Chapter 3: Freya

The wolf stood next to me, coming up to my chest. His paws were massive, signaling it may have still been growing which was a frightful thought. My stalker was clearly unaware of his presence until he made himself known, and I was just as clueless. He crouched low on his front legs, growling with a force that shook every bone in my body.

“I’d leave if I were you.” I laughed just as the man decided to turn tail and run.

Once he was fully out of view, the wolf relaxed, shaking himself free from the tension of the moment before turning back to me.

“Are you expecting me to thank you?” I grumbled, crossing my arms.

I heard a grumble in its throat like a laugh, but of course it wasn’t going to say anything else.

“Okay, well, thank you, but I had it under control.” I turned on one heel and continued walking, thinking the wolf had much better things to do than follow me.

Clearly I was wrong, though. I heard the click click of claws hitting pavement. It was less menacing than the stalker’s shoes walking behind me. Annoying more than anything actually.

“Can I help you?”

It stopped and tilted its head to the side. That’s when I finally got a good look. Those blue eyes. No… Mr. Icy Stare? He couldn't have found me, then again, I wasn't far from that bar. Maybe he had stayed there and waited for me to leave? Maybe that whole conversation was him marking me as his target?

“Why are you following me?” I growled.

Still nothing, then again he wasn’t attacking me. Paranoia had died down calming my heart, maybe he was just making sure I made it back to wherever I was going? As long as he didn’t change back then I didn’t care what he did.

“You’re that guy from the bar earlier?”

He finally nodded.

“Okay, do I get a name?”

He tilted his head and I sighed. So I was going to need to stick with yes or no questions then. He had to have been a young wolf still. I heard that older, more experienced ones in a pack like Rosetta didn’t have to change during the full moon. The power of the pack sustained them and gave them power beyond the laws of the moon goddess. My father never benefited from it, unfortunately.

“Are you going to keep following me?”

He nodded and took a few steps to stand next to me, eyes looking upward as if he were waiting for my next move.

“This is going to get annoying, you know.”

Another rumble of laughter from him and I couldn't help but smirk slightly.

“So what’s going to happen when the hotel front desk sees me enter with a giant wolf? Don’t suppose they’re used to it by now?” He didn’t respond, only continued to walk next to me. I don’t know why I felt the need to fill the silence; it wasn’t exactly required, but maybe it was just nervous energy. I had thought he wasn’t too bad looking earlier, “Just don’t turn back, I don’t have any clothes that fit you.”

I came to the edge of the park, my hotel in view, but I didn’t want him to know this was where I was staying. So instead I turned to look down at him, “It’s not far back to my hotel. I think I can make it from here. You should get back to your pack. I’m sure your alpha is not going to take too kindly to you scaring a human and flaunting yourself around the general population.”

He turned his head in the direction of the hotel and then back to me.

I shook my head, guessing what he was saying. “No a bit farther down. Seriously, don’t follow me. I want to just put this night behind me.”

He cocked his head to the side and then turned looking both directions down this long stretch of road.

“What?” I huffed, “Is this not a good area?”

He looked to have shrugged and then took my hand in his mouth before leading me back into the park off the paved path. Why I didn’t fight him was beyond me but he took me deep until the pavement and lights were out of view. If this was where he was going to kill me, he was certainly acting funny beforehand.

“Where are you taking me?”

He dropped my hand and stepped in front of me, growling once before ducking into the trees. I heard the sound of bones snapping and a slight cry of pain.

“Are you okay?” I wanted to take a step back and run for it. I might have been able to make it to my room before he could catch up. He’d be knocking on doors all night before finding me. My feet though, stayed put. One went slightly behind the other one, but I could never force it to go any further.

“Fine,” he grunted, calling through the trees. “Are you okay?”

“Me?” I laughed, grateful he was staying out of view. “I’m fine. I seriously had it under control.”

“Sure you did,” he laughed painfully, “Where are you staying?”

“Why should I tell you?”

