Roland continued walking through the forest. He could hear the other pack members following but all stayed a safe distance from him and his captive. The young woman was still shouting only now she had started pounding her fists against the small of his back. To him it was as if butterflies were landing against his skin but he suspected that she was using all of her strength. “Ifff you keeeep that up you arrrre going to hurttt yourssself.”
Sam was already regretting the decision to start hitting him. Her fists were quickly becoming swore and were sure to be bruised but the fact that he pointed out the truth made her want to keep hitting him. Childish? Yes, but she was scared and that pissed her off and made her want to lash out. After giving him a few more poundings, just for good measure she let her arms drop.
Seeing her hands hanging several inches off the ground she had to reevaluate her earlier estimation regarding his height. He had to stand over seven feet tall to keep from dragging her on the ground. She also realized that he had considerable strength; despite the rugged terrain and her additional weight he hardly seemed winded. Thinking back to the sight of him crouched over her, his canine teeth exposed Sam decided it was best not to antagonize him.
“Where are you taking me?”
“Therrre isss someonnne who wants to meeeet you.”
“Who?” Sam asked but she already knew.
“Nafarius, our leader.” She left him in blessed silence after that. They weren’t far from where the pack made their home but out of habit Roland was taking an indirect route. Should something happen and the woman managed to escape he didn’t want to risk her coming back, only next time with a lynch mob.
Sam had no idea where they were or where they were going. She hadn’t been at the lake long enough to do any exploring and even if she had she doubted she would have been able discern their location in the dark. The moon was still high but with the trees filtering out most of the light it wouldn’t be of any help. She had long since given up fighting and at the moment she wasn’t even thinking about escape. Curious by nature she wanted to get a better look at these creatures and the thought of meeting their leader ignited a kind of excitement she hadn’t felt before. She was still scared shitless but she’d learned long ago to roll with it, otherwise you just get rolled over.
A few minutes later they entered a large, circular clearing. From where she still hung over the wolf’s shoulder Sam could see that, but for them, the clearing was void of people. In the center sat a large throne seemingly carved into the trunk of a tree. The seat was so wide it could easily sit two people and Sam saw that the arms as well as the seat had been worn smooth with years, perhaps centuries of use.
Sam startled as the wolf let out a low growl that ended in three short barks. A minute later a large man walked into the clearing. It wasn’t until he emerged that she noticed that the clearing ended up against the side of the mountain. Realizing that the man was completely in human form Sam stopped thinking about where the entrance led to and turned her attention to him.
“Weee found herrrr by the lake.” Roland bent down and dropped the woman at his leader’s feet.
Sam let out a startled cry that ended in a “humph” as she landed on her ass. That’s going to leave a bruise, she thought and glared up at the inconsiderate ball of fur.
Nafarius watched as the woman glared at his second in command. Roland was by far one of the largest werewolves and there were many among the pack that wouldn’t dare look at him like that. Yet this small slip of a woman looked like she wanted to give Roland a piece of her mind. Apparently she was intelligent as well because she wisely kept her mouth shut and turned her attention to him.
Nafarius wasn’t prepared for the full power of her eyes. They were beyond green; he’d seen emeralds that didn’t have the clarity of color her eyes had. They seemed to burn in the moonlight, their dark color accent by the black of her hair. There was fire and life in this one and that would make his decision just that much harder.
Sam sat and stared. Nafarius, though a few inches shorter than the other werewolf, was tall and broad across the shoulders. His hair was a rich reddish brown and tousled slightly by the wind. She couldn’t tell what color his eyes where but from her position on the ground they appeared black. His lips were full above a well-defined chin and he had cheekbones any woman would kill for. He took a step forward and Sam instantly realized something else. He was an animal.
Nafarius walked across the clearing, his long legs moving with a fluid grace no human possessed. Stopping a few feet away he offered Sam his hand. She stared at it, not sure of what she should do.
“May I help you up?” Nafarius realized that she was scared, skittish and likely to bolt if given the opportunity.
“Thank you.” Sam slipped her hand in his, surprised to find it warm and rough.
“Roland, you may go. Take the others and finish your hunt.”
Sam watched as her captor dropped down on all fours and bounded into the forest. He moved with a speed and grace she could only admire.
“Please, come with me.” Nafarius didn’t wait to see if she would follow. Turning he walked back toward the mountain and disappeared inside.
Sam stood and stared for several minutes before finally giving into the inevitable. Walking across the clearing she shook her head. This has to be a dream, a nightmare and in the morning I’ll wake up safe and sound in my sleeping bag and laugh at myself. Not believing herself she knew that for now there was nothing she could do but follow her host. It was late and dark and she had first hand knowledge that there were things in the forest she’d rather not come face to face with on her own.
Nafarius stood just inside the entrance watching as the young woman made up her mind. He wasn’t about to let her out of his sight, not with well over one hundred hungry werewolves hunting these woods. Her presence here as well as Roland’s orders for the others to stay away should be enough to guarantee her protection. Unfortunately, he had younger members in his pack some of which still lacked control over themselves and their powers. Not to mention the fact that there were several other packs in the area not under his control.
Nafarius held back the leather covering the kept out the cold and motioned for the young woman to enter. Taking her arm he helped guide her down the tunnel and into one of the alcoves that formed naturally in the mountain. They were too small to be called caves but they allowed for privacy.
“My name is Nafarius, I am leader of this pack, I welcome you and offer you my protection during your stay.”
“My name is Samantha, but everyone calls me Sam.” Sam cleared her throat and looked around the small room. There was a fire in the center and she could see several small candles lighting the way further into the mountain. It wasn’t a cave like she first thought but instead a series of rooms or small alcoves with corridors that led from one to another. Despite the dim light she was able to see several mounds of blankets as well as personal affects throughout. It was obvious that the pack made their home here. She felt a sense of home, of peace and contentment and of family. It was warm and while not exactly inviting to a stranger it conjured up images of nights spent together.
“How did you come to be up at the lake?” Nafarius wanted to know if she had come alone, if she was expecting others and who was waiting for her back home.
“I’m a literature major at the university. My area of interest is in mythological creatures. In my free time I like to explore areas known to have supernatural legends such as ghosts, vampires, and…”