Page 27 of Midlife Animal Rescuer Wolf

“Help me,” Bryon grunted. “If it keeps struggling, it’s only going to hurt itself some more.”

Miranda moved forward, holding the animal in place with both hands as he pried the trap open. She pulled the foal free, immediately cradling it to her chest.

“It’s okay,” she cooed, stroking its flank. “You’re safe.”

Bryon held the trap up to his face, frowning at it for a moment, then tucked it at the base of the nearest tree where it would be impossible for another creature to step on it. He turned to face Miranda as she set the foal down on the ground.

“Hold still,” she said to the animal.

As he watched, she tugged hard on her pajama sleeve, ripping it off after a few attempts, then wrapped it tightly around the foal’s leg, covering its injury.

“I’m not sure if first aid for animals is the same as ours,” she said without looking at Bryon, “but I’m hoping this should do for now.”

The foal seemed to have calmed down. Its injured leg twitched slightly, but it wasn’t crying in pain anymore.

“Thank you,” Bryon said to Miranda. “For everything. I couldn’t have rescued this animal without you.”

She simply smiled at him, and he felt a warmth spread through his chest. He would have continued kneeling there, staring at her like some idiot, if she hadn’t spoken up then.

“We should get going,” she said. “We’ve rescued the foal. Now it’s time to get out of these woods.”

Bryon nodded, rising to his feet with little difficulty, his heart beating a little faster as she rose with him. He managed to tear his gaze off her lips. “Sounds like a plan. We could—”

“Not so fast,” said a voice.

Both he and Miranda spun at the sound. Someone was walking right toward them. Within seconds, the newcomer appeared, stepping out from behind a tree. He glanced at Miranda, then at Bryon, and back at her.

“Well, well.” His lips curved into a triumphant grin. “I told you it was pointless trying to get away from me, didn’t I?”

***

Miranda’s world was spinning.

Just moments ago, she’d been overcome with emotion as she wrapped a makeshift bandage around the foal’s injured leg. The sight of the little creature, safer now than it had been stuck in that trap, had been heartwarming, to say the least. And then there was the way Bryon had looked at her afterward, like she was the only woman in the world.

Or had she imagined that? Either way, it had left her heart beating a joyous rhythm in her ribcage.

Not that it mattered now. Right now, Miranda could hardly think through the erratic pulsing in her ears. She stared at the newcomer as he took a step toward them, that gleeful grin spread across his face.

“No,” she breathed.

He definitely looked like he’d spent the last few hours scouring the woods for her. He stood a little over ten feet away, his clothes covered in dirt and ripped in multiple places. Somehow, he’d lost one of his shoes, his bare foot sinking into the earth. Leaves clung to his body, a couple of twigs sticking out of his hair like horns. Between that and his torn clothes, he looked like a homeless satyr.

Except this wasn’t a woodland god. No, this was none other than—

“Jerry.” The word escaped her before she realized she’d said it.

That grin of his widened. “Don’t look so surprised to see me again, Miranda. You should’ve known better than to try to get away from me. All you’ve managed to do is piss me off even more.”

She gulped, unable to tear her gaze away from him. Of course it was bound to happen. He would’ve found her eventually, no matter how hard she tried to get away from him. Jerry wasn’t one to give up once he’d set his mind to something.

“You’ve just delayed the inevitable,” Jerry went on. His gaze flicked from Miranda to her companion, and he lifted an eyebrow. “And I see you’ve already made a new friend.”

Bryon shuffled forward then, fixing the other man with a scowl. “You must be the ex-boyfriend. I’ve heard about you.”

“All good things, I hope,” replied Jerry with a sneer. “Nice outfit.”

His humor was completely lost on the wolf shifter. Bryon shifted his weight, leaning heavily on his uninjured foot. “It’s been a really long day. The last thing we need right now is you adding to our problems. I’ll advise you to turn around and leave, if you know what’s good for you.”