Torrent backed up slowly. “I saved her from a wolf pack.” He sounded angry. “You need to watch her more closely. It’s not just Species residents she needs to be protected from. We have a lot of wild animals running loose. Didn’t they warn you?”
“No.” Shadow’s voice was still rough.
“We have tigers, lions, bears, and wolves roaming the Wild Zone. We offer shelter for them here at Reservation when humans find them too dangerous. We’d rather handle those animals than see them destroyed.” The other man crouched too. “I’m Torrent.” He paused. “Someone should have told you about them, Shadow.” He glanced at Beauty. “She admitted to sneaking out. Prevent that in the future. It’s only luck that brought me out tonight. I just returned with a new wolf and discovered the pack sniffing after something. It was her. I tracked them while they hunted to make sure they weren’t after one of our other rescued animals.”
Beauty sat up, dusting off dirt. Shadow stood and offered her a hand. She took it and was gently pulled to her feet. He kept hold of her.
“You brought a new wolf here?”
Torrent sighed. “Humans sometimes take in wild animals, believing to make pets of them. They abandon them or turn them over to shelters when they realize they can’t be tamed. We started a program to accept the ones slated for death. The residents needed something to do and enjoy caring for them. I am the one sent out to pick them up and release them here at Reservation. It’s my job. Tonight I drove to pick up a wolf cub rescued from an abusive owner. I knew one of the female wolves would take him under her care. He’s quite young.”
“Thank you.” Shadow bowed his head as the other Species straightened. “Beauty will not go out alone again.” He turned to stare down at her. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay.”
He sniffed loudly. “You were terrified.”
“They were chasing me. I thought I might have to jump into the river but I don’t know how to swim.”
“You need to learn.” Torrent cleared his throat. “I’ll leave you now. I’m going to go check on the cub and make sure the pack has returned to their territory. I’ll ask a few of our males to keep a closer watch on them to make sure they don’t return to this area while you’re visiting.” He paused. “Teach her how to swim. All the animals here are too well fed to waste their time wading into the river to fetch their food. She would have been safe from them if she’d gone into the water.”
Shadow’s hand clasped hers a little tighter. “I don’t know how to swim either.”
Torrent hesitated. “I’ll return tomorrow after lunch and teach you both. It’s a needed skill.” He turned and walked into the darkness. A wolf howled in the distance.
Chapter Seven
The small hand in his reminded him that Beauty waited for him to address her. He watched the Species male leave and didn’t miss the dark shapes that trailed him from both sides. The smell of the wolves was strong enough for him to estimate there were at least half a dozen or more.
Shadow fought to control his temper as he forced air in and out of his lungs. Rage was a strong emotion. No one had warned him about the dangerous wildlife that could harm them. Of course that came in second to the fact that the female had left the cabin. Another male had to save her. All the things that could have happened nearly sent him into a fit of temper.
“Shadow?”
Her whispering his name didn’t help matters. He’d woken to the sound of a faint scream, knew it was her and she wasn’t in the cabin. He’d thrown open the window, slid down the roof and landed on the ground hard. Desperation and fear for her safety had heightened his senses as he’d crashed through the woods following her scent.
His feet were bleeding but he ignored the pain. He spun, glaring down at her. “You are lucky those wolves didn’t tear you apart or that male didn’t hurt you. Do you understand?”
Dark eyes widened and she paled. “Yes. I didn’t know there were any. No one told me. I was only warned about residents and you said you marked the area and it was safe!”
He glanced down her body and stared at her bare legs. The big sleepshirt she wore nearly glowed in the darkness. She may as well have worn a big sign that said “come get me” to any predators for miles.
“Don’t talk and don’t fear me,” he warned before releasing her hand and bending.
She gasped when he grabbed her h*ps and jerked her forward until her belly bumped his shoulder. One arm hooked around her waist and he gripped her at the small of her back. He straightened, adjusted her gently where she hung across his body and headed toward the cabin.
“Shadow?”
“Silence,” he snarled. “You heard him. Lions, tigers, and bears are out here. You’ve already attracted the wolves.”
He had no problem finding the cabin and set her on the porch. The door was locked. “Stay.”
He had to climb up to the roof, enter his open window and rush downstairs to unlock the door. Beauty hadn’t moved an inch. He just scooped her into his arms, spun and stomped inside. He kicked the door closed behind them and freed a hand to twist the locks. He refused to look at her face as he carried her up to the bathroom and gently placed her on the counter.
