The Blind Werewolf Princess (1st book of Werewolf Series)

Chapter 42

I sighed and opened my eyes before I stood and took my staff from where I had kept it, moving out of John's way and being very careful about how high up I was because I did not want to get hurt or fall to my death.

John finished climbing up the rock wall and cleared his throat, touching my elbow. "How are you feeling?" he asked, and I looked at him and shrugged while I grimaced, wrinkling my nose a little in annoyance. "Are you hurt?"

I opened my mouth to say something but stopped and closed my mouth while I assessed my body. I could feel a few scratches here and there, but there wasn't anything that he needed to be worried about.

"Well?" John asked and raised an eyebrow in question. He frowned and narrowed his eyes while he looked at me. "Are you hurt?"

I shook my head no and pressed my lips into a thin line. "I think I have a few scratches here and there, but that is about it. It's nothing that you will need to worry about, John."

John pressed his lips into a thin line and breathed a small sigh of relief. He cleared his throat and shifted on his feet. "Good," he said before he cleared his throat again. "Do you mind if I lead you to where we need to go?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he held out his hand for me to take.

"No," I said and shook my head while I walked over to him, taking my hand in his. "I do not mind you leading me to where we need to go. Is it dangerous?"

John sighed and moved a hand through his hair and shook his head. "In a way," he said before he cleared his throat and shifted on his feet. "However, I don't think it would be the best thing for you to do this alone."

I bit back a small sigh of annoyance before I slowly nodded and pressed my lips into a thin line. "Ok," I said and cleared my throat. "Then let's go ahead and go. How much time do we have left until whatever you want us to see happens?"

"Soon," John replied. He squeezed my hand reassuringly before he started to walk the way he wanted us to go, and I followed him, making sure to keep my grip on both John's hand and my staff.

I didn't say a word and looked around before I looked at him. I moved my staff back and forth while I did so, making sure that I didn't hit John with it but also making sure that there was nothing in my way.

"How are you doing behind me, Carley?" he asked while he looked at me before he looked toward the way we were going. "Are you ok?"

"Yes," I said and nodded in confirmation. "I am ok." I grabbed my staff tighter while I kept it going back and forth. "I am nervous, but I am ok."

John bit back a small chuckle while he slowly nodded. "I understand," he said before he cleared his throat and grew serious. "I will show you a different way to get down and then back up again later," he said, randomly. "The only reason why I didn't show it to you first is because I wanted to see how well you are able to think about problems and how to figure out an answer for it."

I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line. I didn't say a word while I looked around again before I looked at him, slowly blinking.

Some birds started to sing, singing the evening and the past day away, not caring about what happened then but only in the future and the rise of a new day, which brought a sense of a new beginning.

John picked up his pace, and I followed him, making sure that I wasn't going to fall while I did so. His grip on my hand grew tighter, and I knew that he was making sure that I stayed safe even if we were going fast.

"How are you feeling?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he looked at me before he quickly looked back the way we were going. "Is this too fast, or are you feeling ok?"

"I am fine," I said and shook my head. "Why? Are we almost late?"

John chuckled softly and slowly nodded. "A bit," he said, "but we will be fine. We are almost there." He squeezed my hand, reassuringly, and I breathed a small sigh of relief and slowly nodded.

He stopped when we reached some place, and I stopped, too but stayed behind him. "We're here," he said and pulled me closer to his side. "We are at the edge of a cliff, so I don't want you to fall off. I do want you to be careful, ok?"

I bit back a small sigh and slowly nodded, and I moved to his side. "Ok," I said and looked around but still only saw darkness. I grabbed John's hand tighter because I felt nervous at this and didn't like this at all.

"You are ok," John said softly and squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Don't worry." He cleared his throat and shifted on his feet before he slowly started to sit, and I hesitated before I did the same thing and sat down beside him, putting my staff down beside my leg.

"What are we waiting for?" I asked and grabbed my staff tighter. "Are we waiting for the sunrise?" I asked, and John chuckled while he nodded in confirmation.

"We are," he said. He squeezed my hand reassuringly. "I do want you to close your eyes so that you are in complete d-" He raised his hand to silence me as he felt my mouth become open to reiterate that I was blind. "I know what you are going to say, Carley," he said, "but please, don't. You don't need to. I know that you are blind and already are in complete and utter darkness, but please, humor me and close your eyes."

I bit back a small sigh and shook my head while I pursed my ips in annoyance. I didn't say a word before I closed my eyes and waited for John's next instructions because I had no idea what he wanted me to do and what they were going to be.

"And now, just wait and listen while the world wakes up, and enjoy what you can feel because even though you are blind, you are able to experience things in a different way and only in a way that you can understand." He paused and cleared his throat. "And no one can take that away from you. I promise."

And with one single nod and not a word leaving my lips, I did what John told me to do and listened to the sound of the morning while the sun started to rise and warmed my skin.

Everything seemed to come alive while the sun brightened the day, filling the air with hope and promise that today was going to be a good no matter how hard or how difficult it was going to be, especially with my group leaving and starting their new journey, too.

I could feel the peace and the harmony that the sun brought as well as the hope, and I knew that today was going to be a better day, especially with that promise the sun would bring, and I prayed that it would be true.

John didn't say a word while we sat side by side and "watched" the sun rise and listened to the world waking up around us, and I hesitated but placed my head on his shoulder while I continued to feel the world wake up and get ready for the day.

And without saying a word, John moved me closer to his side and wrapped his arm around me protectively, silently telling me that he would have my back no matter what was going to happen and that I was going to be considered his daughter now and forever.

And for a moment in that stillness between the light and dark, I couldn't help but feel...

Safe.