Hey all, it's me, Kendra!
Taylor's back with a continuation of a story she started a few weeks ago - about the wolf shifter - and this one is good! I really enjoyed reading it, and I know you will too!
And - BONUS! - it's almost complete!
Not that I don't love Taylor's tales, but sometimes I want an ending, yanno?
Anyway, enough from me. It's Taylor's Time!
-- Kendra
For You Only
Scene Two
Akela
Burrs caught in my hair as I made my way through the woods. I ignored them, the tension in my gut propelling me forward. The wolf inside me gnawed and clawed at my stomach. Instinct told me to keep my guard up, despite there being no obvious threat nearby. All I knew was I had to hurry, risks be damned.
Maya hadn't called to tell me she'd made it home safely. She always called me when she got home.
As a wolf, I would've cleared this path easily, but I was clumsier on two legs than on four. Tripping over sticks tangled in the underbrush wasn't how I wanted to greet Maya when I found her, but I had no choice. This territory belonged to the rival pack who tore me to shreds a few nights ago. I couldn't venture onto their land as a wolf unless I had a death wish. Staying in my human form would prove I wasn't a threat.
A cool breeze carried a gasp of scent into the air. I lifted my nose, inhaling sharply. The pack leader must've marked every tree in this forest.
Greedy bastard!
But there was something else, a scent that carried two decades of memories with it, memories so sweet they brought tears to my eyes.
Maya!
Maya was here, but she wasn't safe. Again, my stomach twisted painfully, the wolf in me struggling with the knowledge Maya could be hurt. It didn't take long to follow the scent to a large clearing. Even as a human, my wolf senses triumphed. I stopped as soon as I saw her.
Maya, my sweet, loving Maya, was tied up on the ground, her wrists and ankles bound, her jacket thrown aside. She was freezing. I could see the goosebumps on her legs, her arms, her neck as she shivered uncontrollably. Her breath made ghostly shapes in front of her, the mist coming and going rapidly. She was terrified. No, not terrified, petrified.
Her eyes widened when she saw me, not with joy or surprise, but with a fear I felt as well. I could smell the hidden threat of the pack all around me. I approached her with cautious footsteps.
“I’m here now, Maya.” My voice was pitched so only she could hear. “It's gonna be okay.” I crouched to pull at the knots around her wrists. “I'll get you out of this, I promise.” I touched her cheek. She shuddered, whimpering softly.
The scent of blood hit my nostrils. It was too close and too fresh to be from one of the pack members. When I looked at Maya’s leg, I saw the culprit. Her jeans