Page 80 of Wolf Unseen

My wolf preened, happy about this unexpected show of protectiveness. I peered around him, but the chairs outside were empty. Simba must have gone already.

Knowing he’d not stuck around triggered a pang of disappointment before I buried it. Of course he’d gone. No doubt he had shit to do, which hopefully involved writing up a very detailed report on my attack and then disciplining the two assholes who’d deliberately hurt me.

“He’s all yours,” the witch told the wolf with a bored expression. “Now fuck off, I have shit to do.”

“I’m not all his,” I growled, irritated that the witch assumed the male was mine.

I belonged to no one and would always be a lone wolf thanks to my hybrid status, no matter what my inner she-wolf believed.

“Which dorm?” the wolf grunted at me, ignoring the witch.

“None of your business.” I swallowed a wince when I jarred my ribs hopping off the examination table. My ankle still ached, and if I focused too hard, my vision blurred, so the minute my feet hit the floor, I wobbled precariously.

“Take it easy for a day,” the witch advised. “I’ll add a sick note to your record.”

“Thank you,” I said, genuinely grateful she’d healed me, even if she was a grumpy old hag.

“Dorm,” the wolf mountain repeated, one thousand percent grumpier this time.

“I’m not telling you because I like my privacy.” I moved toward the door and stumbled once again. Before I could make an excuse about poor balance, the wolf scooped me up in his tree-trunk arms and carried me out of the healer’s office.

“Put me down!” I shrieked, but he ignored me.

Once outside, he strode down the gravel path toward the dorms, huffing crossly at my continued threats to disembowel him if he didn’t release me immediately.

“Why are you even here?” There was still a gaping black hole in my memory.

“You were hurt,” he grunted. “I saved you.”

I stopped struggling. “You did?”

“Yes. My beast didn’t like it when those fuckers hurt you.”

Just like the last time, in the forest.

“Your beast is…beautiful,” I said, a memory of a tawny wolf floating to the forefront of my mind. My she-wolf heartily agreed with the sentiment.

“You calmed him,” the alpha wolf replied, sounding surprised. “That’s never happened before.”

“Um. Good?”

My dorm was on the left. “I’m in this one, so put me down. Please,” I added as an afterthought.

“No.” We continued down the path, passing a pair of avian shifters who nearly fell over in shock at the sight of me being cradled like a precious baby. For a hot minute, I was stunned into silence. Was he seriously kidnapping me?

Then my sanity returned, along with a healthy dose of anger.

“Put me down, you…you…lunatic!”

“You need care,” he said, ignoring my tantrum. “So I will care for you.”

My wolf liked that. She liked it a lot. Unfortunately, I didn’t like it at all.

I tried punching the alpha wolf in the chest. That didn’t work. So I bit him. He grunted but otherwise took no notice. My next tactic involved screaming abuse at the top of my lungs.

“YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE PUT ME DOWN BEFORE I NAIL YOUR BALLS TO THE WALL!”

By the time we reached a building right at the back of the complex, I’d run out of steam. The witch’s healing magic had left me exhausted, as she predicted would happen. My body collapsed like a limp noodle. What I needed was a shower, food, and a long sleep.