gun and let’s talk about it.”
“Nothing to talk about, chief. I’m leaving, and you’re not stopping me. I’ll take this one along for insurance. If you follow us, I’ll kill him. If you’re smart and stay here, I’ll let him go unhurt somewhere up the mountain where you can find him. Your choice.”
Kerrick’s mouth was a grim white line. He nodded once, his expression angry yet strangely fearful. Kerrick afraid? Hard to imagine anything that could scare him. A funny little pang in his chest surprised Blaine. He had the weirdest notion of wanting to go to him and comfort him, to pull his head down on his chest and tell him everything would be okay. Where the hell was that coming from?
Shaking it off, he quickly moved back to the tree line, only releasing the Dire from the headlock when they reached the thicker woods. Still holding the gun on him, Blaine motioned for him to climb the hill behind him and stayed close to him while he scrambled up the rise. When they reached a small patch of level ground that Blaine knew led to the main trail, he stopped and glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was following.
So far, everything was silent behind him—it seemed as if no one below them in the yard was even breathing. Unsure how long Kerrick would be able to resist coming after him, he urged the Dire forward toward the trail. “Don’t try anything stupid, or try to be a hero. I meant what I said about letting you go when we get farther up the mountain— if you do as I say.”
The young Dire turned and bared his teeth at Blaine, and Blaine bared his own right back with a vicious growl, gratified to see the young man lower his head after a moment. He was a gamma, strong and even brave, but with an instinctive need to follow the orders of a more dominant wolf, even, it seemed, a Gray. Blaine pushed him forward, snarling at him to make him go faster, and soon they were on the main trail and headed toward the stream where he’d first met Kerrick. It was only a quarter of a mile or so from the lodge.
If he could make it there, he could run upstream and perhaps lose his scent in the water the same way that Kerrick had when Blaine had tracked him that first day. Could it have only been two weeks or so ago? So much had changed in such a short time. It was as if the whole world had been made anew.
At least using the stream to hide his trail would slow Kerrick down when he came for him. Blaine figured he might give him fifteen or twenty minutes before he came after him, and he meant to make the most of it. He wouldn’t think about any of the rest of it now. Not the betrayal, nor the heartbreak of leaving his home and his pack behind—not even the sharp pain he couldn’t deny at the thought of leaving Kerrick.
He ran faster through the trees, shoving the young Dire ahead of him, branches whipping past their heads as they dodged through the underbrush. He wouldn’t permit himself to look back at his home, the place where he was leaving his heart and maybe his mind and spirit forever.
****
When he reached the stream, he motioned the Dire to a stop. “Take off your clothes,” he ordered.
The Dire raised his eyebrows, looking alarmed and Blaine laughed derisively. “Not on your best day, boy, or my worst. Take them off and the shoes too.”
Sullenly, the young man stripped, and when he’d taken off the last of his clothing, Blaine gestured toward the undershirt. “Tear that up in strips.”
He frowned, but did as he was told, and when he finished, Blaine used the strips to tie his hands behind his back. He sat him on the ground and tore his shorts in similar strips, wrapping that material around his ankles.
He put on the big boy’s shirt and jeans. They were too large, of course, but he rolled the pants legs up and made it work. The shoes weren’t too bad, as the Dire had surprisingly small feet for his size. Tying them around his neck by their strings, he left the boy on his side by the stream and
“Nothing to talk about, chief. I’m leaving, and you’re not stopping me. I’ll take this one along for insurance. If you follow us, I’ll kill him. If you’re smart and stay here, I’ll let him go unhurt somewhere up the mountain where you can find him. Your choice.”
Kerrick’s mouth was a grim white line. He nodded once, his expression angry yet strangely fearful. Kerrick afraid? Hard to imagine anything that could scare him. A funny little pang in his chest surprised Blaine. He had the weirdest notion of wanting to go to him and comfort him, to pull his head down on his chest and tell him everything would be okay. Where the hell was that coming from?
Shaking it off, he quickly moved back to the tree line, only releasing the Dire from the headlock when they reached the thicker woods. Still holding the gun on him, Blaine motioned for him to climb the hill behind him and stayed close to him while he scrambled up the rise. When they reached a small patch of level ground that Blaine knew led to the main trail, he stopped and glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was following.
So far, everything was silent behind him—it seemed as if no one below them in the yard was even breathing. Unsure how long Kerrick would be able to resist coming after him, he urged the Dire forward toward the trail. “Don’t try anything stupid, or try to be a hero. I meant what I said about letting you go when we get farther up the mountain— if you do as I say.”
The young Dire turned and bared his teeth at Blaine, and Blaine bared his own right back with a vicious growl, gratified to see the young man lower his head after a moment. He was a gamma, strong and even brave, but with an instinctive need to follow the orders of a more dominant wolf, even, it seemed, a Gray. Blaine pushed him forward, snarling at him to make him go faster, and soon they were on the main trail and headed toward the stream where he’d first met Kerrick. It was only a quarter of a mile or so from the lodge.
If he could make it there, he could run upstream and perhaps lose his scent in the water the same way that Kerrick had when Blaine had tracked him that first day. Could it have only been two weeks or so ago? So much had changed in such a short time. It was as if the whole world had been made anew.
At least using the stream to hide his trail would slow Kerrick down when he came for him. Blaine figured he might give him fifteen or twenty minutes before he came after him, and he meant to make the most of it. He wouldn’t think about any of the rest of it now. Not the betrayal, nor the heartbreak of leaving his home and his pack behind—not even the sharp pain he couldn’t deny at the thought of leaving Kerrick.
He ran faster through the trees, shoving the young Dire ahead of him, branches whipping past their heads as they dodged through the underbrush. He wouldn’t permit himself to look back at his home, the place where he was leaving his heart and maybe his mind and spirit forever.
****
When he reached the stream, he motioned the Dire to a stop. “Take off your clothes,” he ordered.
The Dire raised his eyebrows, looking alarmed and Blaine laughed derisively. “Not on your best day, boy, or my worst. Take them off and the shoes too.”
Sullenly, the young man stripped, and when he’d taken off the last of his clothing, Blaine gestured toward the undershirt. “Tear that up in strips.”
He frowned, but did as he was told, and when he finished, Blaine used the strips to tie his hands behind his back. He sat him on the ground and tore his shorts in similar strips, wrapping that material around his ankles.
He put on the big boy’s shirt and jeans. They were too large, of course, but he rolled the pants legs up and made it work. The shoes weren’t too bad, as the Dire had surprisingly small feet for his size. Tying them around his neck by their strings, he left the boy on his side by the stream and
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