Species Unknown [Book 3: Canis]

CHAPTER SEVEN

DAY 04
BLACKWATER
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

I AWOKE TO the sound of running water. Mist from the nearby stream filled the air around me, making everything damp and cold. As I slowly regained consciousness, a violent shiver ran down my body as I began to get feeling back in my limbs. My clothes were still soaked and clung to my body in an uncomfortably cold and wet heap.

I groaned, shifting on the wet grass I was laid across. The sharp blades brushed through my stiff fingers as I rolled over onto my back. My heavy wet hair sprawled out across the ground as my head dropped to the wet earth. Letting out a breath, I managed to open my eyes, squinting against the endless darkness above.

So it was still night? That's good I suppose...I thought to myself, wiping the remaining drops of water from my face.

The more I woke, the more my limbs began to shiver uncontrollably from the cold. I didn't need a mirror to see that my lips were probably as blue as my fingertips. With my teeth chattering, I sucked in a breath before propping myself up into a sitting position.

My whole body ached at the movement, and I cringed against the dull ache in my legs from all the running. However, one spot on my leg hurt particularly bad. As I shifted, stung against the wet grass and cold air. Glancing down at myself, I noticed my pants were torn at one ankle, and I remembered the attack.

Biting my lip, I braced myself as I leaned forward, lifting up the cut piece of fabric on my leg to inspect the wound I knew was there. Taking a look, my eyes widened in shock.

Unlike what I was expecting, I was surprised to see that the wound was very mild. A small bite, that was actually very well cleaned. In fact, I could hardly see any blood left.

My brows knitted together in a frown the longer I examined it. I ran my tired eyes over the deep groves of torn flesh from the wolf's sharp bite, and the swollen red inflammation that remained.

How was that possible? For a wound this size, there should have been a lot more blood...

My eyes flicked to the stream as I thought.

Perhaps the water washed most of it away? I thought briefly, glancing at the rushing water. However, judging by how stiff I was, I was out for at least an hour, and more blood would have accumulated if it was not properly cleaned. And recently so...

Frowning, I leaned back, glancing around when suddenly my eyes fell upon a large black heap situated behind me.

Sucking in a harsh breath, my eyes shot open and I immediately scrambled to move backwards toward the stream and away from the giant mass of black fur. One that I instantly recognized.

It was a wolf...just sitting right next to me this whole time...

At the sound of my body moving across the grass, the wolf's ears flicked back to listen and I froze. My eyes grew wide as I watched the giant mass of black fur begin to shift, lifting its large head from where it had rested perfectly on its paws to regard me. It's strikingly familiar crimson gaze met mine and I swallowed.

It was the wolf from earlier. The one with the red eyes. I didn't know much about wild life, but I was pretty certain that was not a normal color for a wolf. Even if it was, it was still entirely eerie and completely terrifying.

The wolf just continued to watch me from just a few yards away, unmoving. The black fur around its mouth was still wet with blood, and I felt my breathing quicken when I realized by the hue that it looked fresh.

The longer it stared at me, panic began to build in my body. Keeping my eyes on the wolf, I slowly began feeling around my body for my gun. My cold hands blindly felt around my waist for the gun the cold had made by body numb to.