“Because I asked,” he was struggling his voice hovered between a growl and a wince of pain, “Don’t make me come out there and threaten you. Just tell me where you’re staying.”

“Not your business.” I growled and finally found my feet willing to obey me.

“You know I can find you easily if you run right?”

Was that a threat? I turned back narrowing my eyes in the direction of his voice, “What the fuck is your problem?”

“Problem?” he mocked back, “Oh sweetheart, I have no problem.”

I scoffed and threw my hands in the air, “I’m not your fucking sweetheart you fucking dog! Why are you following me?” I didn’t wait for a response. he was clearly fighting against his goddess right now, judging by the strain in his voice, she was determined not to have one of her wolves walking as a human when they shouldn't be. “Leave me alone! I’m not a wolf, and I’ll be gone in a few days.”

“I thought-” he began, taking a few moments to pause and control himself between breaths, “I told you- don’t leave town.”

“Good thing I don’t have to obey you.” I laughed back with a snide hiss of hatred, “I don’t know you. I’ve done nothing to insult you, so if you don’t leave me alone I’ll fucking go to the police. Do I make myself clear?”

“Feisty.” He laughed and I finally saw him. He fell, leaning against a tree, one arm around his abdomen as he slid down to the ground.

Rolling my eyes I wondered why he was so persistent, “Change back into your wolf. Your goddess clearly wants you to.”

“Had to talk to you.” he winced. “Needed you to know-”

“What?” grumbling, I stomped and crossed my arms back at him. “What is so important?”

Pausing far too long, he looked at me once more. I could have sworn he was debating what to say before finally settling, “Don’t walk alone in the park.” He laughed and took another long, deep breath. “Humans, use it to prey on outsiders and young girls.”

That clearly wasn’t what he wanted to tell me, but I appreciated the offer. He said it just in time, too as the goddess with one strong force of light upon him shined through the trees, causing him to explode once more into his wolf form. I hated that part of wolves. They were stronger, had the pack camaraderie, and the mental abilities that far exceeded any other supernatural creature. Their one downside was their will against their goddess.

Kitsune had such a respectful relationship with ours. Inari, the god of the kitsune, was more of a father figure who had sent his children off to college. He never bothered us, and we never bothered him. Other creatures I knew weren’t as lucky, none more so than werewolves, whose goddess was one of the most actively involved in their lives.

“It’s fine,” I sighed, deciding to toss him a bone, “I’m staying in the hotel just outside the park. I’m not in danger, I promise. I know how to handle myself.”

He came back to my side, and I saw his unamused look that questioned my ability to protect myself.

“If you had waited, you would have seen me defend myself against that guy.”

At last, I heard his low rumbling laughter again.

“Seriously, go back to your pack. They’ve got to be missing you. I’m sure some werewolf is kicking themselves wanting a chance to be with you tonight.” Checking my wrist, I saw it was nearly one in the morning. I needed to get to bed. Not sure why I decided to offer him something, “Look, if you walk me back to the hotel, that’d be fine, but you’re not coming in.”

He shrugged as I turned around and continued to walk back to the path.

I really wasn’t sure why I wanted to give him anything. It seemed to me that he didn’t have any foul intentions, but then again, he could have been bluffing. I didn’t think I could trust him, not fully. He was after all a werewolf, and I was definitely not. The two of us were destined to be suspicious of each other.

I noticed he was still following me so I decided it was fine, at least for right now. “Fine, you can walk me to the hotel, but that’s it.”

He walked next to me, almost not paying me any attention, as I noticed his eyes darting all over and his nose continued to twitch in the air.

Finally, we made it back to the hotel. “Okay, well this is me.” I laughed and tossed my thumb backward to the hotel door. It was a sliding double door. I noticed many large buildings in this city had them. Despite clearly giving the sign I was fine from now on, he just ignored me and continued to walk forward, letting the doors open.

Now it was his turn to turn around, waiting for me.

“Oh no!” I huffed, not caring if anyone at this hour heard me or even saw me, “You’re not going in here.”

His stare back was unamused, his mind was made up, and he was going to keep following me.

