Page 2 of Midlife Animal Rescuer Wolf

In fact, she couldn’t hear anything. The entire woods seemed to have gone silent as the reality of her situation dawned on her.

“Oh, no,” she gasped. “I’m lost!”

Chapter One

Lara Croft in Bunny Slippers

“What do you mean you’re not coming with us to breakfast?” Henry was saying. “I thought we agreed we’d all go together?”

Standing next to him, hands in his pockets, Cal nodded in agreement.

Bryon Sanders gave a gentle sigh, shooting the other animal rescuers an apologetic look. All four men stood just before the porch steps of the big house, three of them already having dressed up to head into town. He had on nothing but a pair of jeans and boots.

He pressed his lips together. “I was looking forward to that, too, but something came up.”

Henry frowned at him. “What could possibly...?”

“Work. There’s an animal in the woods. Heard it crying out not long ago. I think it’s a foal, and I think it might be injured. I want to check it out, make sure it’s safe, or bring it back to the clinic to get treated.”

He glanced across the property. In the distance, just beyond a low fence, were the tall trees that made up Paradise Woods, the treetops somewhat aglow in the morning sunlight. Even from where he stood, the woods appeared vast, stretching even farther than Green Sanctuary.

The sanctuary itself was a sight to behold. In the nine years Bryon had worked here, that fact hadn’t changed. For the most part, Green Sanctuary looked like a ranch, which came as no surprise, considering it used to be one. A massive grassy field stretched around the property, bordered only by the same fence demarcating the sanctuary from the woods. A couple of barns sat not far away from the big house, one of them having been converted into a veterinary clinic.

From the other barn, Bryon could hear the moos and brays of a few animals. To his left, the big house towered over the four men. It was an old house, one that occasionally creaked and groaned and could definitely use a few renovations.

It was also the only place he’d called home for the last nine years, ever since he’d taken off from Phoenix with all those men clamoring for his head.

With his inner wolf growling, Bryon discarded the memory, staring at the house a little longer. Just outside the building, a few feet away from the nearest truck, stood a sign with bold green letters:

GREEN SANCTUARY WILDLIFE RESCUE

A Safe Place for Every Wild Heart

“You sure it can’t wait?” Henry asked, rubbing his belly. He cleared his throat. “I mean, I’m sure it’s really nothing. Why don’t we come back to check it out after breakfast?”

“Because being an animal rescuer means showing utmost care for the well-being of endangered animals, Henry,” Theon Gardener said, and he and Cal shot the man a look.

Henry got an embarrassed expression on his face. “Right. Sorry, boss.”

Theon turned to face Bryon, his gray eyes boring into his. “You should go and check it out. It might be nothing, but there’s no harm in making sure.”

Bryon nodded. Of the four animal rescuers at Green Sanctuary, he and Theon were the closest. Bryon had shown up at the sanctuary only a year after Theon had founded it, and the man had been gracious enough to take him in. They’d been friends ever since, and every day, Bryon was a little more grateful to Theon for everything he’d done.

These people were his friends. No, they were more than that. If this was his home, they were his family.

“Rescuing the foal is more important than breakfast,” Bryon said. “It’s what we do. It’s why we’re here.”

Cal stepped forward. “Do you need any of us to come with you, Bryon?”

Bryon shook his head. “No, I’ve got this. You guys should go ahead. I doubt this will take very long, anyway. Once I drop the foal off at the vet’s, I’ll join you at the diner.”

Before long, Theon, Cal, and Henry had climbed into the truck. Bryon watched the vehicle until it was off the property, then shifted his gaze back to Paradise Woods. His inner wolf’s ears perked up with excitement. He didn’t think there was anything he loved as much as rescuing and caring for animals. Over the years, he’d grown to love this job. Hell, it had become less of a job and more of a way of life. Dealing with animals was often so much easier than dealing with people, especially humans.

He jogged across the field until he reached the fence, vaulting over it and venturing into the woods. It was somewhat darker there, though some sunlight streaked through the treetops, illuminating his way. Tree roots and low-hanging branches stretched across his path, and as he ventured deeper, a rich, earthy smell filled his nostrils.

The woods were expansive, to say the least. The way Bryon saw it, it was easy to get lost in here if you didn’t know where you were going. The place was a labyrinth of trees and roots. Just how many times had he gotten stranded in these woods when he first started working here? If he hadn’t shifted and used his wolf senses to navigate his way back to the sanctuary, he might’ve been wandering for days.

Speaking of shifting...