Vivian Arend - Wolf Sings

Dropping her knife and the bear spray, Robyn reached down to grab the straps of her pack. She swung around in a circle then let the pack fly into the next wolf, knocking him off his feet as she quickly retrieved her knife from the ground.

The remaining wolf was looking at her with his head tilted to the side like he was thinking really hard.

Like he was really confused about something.

A quick glance toward Keil showed her he’d taken one wolf to the ground. Keil’s huge silver wolf body connected with another smaller black wolf and the two of them rolled in the snow, scratching at each other’s torsos and necks with their claws.

“ Steady, Robyn, I’m on my way. Watch the black wolf on you. He’s Jack’s brother and he’s a mean one. The other wolf will try to distract you, but watch Dan.”

Dan was still on the ground under the pack but he’d lifted his head and was sniffing the air hard. He threw back his head and opened his mouth wide, and Robyn assumed that he was howling. Keil swore.

“ Bloody hell. Run to me, NOW!”

Robyn turned, but Dan had regained his feet and lunged.

“ I can’t, he’s attacking. What happened?”

“ He’s scented that you’re my mate. He just told the others. Damn, I’ve got three on me again. Hold him off, babe, you can do it. He won’t hurt you.”

Robyn heard his anger even in her mind. Following Dan’s cry the other wolf on her had left and he was attacking Keil, three on one. Robyn jumped aside as Dan nipped at her legs. Her backhand swing was too slow to do more than brush her knife against his fur before he withdrew a short way. His wolf eyes mocked her as he herded her away from where her mate continued to fight.

Keil was stronger than any one of the wolves around him, but his attackers teased, dancing out of reach of his claws and teeth.

“ What are they doing?”

“ They’re trying to drag out the fight, tire me out before Jack even puts in an appearance.”

Robyn pushed toward Keil, trying to narrow the gap between them, but she was frustrated time after time by Dan’s lunges. She failed to see how close to the trees she’d been maneuvered.

Then she saw him.

Shit.

He was as big as Keil, black from tail to nose and he walked out of the woods straight toward her fearlessly.

“ Keil, who’s this asshole?”

Keil risked a quick peek and Robyn felt his anger flare. “That’s the chief asshole himself, Jack.”

She couldn’t keep her eyes on both Dan and Jack at the same time, and all at once, something slammed into the back of her legs and she fell, hard, to the ice. Swinging with her arm she sliced with her knife and managed to hit meat this time. Her arm went numb and the blade flew from her fingers as her elbow was slammed to the ground by the weight of Jack’s huge forepaw.

Her cry of distress reached Keil. “Robyn, I’m coming. Hit him on the nose, kick him. Fight him.”

Robyn tried not to freak out. Jack’s massive body lay on top of her, pinning her to the ground. He sniffed along her ear.

“ I can’t move. He’s at my throat and he’s got my arms pinned. He must weight five hundred pounds and oh my word, that is gross.”

“ I’m almost there. What did he do?”

“ He licked my neck. Gack, he stinks.”

Robyn strained to pull her legs up to be able to connect her feet with any part of Jack’s anatomy. His muzzle continued to sniff along her throat, his tongue lapping occasionally as she struggled under him. He didn’t seem to be trying to hurt her, but the sheer weight of his body forced the air from her lungs. Between that and the smell of his breath, she was growing light headed from a lack of oxygen.

Keil connected with the side of Jack’s body and the two flew over her to roll toward the scraggy trees.

Teeth flashed. Jack was no longer holding back as he had with Robyn. The fury of the attack, the speed of the swinging claws, made her gasp in horror.

Fur literally flew.

But even after having fought the other wolves, Keil was clearly stronger. His massive paws scrambled on the icy surface as Keil soon forced Jack down and over onto his back. Keil’s teeth grasped Jack’s throat and he placed a set of sharp claws against his opponent’s belly.

He froze in position.

Waiting.

Robyn had crawled crablike away from their fight, mesmerized. She slowly became aware that while she waited nearby the other wolves still standing had surrounded her.

“ Oh crap.”

“ They won’t touch you. I’ve got their leader in a death grip. Physically he’s been defeated and acknowledged my superiority.”

The wolves circled her slowly, taking small lunges in her direction. Moving closer on each rotation.

“ Are you sure that they know that? Because they’re freaking me out here.”

Robyn could see Keil’s jaw moving, and she assumed he was talking to Jack. The black wolf threw back his head and howled.

“ Umm, Robyn? Slight problem. Remember TJ telling you about how being triggered made you smell kinda interesting right now?”

Robyn sidestepped another wolf that had moved closer in an attempt to brush up against her.

“ Are you telling me these jerks have the hots for me?”

“ Yup. We’ve got to convince them all that you’re already taken. Including Jack, who just made a comment about how good you taste, by the way.”

The four wolves circling Robyn turned and began to slink toward Keil. Tails low, teeth bared, it was clear they planned on attacking. He pressed his paw more firmly into Jack’s belly, but there was no way he could defend himself without releasing his captive.

“ Call them off me.”

Robyn ran up to one of the nearer wolves and kicked him in the flank. He rolled away from her and continued on his route toward Keil. Desperately she tried to reach her mate’s side, ignoring the pounding in her heart as she scrambled into the midst of six large wolves. The males avoided her, intent on their target.

“ They’re not paying attention, Keil. I have no weapon left.”

“ Just call them off. You’ve got a powerful voice and we’re in the right here. It’s our only chance. Do it now, Robyn!”

Throwing herself against Keil’s side she cried out, “Stop. Leave him alone.”

All the wolves froze except Keil.

He slowly removed his paw and backed away from Jack. Moments later Keil was back by her side after retrieving his clothes and her knife. He had an extremely pleased expression on his wolfy face. “You are damn beautiful. And that voice—um, um good.”

Keil shifted and dressed as he spoke to her, finishing off by grabbing her and continuing the kiss he’d started before the attack.

“ Keil, hello! Strange wolves loitering at our backs waiting to kill us, remember?”

With a final gentle nip to her bottom lip, Keil reluctantly pulled away.

“ You are sexy when you use that Alpha voice. The puppies behind us? Take a look.”

Robyn turned to see the wolves all lying belly down in the snow. When they saw her glance their way they dropped their muzzles to the ground and covered their eyes with their front paws.

Jack, bloody from Keil’s attack, crawled forward on his belly until at their feet. His dark eyes darted back and forth between them, and then he slowly rolled to his back, exposing his throat.

Keil spoke aloud so the attackers could hear. “Shall we kill them?”

Robyn narrowed her eyes as she considered. “Is the challenge still on for Sunday or did your competition just disqualify himself?”