After at least half an hour of trudging through the rain and the mud, Cody finds some rocky ground with a short ledge over it. We sit and rest, waiting for the rain to pass by.
Cody seems tired—if not bored. He lies down and rests his head on his paws, while I sit back and rest my bound ankle on top of the khaki backpack. I try not to stare at my mud-encrusted feet with disgust.
I shake my head. Ava’s going to insist on getting me a mani-pedi as soon as I return.
Although, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t look forward to that thought. It would be nice to be pampered as soon as I got back. Lord knows that I could really go for a nice hot bubble bath.
I wonder how much longer it will take for me to find my way back home. I’ve spent two full nights out here already, and the third one will be creeping up faster than I’d like. With the sky blanketed in thick rolling clouds, it’s hard to guess just what time it is. It could be mid-afternoon, or it could be evening already. I pray that tomorrow will be the day that I can find my way back to civilization—and eat a real meal for a change.
“Well, Cody,” I say as I turn toward him, “It’s been fun chillin’ out here with ya, but I’m looking forward to going back home tomorrow. No offence, but this whole outdoorsy-thing just isn’t my style.”
Cody seems to be listening, as his one ear is turned toward me, but his eyes are still closed as if he’s taking a nap. I’m sure he hears me, not that I make any sense to him though.
I wonder if he’ll let me touch him. Suddenly, I have an urge to run my fingers through his fur, feel its texture, and the heat radiating off the fibres.
Shivering from the rain and the damp clothes on my skin, I decide to take the chance. Maybe he will let me lean against him for warmth?
He’s lying not too far away as the ledge isn’t very big, maybe three feet from my side. The scraping of the rocks against each other as I shift my weight causes him to open his eyes and raise his head.
I stop and stare at him with my bottom lip between my teeth. My right hand is lifted only a foot off the ground, but it’s clear that I’m up to something.
His eyes take on a scrutinizing gaze as he looks from my face to my hand.
Another shiver courses through my body and I shudder sharply for a second. Wrapping my arms around my torso in an attempt to contain my body heat, I push away the idea of touching Cody and instead focus on keeping myself warm.
A soft whine whispers from his lips. He picks himself up and curls his body around my hips as he settles back down again. Warmth spreads up my back and torso from the simple act that leaves me feeling more curious than ever.
Why does he act so differently in comparison to my neighbor’s dog, or the wolves at the zoo even? King always barked crazily at me as if I were the mailman, despite walking across the street from his house. The wolves usually ignored the humans gawking at them from fifty feet away, but whenever I walked by, they would disappear with their tails between their legs. Only the wolf that we identified as the alpha would growl at me before he would slink away.
“You’re a strange one, you know that?” I tell him as I slip my fingers through his damp fur on his shoulders gently. “But… thank you.”
He lowers his head between his paws and exhales in a light huff.
I pull my twisted ankle up into my lap and unravel it from the shirt to examine it. It’s slightly swollen and I try my best to gently massage it before tying it back up in the damp t-shirt again. At least I’m off my feet now, that’s a plus.
With my ankle bound again, I cradle my forehead in my hand, willing the dull ache in both my head and ankle to go away.
How am I going to get back home tomorrow like this? I can barely walk a mile, never mind however many miles still stand between here and home.
I can’t help but sigh in exasperation at my predicament. It's one thing after another, and all I want is to go back home. I can’t even tell if I’m heading in the right direction. For all I know, Cody could be leading me deeper into the wilderness instead of closer to the city.
I withdraw my hand from my forehead. Oh, god, what if that’s it? What if he is leading me deeper into the woods and that’s why I haven’t come across a single road? He wouldn’t do that though, would he?
What am I thinking? He’s a wild animal—of course he would stay away from the city and keep me around as a snack, or a chew toy. God, Zara, you’re an idiot!
Turning my gaze to him lounging calmly next to me, I know that I need to leave him and figure this out on my own. What hope do I have in following a wolf through the forest? None, because there is no reason for him to guide me anywhere except to his den and serve me for dinner.
Right now, I can’t do anything about the weather or my ankle. I need to stay with him for warmth. Catching a cold in addition to everything else wrong with me is a death sentence.
Tomorrow, I tell myself, turning my gaze back out to the rain falling around us. Tomorrow, I will find a way to lose him, and get back to the city on my own.
----
Author's Note: So it turns out that the Oregon Zoo Zara works at no longer has the wolf exhibit. D: The wolves were transfered to another zoo two years ago (I guess it's been three years since I've been there). So let's pretend that's not true (or that they got a new wolf exhibit since, lol).
As always, thank you for reading. :)
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Zara's Wolf (Book 1 of the Zara's Wolf Trilogy) BWWM
Werewolf[Complete] "He follows me around like a predator seeking a moment of weakness before he takes down his prey. But his eyes are soft and tell me a different story." Eighteen-year-old Zara is a born and raised African-American city girl. She's always...
