Land of Wolves

Chapter 8

"Would you recognize your attackers if you saw them?" Caleb asks, pausing his frantic walking.

What? I swallow past the lump in my throat before giving a timid nod.

HPAW was supposed to drop me off hours before the wolf couple was set to arrive. That should have given them more than enough time to escape. A few miles needed to be traveled by foot, but they should have been in the clear once they reached their vehicles.

And they had more than enough time to reach their vehicles.

Maybe Caleb's men found some other human military company and grew confused. Only the HPAW unit knows about me and the plan, and that would explain why these men haven't given them any information. They genuinely don't know anything.

"Can I bring you to see them? Is that too much?" Caleb asks, readjusting his hold on me.

I pause, pretending to think it over. I need to see these men.

"I don't want to talk to them," I say.

I attempt to sound scared, and I know I've succeeded as Caleb tightens his hold on me. He's protective, and I plan to use that to my advantage. I'm just not quite sure how.

"I would never ask that of you," he assures, waiting for my approval before beginning to walk again.

Caleb presses his lips to my temple, and ten minutes later we round a street corner and come upon a large open square. I spot the crowd immediately. What seems like a hundred wolves stand huddled together, and they move to the side quickly as Caleb approaches.

A few bow their heads, but most stare at me with wide eyes. Am I really that much of a wonder?

My breath hitches when I finally spot the men in question, and I'm sure the wolves around me can hear my racing pulse as I scan the faces I most definitely recognize. The men look worse for wear, their faces bloody and clothing half torn off.

It looks like they've been dragged, and I spot a few blackened fingers from where frostbite has done them in.

No.

This wasn't part of the plan.

Caleb holds me tighter, and I faintly feel his chest vibrating as the low grumbles that sometimes emerge from his chest begin to come out in full force. They're frightening but are nothing compared to the panic I feel as I stare at these men.

If one of them grows weak and opens his mouth, this entire operation will be ruined. My horror rises at the thought, and I suck in a shaky breath as I look over the men who refuse to meet my eye. A second later I bury my face in Caleb's neck, pretending to be scared.

"It's okay, my mate. You're safe now," he whispers, turning to the side so I can no longer see. "Are these the men who hurt you?"

I don't answer right away. There's no doubt in my mind that these men will die either way. Even if I say they weren't the ones to kill me, they're still members of the human military and that alone is a death sentence.

Their deaths will likely be quick if I say it's not them, but then Caleb and his men will continue searching. Plus, there's no other way to explain how or why they smell of me. It will put me in a challenging situation if I say it isn't them and the wolves sense I'm lying.

In their eyes, there's no reason for me to lie.

My bottom lip bleeds as I sink my teeth into it. I hate this.

"It's them," I confirm. "What are you going to do?" I continue, hoping I can work this in my favor and make the deaths of these brave men quick.

Caleb readjusts his hold, the man seemingly unconcerned about the hundred or so wolves who stand around watching his every move. They do such a poor job hiding their attention, all of them turned in our direction instead of the men they were crowding around earlier.