“Don’t move.” He knew his tone was harsh but he still battled rage. She’d left the cabin without him and he wanted to yell.
“No.” Shadow’s voice was still rough.
“We have tigers, lions, bears, and wolves roaming the Wild Zone. We offer shelter for them here at Reservation when humans find them too dangerous. We’d rather handle those animals than see them destroyed.” The other man crouched too. “I’m Torrent.” He paused. “Someone should have told you about them, Shadow.” He glanced at Beauty. “She admitted to sneaking out. Prevent that in the future. It’s only luck that brought me out tonight. I just returned with a new wolf and discovered the pack sniffing after something. It was her. I tracked them while they hunted to make sure they weren’t after one of our other rescued animals.”
Beauty sat up, dusting off dirt. Shadow stood and offered her a hand. She took it and was gently pulled to her feet. He kept hold of her.
“You brought a new wolf here?”
Torrent sighed. “Humans sometimes take in wild animals, believing to make pets of them. They abandon them or turn them over to shelters when they realize they can’t be tamed. We started a program to accept the ones slated for death. The residents needed something to do and enjoy caring for them. I am the one sent out to pick them up and release them here at Reservation. It’s my job. Tonight I drove to pick up a wolf cub rescued from an abusive owner. I knew one of the female wolves would take him under her care. He’s quite young.”
“Thank you.” Shadow bowed his head as the other Species straightened. “Beauty will not go out alone again.” He turned to stare down at her. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay.”
He sniffed loudly. “You were terrified.”
“They were chasing me. I thought I might have to jump into the river but I don’t know how to swim.”
“You need to learn.” Torrent cleared his throat. “I’ll leave you now. I’m going to go check on the cub and make sure the pack has returned to their territory. I’ll ask a few of our males to keep a closer watch on them to make sure they don’t return to this area while you’re visiting.” He paused. “Teach her how to swim. All the animals here are too well fed to waste their time wading into the river to fetch their food. She would have been safe from them if she’d gone into the water.”
Shadow’s hand clasped hers a little tighter. “I don’t know how to swim either.”
Torrent hesitated. “I’ll return tomorrow after lunch and teach you both. It’s a needed skill.” He turned and walked into the darkness. A wolf howled in the distance.
Chapter Seven
The small hand in his reminded him that Beauty waited for him to address her. He watched the Species male leave and didn’t miss the dark shapes that trailed him from both sides. The smell of the wolves was strong enough for him to estimate there were at least half a dozen or more.
Shadow fought to control his temper as he forced air in and out of his lungs. Rage was a strong emotion. No one had warned him about the dangerous wildlife that could harm them. Of course that came in second to the fact that the female had left the cabin. Another male had to save her. All the things that could have happened nearly sent him into a fit of temper.
“Shadow?”
Her whispering his name didn’t help matters. He’d woken to the sound of a faint scream, knew it was her and she wasn’t in the cabin. He’d thrown open the window, slid down the roof and landed on the ground hard. Desperation and fear for her safety had heightened his senses as he’d crashed through the woods following her scent.
His feet were bleeding but he ignored the pain. He spun, glaring down at her. “You are lucky those wolves didn’t tear you apart or that male didn’t hurt you. Do you understand?”
Dark eyes widened and she paled. “Yes. I didn’t know there were any. No one told me. I was only warned about residents and you said you marked the area and it was safe!”
He glanced down her body and stared at her bare legs. The big sleepshirt she wore nearly glowed in the darkness. She may as well have worn a big sign that said “come get me” to any predators for miles.
“Don’t talk and don’t fear me,” he warned before releasing her hand and bending.
She gasped when he grabbed her h*ps and jerked her forward until her belly bumped his shoulder. One arm hooked around her waist and he gripped her at the small of her back. He straightened, adjusted her gently where she hung across his body and headed toward the cabin.
“Shadow?”
“Silence,” he snarled. “You heard him. Lions, tigers, and bears are out here. You’ve already attracted the wolves.”
He had no problem finding the cabin and set her on the porch. The door was locked. “Stay.”
He had to climb up to the roof, enter his open window and rush downstairs to unlock the door. Beauty hadn’t moved an inch. He just scooped her into his arms, spun and stomped inside. He kicked the door closed behind them and freed a hand to twist the locks. He refused to look at her face as he carried her up to the bathroom and gently placed her on the counter.
“Don’t move.” He knew his tone was harsh but he still battled rage. She’d left the cabin without him and he wanted to yell.
