Alpha's Embrace 1(3)

As she sat there with her back still against the tree, darkness cloaked the forest and she heard more and more howls followed by barking, yelping and whimpering. God how many wolves were there? Then the cold, still air fell silent, with just one last howl to be heard this one was a pleasant sounding howl, almost peaceful and calm.



Lyanne had no concept of time, sitting alone in the dark her thoughts turned to Nathan’s fate. She hadn’t seen him since the snowmobile crashed; in fact, she hadn’t even heard him so she assumed he was hurt or worse. She started to cry. Tears rolled down her smooth skin. She had no idea how to survive this, no idea how to get help. Lyanne felt abandoned.





Chapter 2




“Lyanne,” a soft whisper said, it was Nathan’s voice.



“Nathan, Nathan I’m over here,” Lyanne shouted, feeling a shred of hope finally.



The darkness stole all her senses and she had no idea which direction his voice came from, she tried to peer into the darkness but it was hopeless.



“Lyanne, keep talking to me then, I can’t find you in the dark unless I can hear you,” he shouted, and this time his voice sounded louder.



Lyanne tried to sit up as tall as she could and raised her head up toward the dark, star scattered sky, “Over here Nathan, over here.”



She saw the silhouette of a figure clambering toward her through the deep snow, “Nathan, I’m here.”



“Lyanne, god it’s so cold and so dark. Did you hear the fucking howling?”



As he approached, his footsteps crunched through the icy snow. He made it to Lyanne and collapsed beside her, she took his arm, he didn’t object. Remarkably, he wasn’t hurt.



“Will they attack us? You know about animals and shit,” he said in a quiet voice as though he were trying to keep the conversation from the wolves.



“I know they’ll work together as a pack, and because I’m injured I’m a sitting target,” Lyanne said as her tears started to fall again.



A howl broke the air, it was the first low-pitched howl again and now it sounded closer.



Lyanne felt Nathan’s arm tense with fear, and she held it tighter as if trying to reassure him.



“We can’t stay here Lyanne.”



“We can’t run for it either Nathan, I can’t run, and you’ll never outrun one wolf and you certainly won’t outrun a pack of them. You’ll be seen as prey if you run, their predatory nature will kick in and they’ll give chase.”



“I’m fit Lyanne. I’m sure I could make it. All you’ve got to do is distract them for me babe and while they’re interested in you I’ll make a run for it.”



“So I’m the fucking bait,” shouted Lyanne, annoyed that Nathan would even consider such a plan.



Nathan looked at her and she could just make his face out in the darkness, his voice was filled with false sincerity as he said, “Lyanne babe, you can’t run. I can go for help. I can run fast, you know I can babe.” It was true he could run fast, but why the hell should she be the fucking bait.



“Nathan, they’ll kill me. I’m injured and weak and I stink of fear. Wolves sense fear and weakness, that’s why they pick off the small, weak or sick animals first when they hunt,” Lyanne could actually put some of her vast knowledge of the animal kingdom to some use at last, and she had to admit it felt good to contribute some valuable information to a conversation. Especially one with Nathan.



The howling was growing closer. Lyanne’s heart was racing; she was petrified of dying in this lonely wilderness. The barking and yelping started again now, Lyanne thought she could select at least 6-7 different sounding howls and vocalization but she couldn’t be certain. The sounds echoed around the trees anyway so maybe there were fewer wolves than she thought. She knew they had to try something.



“Nathan how about getting up the tree? They can’t climb, they’ll wait for us at the bottom of the tree, but we can wait it out.”



“Yeah, but we still have to get out of here Lyanne and you can’t climb any better than you can run babe.”



Lyanne knew he was right, “Fine but how are you going to see to outrun them you can’t see in the pitch black and you’re running through deep snow. Their senses are much keener than yours.”



Nathan stood up and stretched his legs as the howls became louder. He said goodbye to Lyanne and despite her cries of protest he started to run, he was swallowed up quickly by the darkness and she lost track of him. Lyanne sat with her back against the tree and waited in silence. Her leg and ankle had grown numb with the cold so at least she felt no pain.