The Werewolf King's Human Mate

Chapter Four

As Callum continued to pull me down the pathway, I retreated into my thoughts. Why would this wolf want to help me? Why would he want to take me to meet my son when only moments ago he'd restrained me? It just didn't make any sense to me. I was a human after all; wolves didn't do this for my kind.

I rammed into his back when he came to a stop. I jerked my wrist away from his hand and stepped back, rubbing at my nose.

"Not very graceful, are you?," he asked, amusement laced through his voice.

"I'll show you graceful when I shove my foot up your ass," I grumbled.

He barked out a laugh and I almost smiled. He had a nice laugh. I shook my head a little, frowning at my thoughts.

"Where are we going? I thought you were taking me to him," I said when I saw a large pool of light up ahead. This particular opening was large enough that even Callum's large frame could easily slip through.

After he'd pulled himself up and out of the hole, he turned and offered me a hand.

"I'd like to clean up a bit before we go see him. I'd rather he not see my face all bloodied up," he explained, extending his hand further towards me in an impatient gesture. I slapped it away and pulled myself up. As I stood, I looked up and realized that a very big, brawny Callum was far too close for my comfort.

I reluctantly put a hand on his chest and gave a little push, letting him know that he was too close. He let out a sigh when our skin made contact and his eyes slipped shut. Apparently he felt those little tingly currents too.

When he didn't back up like I hoped he would, I pushed again, harder this time. His eyes popped open.

"Can you back up," I snapped. His eyes narrowed at me, obviously not like my tone, but he did as I asked. I discreetly shook my hand out.

I took a look at my surroundings and sighed. We were in a small grove of pine trees with a small river passing through it. This entrance seemed hidden enough from the world.

When the world had gone to shit, nature had been the one thing to give me a small semblance of peace. I remembered wanting nothing more than to be left alone, and nature could give that to me for the most part. I shivered as my mind delved back into those memories...

****

I most definitely hadn't been in the right frame of mind when I made my home in the mountains. I quit eating most days, only taking small portions of whatever I had on hand when my body couldn't function. I hardly slept as my subconscious mind was plagued with nightmares. And life on this mountain top couldn't have been harder for me. The comfort of my old life was gone, and my body was paying the price for it.

Self pity was the only thing I felt most of the time, and I wanted nothing more than to die on this mountain side.

But, as I would soon find out, the instinct and will to survive hadn't left me.

On a cold autumn morning, I woke from a fitful sleep. It took a moment for my mind to catch up, but once it did, I went about my business. There wasn't much for me to do. I just dug through my pack and pulled out a protein bar and stared at it, willing myself to have some sort of appetite.

As I sat there staring, a werewolf wondered into my camp. I froze as it came into my peripheral vision, hoping with futile hope that he wouldn't see me. But it did notice me doing nothing more but sitting there wide eyed and scared. The wolf shifted into a man and made to lunge at me.

I scrambled weakly to my legs, trying to make a run for it. I made it about two feet before he caught me. He threw me roughly to the ground and covered my body with his.