A twig snapped and she spun around to see a tall, broad-shouldered man striding out of the forest. He had to be Lycan to move with that easy fluid grace and absolute confidence. His eyes were the color of mercury with a glittering, piercing, very focused stare that seemed to look right through her. Her mouth went a little dry. He was rough-looking—and tough. Clearly he'd seen many battles.
He wore a long coat that fell to his ankles, but flared out, giving him plenty of room to fight. She could see the trousers and shirt were loose enough to move, but tight enough not to get caught on anything. His chest was thick and rippled with muscles beneath the thin shirt. His arms could have been those of a bodybuilder, but she would bet everything she had that he'd never been anywhere near a gym. When he moved she caught the glitter of silver from the many weapons he carried inside his coat and around his belt.
She tried to rise, clutching her boot like a weapon. He held up both hands as if to show he didn't mean her harm, that he'd come in peace. He halted a small distance from her.
"I came across your tracks about an hour ago. What are you doing out here alone?" he asked in Russian.
Skyler pressed her lips together as if wondering if she could trust him or not. "I'm an intern, working for the All Things Wolf Foundation." She spoke in halting Russian, although she spoke the language fluently. "I was setting up a camera and I got turned around."
"Are you English?" He spoke in English, moving a little closer to her.
Skyler lifted her boot in a reflex action. It seemed a little silly since she was certain he was Lycan and could move far faster than she could, but still, she couldn't help herself.
She nodded, switching to English as well. "I twisted my ankle. I thought if I put it in the cold of the stream it would give me a little relief."
"You're far from your camp."
Her face brightened. "Do you know where it is? Which direction? I know I could find it if I wasn't so turned around. Everything starts looking the same after a while."
"Didn't they tell you not to go wandering off by yourself?" the Lycan asked. "My name is Zev Hunter. What's yours?"
He sounded friendly enough. He didn't appear particularly hungry, as if he had been searching for a meal. "Skyler," she answered, suddenly remembering she couldn't provide a surname. He would recognize Daratrazanoff.
"I'd like to take a look at your ankle, but I'd rather not get clobbered over the head by that wicked-looking boot."
She forced herself to lower her boot to her side. "I'm sorry. You startled me. It never occurred to me that anyone would be out in these woods. The others are probably out looking for me right now. There are only three of us at the moment, but more will be bringing in supplies in a few days. We came early to set up camp." She talked fast, a woman still nervous and chatting too much.
He crouched low, one hand reaching for her ankle. Around his wrist was a strip of cloth, bloodied as if he'd been seriously wounded. Relief swept through her. Dimitri told her one of the Lycans had shown compassion and had given him blood. This had to be that same one. Dimitri had definitely put the idea in his head to go looking for Fen and a rescue party.