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"Did you see...?" I asked.
"Yeah."
"Was that...?"
"Think so."
A werewolf with a wolf pack? I took a step off the path, but Clay caught my arm.
"I want to check his scent," I said. "See whether he was one of the mutts who killed Dennis."
"We'll come back. Right now, we need to get to the truck before we find out what scared them off."
"Whatever it was, I think it's gone. I only caught that one whiff."
Clay kept his fingers on my arm, guiding me along the path.
"Did it smell like wolf to you?" I asked.
"Wolf?" He pursed his lips, considering it. "I thought it might, but I was picking up the wolves following us. With that stink, I was going wolverine. If it made the wolves run, though, I'm guessing bear."
"A pack that size running from a bear?"
He prodded me forward when I slowed. "Did you see that stuffed one in the hotel lobby? Damn near eight feet tall. I see anything that big, I'm running, too."
The moon passed behind thicker clouds and I slowed again, blinking hard as the path went dark.
"Get behind me," he said.
Clay's night vision beat mine, so he led the way, slowly but surefooted. As we walked, I swear it got darker, even the glow of the cloud-covered moon erased from the night sky.
I was about to say we definitely needed to invest in flashlights. Then a scent wafted past my nose, that awful musky smell coming from downwind meaning it was right beside--
Clay spun, his fist in flight, eyes widening as he realized he'd led with his bad arm. He checked himself, his left punching as I wheeled. Something plowed square into my back, knocking the wind from my lungs. My feet flew off the ground and I braced myself for a fall. Instead I jerked up short, legs windmilling, suspended in the air, that stench washing over me, held aloft by the back of my coat. As I twisted to see what had me, Clay pile-drove the beast. It grunted in surprise, and I went flying, my jacket ripping.
I slammed into a tree. Pain exploded. As I tumbled into a heap at the base, I blinked, barely able to see. Clay's face appeared over mine. He gave a whoosh of relief, seeing my eyes open.
Before I could speak, trees crackled, branches snapping. A snarl. Then a snort. Clay spun, fists sailing up. The crashing continued, growing distant. Clay waited, poised for a fight. When he was sure the beast was gone, he scooped me up. My head throbbed, hot blood trickling down my neck. Clay broke into a jog, carrying me.
When we reached the SUV, he bundled me inside and tried checking my injuries, but I pushed him away.
"Drive," I said. "Even the extra vehicle insurance isn't going to cover a bear attack."
He swung into the driver's seat and had the tires spinning before the door slammed shut. He tore to the end of the trail. When we reached the end of the next one, he pulled over.
"The blood is from my nose," I said, holding a handful of tissues to it. "It's not even broken."
He said nothing, just came around to my side to assess the damage for himself. He cleaned me up and when he was done, he checked for other cuts and found two scrapes.
"Jacket off."
I didn't argue. If he'd been the one thrown into a tree, I'd be doing the same. Maybe that's the wolf. Maybe it's just us.
He helped me out of my jacket. As he pulled it away, I saw four long tears in the back, tiny feathers fluttering out like snowflakes.
"Shit."
I wanted to ask what had a
