House of Lies and Sorrow (Fae of Rewyth #1)(3)

The man behind me knew it too. He gave a quiet noise of satisfaction.

I unsheathed the knife, holding it out in front of me.

“Come on then,” I said to the wolf, loud enough for my audience to hear. “If you’re going to kill me, do it already!”

I didn’t care that I sounded crazy. This was my last night alive, anyway. If the wolf decided to attack, I at least had a chance at killing one of them before they killed me.

At least my death wouldn’t be for nothing.

“You should probably get behind me,” the man said. “Unless you want to be dinner for about five wolves.”

“Get away from me,” I said, continuing to step backward. I knew I was just a few feet from him. The wolves were pushing me closer and closer.

I took another step backward. Then another.

When I took one more step, I found myself pressed against the man’s chest.

He didn’t touch me, though. Just laughed silently. I could tell by the way his body shook against my back.

The wolves didn’t seem to pay him any attention. He wasn’t the one that had stolen their dinner.

A third wolf came into view, snapping its jaw just inches from my legs. I jumped back on instinct, further into the stranger’s body.

Coward, I thought to myself. I twisted the knife in my hand, gripping tightly. Would it be enough? If these wolves lunged, would my knife protect me? By the looks of it, it would take much more than a knife to take one of them down.

Seconds later, I had no choice.

The wolf in front of me lunged, and my body reacted without my permission. I didn’t cower this time. I lunged myself forward, knife out, aiming for the wolf’s throat.

A mixture of limbs, fur, and claws hit the forest floor. I was waiting for the piercing pain of teeth to impale me, but it never came.

And my knife never made contact, either.

An aggressive, alpha growl rumbled through the still air right before strong hands pulled me from the floor, dragging me backward. My knife slipped from my grip, but the hands kept dragging me away.

And the wolves didn’t follow.

“Are you out of your damn mind?” The stranger hissed into my ear, dropping me to the floor. “You’re going to get yourself killed!”

I scrambled to my feet, ready to fight with my bare hands if I needed to. That knife wouldn’t have helped much, anyway.

“They’re going to–” I started, but froze.

The wolves, who were just seconds away from ripping me apart, were now backing away. Each of their heads bowed and their tails were now tucked between their legs.

Not because of me, though. No– they were all focused on the man to my left.

I had never seen anything like it.

As soon as the animals turned their attention onto him, the energy in the forest changed.

What was he doing?

He stepped forward once, and the wolves scattered completely. He must have known some secret to deter the wolves that I didn’t know. That was the only explanation.

That, or the fact that the man was an absolute giant.

I was of average height, but this man towered over me. And his wide shoulders told me that he was certainly strong enough to fight one of the beasts if given the opportunity.

“What was that?” I asked. I hated the way my heart was pounding in my chest. I was too close to death to be afraid of it. “What did you do?”

The man turned to me, and I saw his face for the first time. He didn’t look much older than I, but he had sharp, mature features that matched the clear leanness of his body. His dark hair stuck out under his hood, even blacker than my own.

I was certain I had never seen him before. I would have remembered.

“What makes you think you can take on a pack of wolves with your bare hands?” he asked. His voice was dripping with anger.

“That’s none of your business. And it wasn’t with my bare hands. I was armed,” I said, crossing my arms.

The man laughed. “Right. You’re lucky I was here, or you would have been slaughtered.”

“Excuse me?”

“What? You think that sad excuse for a dagger was going to save you? I’ve seen a pack of wolves much smaller than that take down an entire lioness, sweetheart. Don’t bite off more than you can chew next time.”

I was actually speechless. Who the Saints did this guy think he was? He knew nothing about me or my experience with hunting.

He continued anyway. “A lady should not be wandering the forest alone after the sun goes down,” he said. “It’s dangerous, as I’m sure you know by now.”

He was still standing way too close to me, but I didn’t back away. He was trying to intimidate me, and by the smirk he wore on his face, he knew it.

“Do not speak down to me,” I said, rolling my shoulders backward. “I am not a child. My family needs food, and I am providing it. You can mind your own business next time.”

He laughed and shook his head. “That’s a lot of confidence coming from someone who nearly just died. You’re welcome, by the way.”

“I don’t need your help,” I spat. The darkness hid the embarrassment rising to my face. I hoped so, at least.

I turned away from the stranger and began walking toward the edge of the forest. Going back for my knife would have been no use. I wouldn’t need it anymore, anyway. Not after tomorrow.