Mira remained hidden in the small alcove as the night grew deeper and sighed at her own foolishness...
The more she wanted to see Aron, the more she had thought of some other places to hide.
Because for the first time in her life, she was hiding from Aron who always knew where to find her. Thankfully, he didn’t know of this place.
She did not like this feeling of having to avoid her best friend and mentor, but she was too shy to walk to him on her own. Master had already told her what would happen next, and that was exactly what made her pull back now. She needed some time.
She hugged the small pillow she had brought with her and snuggled deeper into the warm coarse blanket she had brought with her, trying to make herself feel secure. The shining butterflies she had created with her magic drifted around the narrow space, their soft glow making it impossible for her to feel too fearful of the darkness. She let out another slow sigh.
Tonight was the last night she would be able to hide. Tomorrow, she would have to face...
Her thoughts scattered when she heard a faint sound from outside and stiffened. Had someone found her hiding place? Or could it be a wild animal? She could make a fire to scare the animal but fire was too difficult to control and this place too small if she made a mistake...
Before she could even form a gasp or go to investigate the sound, she saw movement at the entrance. And then, a large black wolf stepped inside.
Mira froze. The air rushed out of her in a sharp breath as she stared at the large, golden-eyed wolf. She had never heard of wolves entering this part of the forest. She knew that a wolf pack lived in the other regions around them, but they mostly entered the human villages, not the ones belonging to Witches. So why was this wolf here, on their coven’s territory? And she had never imagined that they would be so large...
Those questions did not stay in her mind for long, because another thought pushed them away—what if it had come here looking for food? And the only edible thing in this small alcove was probably her.
Hurriedly, she tried to scramble to her feet, but the moment she moved, she realized she had trapped herself. The straw beneath her had twisted around her legs, and the blanket had folded over her in such a way that her lower body was almost tied up. She struggled to free herself, but the wolf had already stepped closer. Now there was only an arm’s length of space between them. She swallowed hard.
She did not want to become wolf food! That was when she remembered the roasted chicken legs she had hidden in her bag for breakfast tomorrow.
Her eyes flicked to the bag, then back to the wolf. Would it be satisfied with a few chicken legs? But it was better to try it...than die.
Mira’s hands shook as she reached for her bag. Her fingers fumbled as she moved to grab it, but she somehow managed to pull it and grab the chicken legs she had wrapped carefully for the next morning. She lifted the whole bag with both hands, her arms trembling, and held it out toward the wolf.
"This... you can take this," she whispered in a thin shaky voice, "But please don’t eat me. I am too young. Also, I am not too tasty, I assure you. You might even get a stomach ache..."
The words left her mouth before she even thought about them. She was terrified and really did not think about whether the wolf would understand her.
But the wolf did not stop walking forward. Mira’s breath hitched. She pressed herself back even though there was nowhere left to go. She gulped hard, her arm frozen with the offering.
Sigh. She was going to end up in this big beast’s stomach tonight. That was the only explanation. No one would find her in time, and she could not even run. She should not have hidden from Aron...
She shut her eyes for a moment, wondering if it would hurt or if it would be a quick death.
But then, something strange happened. She opened one eye and noticed the wolf stop right in front of her. It lowered its head slightly and stared at the bag she was holding out with desperate hands. Then its golden eyes lifted to her face, almost as if it was... thinking. Or choosing. Mira’s eyes widened. Did it understand what she had said?
Before she could move then or breathe a sigh of relief, the wolf leaned forward. Its muzzle brushed her fingers as it took the bag from her hand. However, that simple small touch was already too much for Mira whose fear had already reached its peak...
As she felt the wolf’s rough tongue against her hand, her head spun and her vision blurred.
"Oh no..." she whispered faintly, feeling the world tilt.
And then she fainted.
The wolf moved instantly, much faster than anyone could ever have imagined. Before her body could hit the ground, there was a blur of motion and shifting shadows. Bones cracked softly, fur disappeared, and a tall human form emerged in the narrow space. Strong arms wrapped around her just in time, catching her limp body as if she weighed nothing.
He held her against his bare chest, breathing a little harder from the sudden shift. Her hair brushed against his skin, and he looked down at her peaceful, unconscious face. His golden eyes softened as he looked at the beauty lying in his arms and his lips lifted in amusement. The girl had been terrified of him to the extent that she had fainted.
He licked his lips as he looked at the girl in his arms and wondered what she would say if he ’tasted’ her to make sure whether she tasted good or not...