Page 72 of The Unlikely Pair
An owl hoots.
But there it is again, the unmistakable sound of rustling. Quiet but distinct.
It sounds like footsteps.
My heart leaps to my throat as I fumble for the torch.
The darkness seems to press in around me as I struggle to steady my shaking hand to switch on the light.
The beam catches on two green eyes staring back at me.
I move my torch, scanning further around the clearing, and I find more eyes fixed upon me.
Wolves.
Chapter Nineteen
Toby
I’m deep in a pleasant dream where I’m having afternoon tea with Oliver and Callum in Clarence House.
“Toby.” There is no mistaking the voice. Only one person says my name in such a posh accent. But that voice doesn’t belong in Clarence House. Because Oliver would never invite Harry Matheson into his home.
“Toby. You need to wake up.” Now, my shoulders are being shaken.
I mumble my protests as I try desperately to cling to my dream. High tea is just being served and they have éclairs.
“Toby, wake up now.” The command in the voice is unmistakable, and I snap my eyes open to find Harry crouched over me.
“What’s going on?” I croak.
“Wolves,” Harry says.
Oh, holy fuck. One single word and my stomach goes into freefall.
I scramble up, the survival blanket falling away from me.
Harry’s holding the torch, lighting up the other side of the clearing where one, two, three, four wolves are standing.
My mouth goes dry. I’ve never seen wolves outside of a zoo or the movies.
“Are they going to attack us?” I ask through numb lips.
“I don’t know. But I suggest we don’t wait around to find out.” Only Harry Matheson could say those words in a calm, collected tone as if discussing nothing more important than the proper way to brew a cup of Earl Grey.
“What should we do?” I ask.
“Climbing the tree might be a good place to start.”
The tree. The one we’re nestled against to sleep now offers more protection than just a windbreak. It’s a way to get out of range of the wolves’ snapping teeth.
Harry shines his torch up the tree. “Does it look climbable?”
“It has branches,” I reply as I haul myself onto the bottom branch. I have never been so glad for possession of opposable thumbs.
But no sooner am I safely on the first branch than the light disappears, and I’m plunged into darkness.
“Hey, I need the light to climb,” I say desperately.
