‹ Prequel: Freefall
Status: Complete
Plummet
11
“I think you heard me,” he said quietly, and cursed. I wriggled out of his arms and turned around to look at him. He looked stressed and nervous.
“There’s no such thing,” I said, as much to myself as to him.
“Actually, there is.” I put my hand on the necklace he’d given me for comfort- that was quickly becoming a habit of mine. And then I realized that it was a wolf.
“You’re serious,” I said.
“Yeah, I am.”
“Well, that… changes things.” I wanted so desperately to be able to trust him. He was quickly becoming an important person in my life. But this was a leap of imagination I was struggling to make. Embry studied my face for a long moment, then got up and sprinted away. I watched his figure fade into the distance helplessly.
Where was he going? Was I supposed to find my own way home? Was he coming back?
I put my head on my knees and did my best not to think, concentrating on my breathing instead. I was just barely starting to feel a little normal again when I felt something cold and wet nudging me.
My head snapped up and I was faced with what could only be called a wolf, though it was like no wolf I’d ever known. It was several times larger, and… well, it wasn’t attacking me.
Yet.
I stared up at it with panicked eyes and it backed away slowly, then plopped its bum onto the sand. “Good boy,” I said faintly. It grunted and somehow looked… exasperated. He leaned his head forward and nudged my hand again.
“Oh, I’m an idiot,” I groaned. “But you’re not… you can’t be… Embry?” I looked on the wolf with new eyes. I’d been beginning to think that conversation had just been a dream. But here he was. The wolf nodded and watched me with what looked like a calm expression, except his tail was beating the ground frantically.
I put my head down again and heard his footsteps running away from me. That was just as well. It was easier to hold a conversation with someone who can speak English. I twisted at my hair while I waited for him to come back, tugging so hard that it hurt. At least the pain kept me here in the present and reminded me that this was no dream.
What had I stumbled into when I came to Washington?
“Hey,” Embry said, coming back and sitting several feet away from me, like he was afraid of how I’d react to him. The strangest thing happened, though. Where usually, I felt odd when someone was too close to me, I was getting that feeling because he was too far away. That was so backwards.
And another backwards thing? I should have been terrified. But all I was feeling was shock and curiosity.
“I’m sorry,” Embry said. He wouldn’t meet my gaze and was looking wretched. “It’s too soon. I know that. I just… I wanted so badly for you to know. I just sort of said it.”
I scooted closer to him and cautiously leaned my head against his shoulder. His arms, even more tentative, wrapped around me. I sighed happily. This felt nice. Really nice. I could stay here for days, I thought, and be happy.
“Aren’t you afraid of me?”
“Why would I be?” I asked as though the idea had never occurred to me. Maybe I was playing down the enormity of what he’d told me, but that was as much for my own good as his. Besides, it wasn’t like he’d ever given me any real reason to fear him. He’d always been a perfect gentleman.
His arms tightened. “I thought you’d run screaming. Thank you,” he said seriously. On an impulse I turned my head and reached to kiss his cheek. “Thank you,” he said again.
“There’s no such thing,” I said, as much to myself as to him.
“Actually, there is.” I put my hand on the necklace he’d given me for comfort- that was quickly becoming a habit of mine. And then I realized that it was a wolf.
“You’re serious,” I said.
“Yeah, I am.”
“Well, that… changes things.” I wanted so desperately to be able to trust him. He was quickly becoming an important person in my life. But this was a leap of imagination I was struggling to make. Embry studied my face for a long moment, then got up and sprinted away. I watched his figure fade into the distance helplessly.
Where was he going? Was I supposed to find my own way home? Was he coming back?
I put my head on my knees and did my best not to think, concentrating on my breathing instead. I was just barely starting to feel a little normal again when I felt something cold and wet nudging me.
My head snapped up and I was faced with what could only be called a wolf, though it was like no wolf I’d ever known. It was several times larger, and… well, it wasn’t attacking me.
Yet.
I stared up at it with panicked eyes and it backed away slowly, then plopped its bum onto the sand. “Good boy,” I said faintly. It grunted and somehow looked… exasperated. He leaned his head forward and nudged my hand again.
“Oh, I’m an idiot,” I groaned. “But you’re not… you can’t be… Embry?” I looked on the wolf with new eyes. I’d been beginning to think that conversation had just been a dream. But here he was. The wolf nodded and watched me with what looked like a calm expression, except his tail was beating the ground frantically.
I put my head down again and heard his footsteps running away from me. That was just as well. It was easier to hold a conversation with someone who can speak English. I twisted at my hair while I waited for him to come back, tugging so hard that it hurt. At least the pain kept me here in the present and reminded me that this was no dream.
What had I stumbled into when I came to Washington?
“Hey,” Embry said, coming back and sitting several feet away from me, like he was afraid of how I’d react to him. The strangest thing happened, though. Where usually, I felt odd when someone was too close to me, I was getting that feeling because he was too far away. That was so backwards.
And another backwards thing? I should have been terrified. But all I was feeling was shock and curiosity.
“I’m sorry,” Embry said. He wouldn’t meet my gaze and was looking wretched. “It’s too soon. I know that. I just… I wanted so badly for you to know. I just sort of said it.”
I scooted closer to him and cautiously leaned my head against his shoulder. His arms, even more tentative, wrapped around me. I sighed happily. This felt nice. Really nice. I could stay here for days, I thought, and be happy.
“Aren’t you afraid of me?”
“Why would I be?” I asked as though the idea had never occurred to me. Maybe I was playing down the enormity of what he’d told me, but that was as much for my own good as his. Besides, it wasn’t like he’d ever given me any real reason to fear him. He’d always been a perfect gentleman.
His arms tightened. “I thought you’d run screaming. Thank you,” he said seriously. On an impulse I turned my head and reached to kiss his cheek. “Thank you,” he said again.