"Kit Reed - What Wolves Know" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reed Kit)

Happy does not know what this means. With his back hairs rising, he
gives the wolfтАЩs first warning. He grrrs at the man. Man. ThatтАЩs one of
HappyтАЩs words. And the other? Woman. The rest, he will not parse. The
man grabs for him even though Happy rolls back his lips to show his fangs.
The wolfтАЩs second warning. Now, wolves, wolves know when close is too
close, and they keep their distance. With wolves, you always know where
you are.

Wolves donтАЩt stare like that unless they are about to spring and rip
your throat out, but unlike the wolf, man has no code. If Happy bolts, will this
one bring him down and close those big square teeth in him?

тАЬHold still! What happened to your hand?тАЭ

Happy does as taught; he snarls. The wolfтАЩs last warning.

тАЬNow, stop. I didnтАЩt bring you all this way to hurt you.тАЭ

тАЬBrent, heтАЩs hurt.тАЭ The other voice is not at all like barking. тАЬOh, you
poor thing, youтАЩre bleeding.тАЭ

The man growls, тАЬCome here. We canтАЩt let the people see blood.тАЭ

Happy bunches his shoulders and drops to a crouch, but the man
keeps on coming. Happy backs and backs. Oh, that thing he does with his
face, too many teeth showing. Just stop! The more Happy scrambles away
the more the man crowds him. At his back the walls meet like the jaws of a
trap. He tips back his head and howls. тАЬAh-whooooooo ...тАЭ

тАЬQuiet! What will people think?тАЭ

тАЬAh-whoooooo.тАЭ Happy stops breathing. He is listening. Not one wolf
responds. There is an unending din in this bright place but there are no
wolves anywhere. Even though he was running away when the humans
caught him, HappyтАЩs heart shudders. He is separated from his pack.

тАЬShut up. Shut up and IтАЩll get you a present.тАЭ
 There are words Happy knows and words he doesnтАЩt know, but he
remembers only one of them well enough to speak. тАЬOh,тАЭ he barks bravely,
even though he is cornered. тАЬOh, oh!тАЭ

тАЬThatтАЩs better. Now, hold still.тАЭ When a human shows its teeth at you it
means something completely different from what you are taught to watch
out for, but you had better watch out for it.

The woman purrs, тАЬBrent, youтАЩre scaring him!тАЭ

Woman. Another of HappyтАЩs words. The sound she makes is nothing
like a howl, but he thinks they are kindred.