The wolf closed the distance between them cautiously, sniffing the
air. Reed tried desperately not to make eye contact. He'd read
something else about wolves and dogs seeing eye contact as a
challenge. He had no idea if the article was accurate, but better safe
than sorry, right?
To keep his mind off his fear, he began to speak softly to the wolf
again. "You’re beautiful, you know. And I’m not just saying so
because I don’t want to be dinner. Although I have to admit, youâ
€™re kind of freaking me out here. I guess this is what I get for
thinking nothing could be worse than being cold, wet, and lost."
The wolf cocked its head, eyeing Reed as if it understood his words.
Reed shook his head at his own ridiculous thoughts. Of course it
can't understand me. Still, talking to the wolf seemed to be working,
so he kept going. "I don't suppose you know of a place around here
where I could rest awhile and get warm? I don’t think anyoneâ
€™s going to find me tonight, and my leg's hurting pretty bad.â€�"
To his utter shock, the wolf came right over to him. Not flinching
away or running took pretty much all his courage, especially when
the big creature's sharp teeth hovered near his arm. Rather than
biting, though, the wolf grasped his sleeve almost delicately and
tugged the material. Confused, Reed didn't move. The wolf tugged
again, insistently, and then let go.
Either I've gone insane or I’m really stupid. Or both! Then
again, I don't have a lot of options here. With a shrug and a sigh,
Reed trailed after the wolf. Anytime he stumbled or fell too far
behind, the wolf came back and waited for him. In the back of his
mind he knew this situation was bizarre and unnatural. A wolf
shouldn't be interacting with a human like this, and its behavior
seemed to show an abnormal degree of intelligence. He was just
tired, cold, and scared enough not to care about logic, however, so
he continued following his furry new friend.
After what felt like an eternity but was probably only ten or fifteen
minutes, he spotted the wolf standing before the entrance to what
appeared to be a small cave. The wolf whined at him, shook some of
the water off its coat, and disappeared into the dark opening. He
hesitated. Do I really want to go into a cave with a wild animal?
A loud clap of thunder and the rapidly darkening sky made his
decision for him. Crouching down low, he followed the wolf into the
cave.
© 2008 by Cassandra Gold