“Okay fine,” I huffed, and walked past the front desk clerk who really didn’t seem to be paying us any attention. “You can walk me up to my room, but you’re not coming in.”

We took the elevator to the eleventh floor, where I got out and walked toward the end of the hall. I managed to stay quiet, making sure to not lay down the law anymore, but once we got to the door, I paused before opening it.

“Okay, you can go now. I made it to my room just fine.”

He just stared up at me.

“I’m not letting you in, so you can just go.”

I caught him raising his eyebrows.

“I mean it. You're not coming in.” I opened the door with my key card, and he pushed past me. Oddly enough, it didn't seem like he was wanting me to come in though. Instead, he sniffed the air and when one of my feet touched inside the door, he spun around with a growl. “What do I need to wait out here now?”

He nodded and I stomped my foot. His response was just an eye roll as he surveyed the room. Ridiculous really, he was acting like I was actually in trouble or something.

Five minutes of him looking under the bed, sniffing every closet and door, and believe it or not, shutting the curtains, which was impressive in his wolf form. Finally, he came back to me and stepped aside, bowing his head.

“Wow, hope it was worth it.” My snide remark didn't go unnoticed by him, and him staying inside the room didn't go unnoticed by me. I turned back around after tossing my bag onto a chair, “I've got to shower and get to sleep. This is seriously where we part ways.”

He just stared back.

It was at this point that I guess I just stopped caring because I went to my suitcase and took out my bedclothes. I wasn’t going to change in front of him, but I desperately needed a shower. Between the rental car, walking the streets of orgies and booze, sitting in that musty bar, and that trying ordeal in the park I needed to scrub my skin raw. I would have preferred a large jet tub and a bubble bath, but of course this wasn't one of those fancy enough rooms. Most likely, if I wanted to splurge on a better room, maybe but this was only meant to be a one or two-night trip at the most. I should have known that being around the local wildlife was going to be a smelly ordeal. Now it seemed so worth it for the bathroom upgrade.

I heard a sigh from the dog on the floor and rolled my eyes back at him, “dont fucking turn back while in here. That's your only warning!” Snapping up my clothes, I marched into the bathroom, making sure the door slammed shut behind me.

I pushed a towel up against the bottom of the door and forcefully, consciously, and deliberately locked it with all my might. It didn't muffle his stupid fucking chuckle of a growl from the other room but damn I was going to make a point of him being in the wrong. “Fucking animals!” I cursed while getting my shower. The steam filled the room quickly, but I didn't care. The hotter the water now the better. I needed to physically burn away every part of this day.

Getting out I checked the time on my watch and sighed, after two in the morning. Wonderful. Opening the door I saw him laying down more comfortably than he should have been on the bed.

“Fuck!” I tossed my clothes to the side and started to braid my hair. “You just had to leave your scent on the bed? Get off! If you're going to insist on being here, sleep on the damn floor.”

He made a point to not move from his spot and kept his head low and eyes shut. I knew he wasn't sleeping. This charade wasn't going to work on me. “Get off now!” I huffed and went to the empty side of the bed, pulling the covers with as much force as possible, trying to get him to move. It was no use though; he was far too heavy. “Fine!” I barked, throwing the blanket back down.

Marching over to the linen closet, I took a spare blanket out and a few pillows. The blanket wasn't as big, and the pillows weren’t as plump, but I was going to die on this hill. We were not going to sleep next to each other.

The floor wasn't dirty but it wasn’t exactly clean either. I laid the blanket out as a makeshift sleeping bag and walked over, turning off the air conditioner. My hand slipped up to the curtain to pull it back just so I had access to open this window but a growl from the dog on the bed stayed my hand.

I turned back at him, narrowing my eyes, “What now, you big baby? I just want to open the windows. Is it too much to ask?”

He answered with a growl.

“Fine!” I huffed, throwing back the curtains, not caring if they remained closed or not, and threw myself onto the ground to sleep. “I fucking swear, when I meet your alpha he will be getting a piece of my mind.”

That went unanswered.