Wolf Bonded (Wolfish 1)

Kaleb howls with laugher and Rory shoots him a look that could kill. I immediately feel bad about the snide remark. It was just a kiss. A kiss that, under normal circumstances, might leave me wanting more.

And still might, if I can just get out of this damn river.

I’m already out of the river. Even if it doesn’t feel like it. Even if my breath still hitches, my heart won’t stop racing, and I feel at any moment I’m about to vomit or scream—dealer’s choice.

“Seriously, Sabrina,” Marlowe says as he catches up to walk next to Kaleb. “Let us take you home before you get lost in the woods. You’re in shock.”

“I’m not lost. I think I saw a bridge across the river up that way,” I say, pointing as if I have any idea where I’m going.

Kaleb walks in front of me to block my path and look me in the eye. “You can’t go that way, it’s not safe.”

I laugh. “Please, as if I haven’t already been in danger today.”

I can see a look of frustration grow over his face as Kaleb refuses to move out of my way. “You haven’t been in this kind of danger today,” he says. “That’s Free Territory, it’s not safe for you there.”

Free Territory.

Ever since I hit my head in that river, nothing they say makes any sense.

I can see that he’s serious. Rory and Marlowe look serious too. They seem to be waiting to see if Kaleb is able to convince me to stop walking before they get involved as well. Whatever that means.

I feel my muscles tense, as if in preparation for a fight.

“Free Territory? What does that mean?” I ask.

“Uh,” Kaleb stumbles over a response and looks to his brothers for help, neither of whom seems able to come up with a better explanation.

I put my hand up against Kaleb’s chest and push him out of the way. I’ve had enough of this.

That same phrase keeps running through my head.

Home. Home. Home.

I keep walking onward toward where I vaguely remember seeing a bridge. All three boys keep pace with me and flank my sides as I walk. I ignore their persistence as they try to dissuade me from going any further.

“My car is right near here,” Rory says. “Please just let me take you home. You can stay in your wet clothes. I still have blankets in there that you can wrap up in.”

“No thanks,” I say, still walking forward. It’s all I can do to keep from collapsing. To keep from falling apart completely.

“What about your other friends?” Kaleb asks, as if I care that I left Jess, Aimee, and Tom back at the other end of the river right now. They’re the reason I’m in this position in the first place. And honestly, I’d prefer it if Tom fell in the river.

I think I see a flash of metal from the bridge up ahead, and I quicken my pace a bit.

“I appreciate that you saved me from drowning, Rory,” I say, my lungs burning again. “Really, I’m super grateful. And I’ll repay you somehow, I can pick up the rest of the work on the school project or something. But right now I just want to walk home alone.”

“But you can’t,” Kaleb says again, his voice coming out almost like a whine.

“Unless you give me a good reason not to, I’m not stopping.” I know I’m being stubborn and headstrong, but that’s the only thing keeping me going.

“I really don’t think that’s a good idea,” Marlowe says this time. “What if someone tries to follow you home or something?”

“You mean besides you guys?” Sarcasm is coming easier to me now that I’m freezing and upset.

Suddenly, I’m not the only one to have reached a breaking point.

“Alright, ENOUGH,” Rory howls as he stops walking and plants his feet firmly on the ground, grabbing me by the wrist as he does. “Please, Sabrina,” he says when I turn around to look at him. “You need to just stop RIGHT NOW.”

There’s something in his voice that sounds much more commanding than I’ve heard before. Even more than the night he caught me in the barn.