Chapter Five

Brodi was larger and stronger, but Finn was faster. Especially when he was running in fear for his life. When Brodi finally caught up to him, the smaller man was in his human form, on his knees in front of an ancient Chestnut tree. When he saw Brodi run into the clearing, he lowered his head to the ground in supplication.

"Forgive me, Alpha," Finn implored. "I beg you! I feared for you. I didn't know what was happening."

Brodi walked slowly around his second, growls rumbling deep in his chest as he surveyed him. His stare hard and his eyes gone almost white in his fury. He could see Finn's skin ripple. He was fighting through his fear to stay in this more vulnerable state. Good. He should be afraid. Brodi rounded him one more time with his fangs bared, growled, and then shifted.

"I'm sorry, Alpha, truly," Finn continued, his voice tremulous. He dared a quick glance up to Brodi's face.

Brodi stared down at him menacingly. "You threatened my mate. My mate, Finn. What should the punishment be for such a transgression?"

"Your mate?" Finn asked incredulously. Could it be true? Did that explain his Alpha's alarming behavior? "I didn't know, Alpha. I didn't realize. She had you by the neck. I, I panicked," Finn stuttered.

Brodi blinked in surprise at his own declaration. He'd just called the woman his mate. Did that explain the rage that had overcome him when his Beta had growled at the woman? Could it be? After all these centuries? Brodi blew a long breath through his nose, remembering her touch. He couldn't believe it was happening when the woman had wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled his ruff. He hadn't been able to move an inch, the pleasure had been so great. It was the most erotic feeling he'd ever experienced. Odin's eye, she was fearless! Brodi was pulled out of his memories by Finn's voice. His second was still talking.

"What did you say?" he asked, irritated to have his thoughts of the woman interrupted.

"Is she truly the one? The one we've been searching for? Are you sure?" Finn asked, still on his knees.

Brodi ran a hand along his jaw in thought. "I don't know. All I do know is that I've never felt anything like it," he admitted.

He rubbed the stylized wolf- head tattoo inked over his heart by their shaman before they had left their home, their time. She had told him it was necessary but couldn't tell him why. "It pains me physically to have left her. The pull is so strong that even now, I want to go back to her with everything in me."

He started pacing, continuing to rub the tattoo. "I need to talk to Kelda," he muttered. "She never said anything about the woman being human. I don't know what to do now."

"She could be the answer to all our prayers, Alpha. The curse could finally be broken," Finn stated, hope gleaming from his eyes.

"Come on. We need to find the witch. We'll deal with your punishment later," Brodi said and shifted.

Finn followed suit and the black and white wolves ran quickly toward their compound. Brodi prayed Kelda would have the answers he needed. He felt deep in his bones that he would need the answers sooner rather than later.

 

Liv let herself fall to the ground as the wolves turned and ran back through the woods. She clutched at her chest, suddenly having trouble finding enough oxygen. She wanted to yell at them to come back, not to leave her. She realized that was irrational. She should be bowing her head and giving thanks that she was still alive but instead, she felt a hollow pit in her belly. She wanted, no needed, the white wolf to come back to her.

Her hands tore through her tangled mane in frustration. What was going on? What was she thinking? She'd had her arms around the biggest wolf she had ever seen like he was a puppy! She nuzzled him for God's sake!

She pushed her hair back behind her ears with a shaky hand. Why hadn't they attacked her? That huge animal had just stood there and let her snuggle him. Why had he let her even get close enough to touch him, much less treat him like a well-loved pet? She wracked her brain trying to come up with a reason for his behavior. Nothing in all her years of research about wolves came to her as an explanation.

"You idiot! You could have been killed!" She yelled out loud to herself, pushing herself up on wobbly legs and pacing around the campsite.

She decided to build the fire back up. She needed to make sure they didn't come back. Do you? a little voice inside her head asked. She stopped and shook her head as if she could shake the mad thought out. Of course, she did. She couldn't have them coming so close to the campsite again. Or her. Right? She stomped loudly to the edges of the camp, gathering sticks and breaking them over her knee for kindling. She had a dozen or so in her hand before she saw the blood streaming from a cut on her thigh. She was still only in her sleep shorts and had cut her leg on the bark of the sticks.

"Dammit!" she exploded, the last of the fog finally clearing from her mind.

She stumbled to the Jeep to find her first aid kit. Now she had fresh blood on her and wild animals near her camp. What was wrong with her? She quickly cleaned and bandaged the scrapes and pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a well-worn pair of Uggs. She had only just realized the night was cold, and she obviously wasn't going to get any more sleep tonight.

She sat next to the fire, poking it up to a blaze and staring into the woods where the beasts had disappeared. Her mind spun trying to figure out what had happened until the first blush of morning started to filter through the trees and the birds started chirping. She rose stiffly to make herself coffee and get ready to start her research. In the clear light of day, she was going to be the one hunting the wolves, not the other way around.