Walker's Run by Mel Favreaux Read Free Book Online

rubbed his large hands together. “We’ve not had any major discussions really, but my uncle left the family over it. We’ve all made foolish choices in the past.”
    “Yes. If I hadn’t disobeyed my father and run off to play with the adolescent, the other wolf would have survived.”
    He nodded and pulled his gaze away from hers back to his hands. “The young one was just as much at fault. You can’t take the sole blame for it.”
    “No,” Casey whispered, knowing the truth. “In my heart I’ll always believe it was my fault. I should have listened to my father.”
    Braedyn let out a deep breath, absently fingering the braid hanging from his temple. “Like I should have to mine the day he died.”
    She furrowed her brow and looked at him, hearing more in his statement than his words. The inflection in his voice sounded tortured. “But you weren’t responsible, were you?”
    “Yes.” He sniffed, cleared his throat, and rose. “I’m going to throw a few more logs on the fire.” Unzipping the tent flap, he walked to the pit, keeping his back to her.
    His abrupt end to the conversation only left her with more questions, but it was clear he didn’t want to discuss it further.
    A howl sounded in the distance. He closed his eyes and tilted his face into the wind.
    She smiled, watching him enjoy a moment of peace. Exhaustion crept around the edges of her mind again. Her thoughts whirled. So many questions about the sexy stranger taking care of her. After a few moments, her eyes closed. She drifted off to sleep, hoping for sweet dreams.
     

 

Chapter Five
     
    Four days had passed since the attack. Still no sign of a search and rescue team. Braedyn looked down at the snow covered forest valley below and frowned. He’d taken a mile hike from camp, to see if he should chance taking Casey out in the weather.
    Her fever had broken. She claimed the pain was better, but he knew different as he’d watched her writhe and moan in her sleep. The surface discomfort was better, but she was still in a great deal of agony.
    Too much to chance such a great hike in this weather. It could kill a healthy person, much less a severely injured one trying to fight off an infection.
    He lifted his nose into the air again, and then looked down at the valley once more. Making his way back to camp, he checked the snares for more rabbits.
    The sun would set before he returned. Regretting that he’d stayed away from her too long, he worried she’d awakened in his absence.
    * * * *
    Casey woke, and the dream still played around the edges of her mind. Over the last four days they had become more peculiar. The images weren’t as rapid fire as they’d been in the beginning, though she was still unable to comprehend why she was having them.
    The one that struck her most was when she seemed to be watching a pack of wolves being slaughtered by men clothed solely in fur. Casey’s heart ached while she stood by helpless and watched the murderous melee in her dream. The powerful urge to help flooded her muscles, but she was frozen in place.
    Unbearable loneliness spread through her again just at the memory of her haunted slumber. A cry of fury and anguish rose from her dream-self. As the sound echoed back, she heard just how desolate it was.
    Shaking her head, the memory slowly ebbed.
    Nothing felt right since she’d awakened after the attack. Her head pounded; her sense of smell and hearing had seemed to gain intensity and were nearly more than she could tolerate.
    The pain in her shoulder was much better, and she was stronger each day, but felt like she was on fire inside. Casey found herself hungry all the time. Waking from a nap after a few minutes, she would find she was starving again.
    Groaning, she sat up and pushed the blankets away. Somehow she’d managed to convince Braedyn she was well enough to get dressed. Now the call of nature was upon her, and he was nowhere to be seen. Dragging her boots closer, she slipped them on.