see Devlin standing there in awe of my accomplishment, but there was no sign of him. He definitely did have his own problems. I should’ve had the strength to walk away from trouble, but I was walking headlong into it.
I had no idea if I had just cause to feel like this. I tried to be discreet about my feelings, but they were pretty much noticeable with my heart on my sleeve.
It was a good thing that the moon had now reappeared, or I would’ve been shocked into silence. There would’ve been no way to see what I was doing, but now I had at least that sliver of light to lead the way.
He didn’t make it easy, but he did make it feel right when all along I thought that I was doing something wrong.
I went back to the very spot where I had left him. I listened intently to hear if I could hear some kind of commotion or scuffle in the distance. The only thing that I could hear was the rustling of the branches. I didn’t want to think about snakes or other assorted creatures that could easily take the place of the danger that had already presented itself.
“I think that we should get back to the Jeep as soon as possible,” Devlin said as he emerged looking a little frazzled but still in one piece.
I ran to his embrace to wrap my arms around him. I held him close. I was still feeling that pain and I was going to have to have Devlin help me with that. It had been long enough and I was risking the need for surgery.
He had shown me all the scars that he had hidden from me. I was still here and wasn’t going anywhere.
“I told you that I would stand by you, Lucy and I meant every word that I said. The only way that you’re going to fix that shoulder is if you trust me implicitly,” He said as he dragged me towards a fallen log.
He motioned for me to get down on my hands and knees. At first, I thought that he was thinking something sexual, but that was not exactly what he had in mind. He got down behind me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders.
“I don’t know what truth you believe in, but trust me when I tell you that this is going to be for your own good. I would tell you that this is going to hurt me more than it will you, but I think that we both know that I would be lying,” He said as he grabbed me abruptly and slammed my shoulder into the blunt end of that fallen log.
He had his hand over my mouth to prevent me from screaming. I was this close to passing out when he slapped me across the face to bring me around in a hurry. He probably didn’t want to have to carry me, especially when we were the weaker species out here.
I believed that he was sent to me to show me what love was all about. I had no idea that I could feel this deeply for anyone. Even what I felt for my family was a pale comparison to what I felt for Devlin. I wanted to give myself completely to him because I really couldn’t keep it to myself.
“I would say that we have time for you to rest, but we really don’t. I fought the good fight, but there is still one survivor out there. It’s all by itself. A lone wolf is almost as worse than having the pack coming after us. It wants to tear us apart and I don’t think that either one of us can blame him for that,” He said as he tried to comfort me.
There was no way that I could move let alone say anything. It was tempting to try to push him away from me. I thought the pain of having my shoulder knocked out of its socket was something, but it didn’t even come close to how it felt to be in the position of having to put back in place.
“I’m…with you all the way,” I said as I held on to that log and tried to get my mind wrapped around the fact that I was in that amount of pain.
“I know that you probably hate me right now, but we don’t have time for any of that. I do admit that I was a little too anxious about showing you my secret. Like I told you before, you are the only woman that I’ve taken here as one of my subjects. I don’t really know my way around. It’s difficult for me to admit that I’ve mad
e a mistake,” He said.
I want to tell him that it was too late for him to say that he was sorry. I didn’t want him to think that I felt that he let me down. I didn’t want him to take every piece of the blame. This was a game for two. We both had something to be sorry for. I had come out here willingly and I could’ve put my foot down, but I didn’t.
I waved him to go ahead of me. He stumbled for a moment, but then he got his balance and made his way. I followed slowly, massaging my shoulder and trying to bring it back to life. I moved my fingers slightly to make me smile at the prospect that I might be OK.
“I’m going to have to use a flashlight. It’s the only way that we’re going to find our way back to the jeep. I think that once we get behind the wheel, we should feel a little bit safer from those things that want to hurt us,” He said as he turned on the flashlight.
All I needed was a little bit more time, but that was asking for a little bit too much. A little more time and I might’ve been able to close that door on the pain that was taking me by the throat. I was never going to surrender unless of course it was to his manly play of kinkier adventures. I understood that the night was calling him and that the dark was his friend, but it wasn’t mine.
