Free Insatiable: The Lone Werewolf finds his mate by Rachel E Rice Page B

a cotton shirt. Thank goodness she was smart enough to layer. But she wasn’t smart enough to stay off this highway at night. Finally, the snow stopped but it was still bitter cold. The weather changes over night at this elevation, she thought with hands under arms, rocking back and forward.
    Lumbering around for three hours tired and hungry, looking around for a place to sleep, she gathered the leaves on the ground, and the limbs from the pine trees and made a bed. Then she covered herself with the leaves and lay down. She was just so tired. She prayed that whatever animal stumbled across her it would eat her quickly. She didn’t want to suffer. Curled up under a tree, with the sounds of the forest, noise in the trees from bugs, a wolf growling and calling in a distance, kept her on edge. Fighting off large ants had taken up her night. Sleeping near a tree was the worst decision she made, second to Paul.
    When she woke the next day, her body sustained bug bites on her arms and legs, but she was alive, but for the hunger and thirst. The sun was high in the sky and she knew it was almost noon. The day, mild, better than before. She could see.
    Standing, she saw a large ranch looming in a distance. It was marked off by a huge white fence that stretched for miles. She couldn’t make out the name of the ranch on the fence, it was just that far away. Setting against a mountain range, a house backed up against it with tall pine trees near hiding it from visitors. She had to make another decision. Should I risk going to that ranch, which could take days to reach without any food, or try to look for food, these were her concerns.
    Adrienne knew something about survival in the wilderness, not much but she knew some things. She knew she had to find fresh water. She knew by the terrain and the mountain ranges that water was plentiful, but where? And how long would it take to find some. But she also knew that where there is water there would be predatory animals. With her small frame, she would look like a helpless deer.
    She turned walking through thick brush and trees, a mountain towered in front of her. She didn’t know how she could climb it, or if she attempted, what would be on the other side. It wasn’t an option as well as the notion of walking through acres of ranch land to reach the house. The house could be vacant if she made it, and there were dogs to consider. A ranch as large as that would have dogs to protect the livestock from wolves. She made a decision when she heard rushing water over the sound of her thoughts.
    “A lake.” She perked up. She could survive on water but hunger would consume her thoughts, and without food, her body would weaken. She would take one day at a time and this day just began. “I’m alive,” she said smiling, which was all she was concerned about now. She hadn’t been attacked and eaten by wild animals as she slept.
    “Take one day at a time,” she repeated as she tottered along.
    Through the trees she saw something white dart and cross her path with lighting speed. “It’s a wolf,” she said. “A large white wolf with blood oozing from its paws,” she murmured. Hearing the sound of a loud wolf cry, her hands shook and she broke into a run, which was ridicules, how could she outrun a wolf? But if it’s hurt she may have a chance. And don’t they run in packs? Was another question that worried her. “What’s the use,” she said out of breath and slowing to a walk.
    Maybe she was delusional. Adrienne was sure she saw something. She slogged along the trail leading into a clearing. But the trail was deceptive. She had been walking for hours and still she hadn’t reached the water.
    The noise from her stomach made sounds animals could pick up from a distance. Yet she kept walking, what else could she do? Just lay down and die? That wasn’t an option. She didn’t want to be prey to the next animal on its noon day hunt looking for lunch.
    As she glanced around she remembered