"No, you won't be a burden. I'm just going to take you back to the pack. The Alpha will give you a job to do and assign you somewhere to live. Probably with me, since I found you. I'm sorry it had to happen this way, but The Law is The Law. I can't break a hundred years of rules for you. Do you know what would happen if you let it slip to the wrong person that there are werewolves in these woods? Do you know what would happen to us, to our children, if the government or any scientists realized we exist? They'd give us no mercy. They'd turn us into guinea pigs, lab rats. They'd dig through our brains and dissect us, still alive, until they figured out how to recreate what we can do. Or they'd force us to breed. That's no life." Finally, he stood up. He hauled her to her feet, keeping a solid grip on her wrists.

"I'm going to let go of you now, and then I'm going to shift into a wolf. You're going to climb onto my back and then I'll take you to where the pack lives." His grip tightened momentarily and his intense green gaze captured hers. "If you try to run, I will catch you. I'm much faster than you are. Please, for your sake, cooperate and this will go easier on you." With that, he let go and shifted back.

He was huge for a wolf, almost horse-sized. Certainly big enough to ride on. His fur was a deep, inky black and his eyes were the same intense green, too intelligent for a mere wolf. He sank to his belly and motioned for her to climb on, giving a menacing growl to keep her from getting any ideas about escaping.