Zara's Wolf (Book 1 of the Zara's Wolf Trilogy) BWWM

14. The Final Stretch

"Jesus, Cody!"

My voice is so loud that he flinches as I clutch my chest. His ears are still pressed low, but his growl stops and his lips lower over his teeth again. The tip of his tongue pokes out of his mouth just under his nose, as he stares back at me. His shoulders ease down and his fur, once bristled, relaxes as well.

"You damn near scared me to death!" I cry, trying to catch my breath and slow the racing of my heart. "What's wrong with you, dog?"

He growls softly, but his lips don't curl back. The tip of his tongue is still poking out, and his ears are flat, but his eyes look away from mine.

I can't help but wonder if he's trying to apologize for startling me. But what's his deal? Is he upset at my departure? Why should he care?

I jut my chin out at him. "So, what do you want?"

His lips curl back a little.

Narrowing my eyes at him, I say, "Hey, if you're going to give me attitude, I'm leaving, aight?"

He growls for a second, huffs, then falls silent. His tongue disappears back in his mouth and his eyes soften. If that's not an apologetic look, I don't know what is.

"That's better." I take a drink from the water bottle, and instead of screwing the lid back on, I flick my wrist quickly. Water flies out and hits him in the face. "Now, cool your head."

Cody pulls back and shakes his head. A few stray water droplets hit me and I laugh lightly. I get up and take a few steps to the creek to refill the stainless steel bottle. When I return, I smile at him. "Better now?"

He cocks his head with one ear perked up at me. His tail swishes once.

I sigh, shaking my head slightly. "I wish you could talk and tell me what you're thinking. I don't know what you want, or what you want me to do. I just want to go home."

He huffs lightly and turns his gaze in the direction I was walking. He looks back at me and yips.

I try to piece together what he's trying to say. "You want me to keep going that way?"

He yips again and swishes his tail in a wider movement than he did a moment ago.

"Is Portland that way? You know, it better be that way, or..."

Or what?

He watches me as I chew on my options. It's not like I want to hurt him, but teach him a lesson. A lesson in what, though? He's a wolf, and I'm all talk. Talk won't get me back home. Talk won't feed my stomach, or build a fire, or survive out in the wilderness. Lot of good my talk is.

He groans in his throat and takes a few steps forward and then looks back at me.

Sighing, it looks like it's time to keep moving forward to... wherever.

Portland better be this way. So help me God, it better be.

I follow him and as the sun travels across the sky, we keep walking forward, stopping every half mile or so to take a break. Cody brings me more asparagus and I eat some blackberries growing in a big patch of blackberry bushes. There's so many berries that I pack a bunch of them in the backpack and start whistling a happy tune along with the birds.

I have something else to eat, not just asparagus, I hum to myself.

Cody has his own grin as well with his tongue rolling out.

What is he so happy about? I'm happy with my blackberries, but Cody?

Maybe he's happy that I'm happy? Dogs are simple-minded creatures, so maybe that's true of wolves too? Why couldn't he be happy because I'm happy?