Wolf Blood | ✔

Chapter Twenty-Two

Picture of Leus

The air from the water was no longer soothing, it was beyond freezing. I opened my eyes, as the night was almost gone, welcoming the light rays of the sun and the soft transforming pink of the sky. I let out a breath of relief that I was still alive, to say the least.

I got up and stretched my sore limbs before trudging away from the cool blast from the water body which now behind me. I continued in the direction I felt was best, following the path that looked the least dangerous. I wasn't much further until I came to the edge of the forest, where only caramel colored grass surrounded me in a Savannah-like manner.

The air was chillier than before, due to the large sheer mountains that were up ahead, covered with white glistening snow at their very peaks. I clutched the thick clothing I had, pulling the sleeves lower down to cover my fingertips in desperation for warmth. I thought of turning back, but I was pretty sure Liam would be waiting for my return.

I was lost, disoriented and weary. I sat in anguish, waiting for some miracle to happen, instead of more dreadful encounters with unwanted visitors. I had about three of them already, that being Kurt and his unclear intentions, Jaden and Max from the party and Jade who seemed to hate me so much, she wanted me fed to vampires. I didn't need anymore, I was done with fighting off battles I could have avoided. Besides, I couldn't even control the animal inside of me.

The grass moved in the wind, rustling quietly in the tranquil environment. I almost dozed off again, if it wasn't for the purring I heard in the distance, like a giant cat being petted. I scrambled to my feet, alert for anything that would harm me. I'd grown to make sure I was an erudite individual in the new world I learned that existed. I'd never finished studying them, so I had no idea what creature was capable of what. So I was anxious.

The purring didn't cease, if anything, it got closer. I had no idea where the source of the noise was. The waves were radiating from all directions, although I was pretty that was only one. Eventually, the culprit's face revealed itself between the gold grass, making it very hard to see. It's piercing amethyst eyes had me frozen in one spot, my body parts refusing to comply with my mind, when all I was thinking was Run! Run!

It's ginger fur, cascaded down its large physique, stopping at it's feet which were firmly perched in the soft red soil. I soon came to the conclusion that it was an over sized lion of some sort, with extremely beautiful features, like a goddess' royal pet. It seemed friendly enough, and I almost deemed to touch it, until something else came out of the bushes. He was as brawny as the animal itself. His smooth tanned muscles, slowing through the sleeveless amour he wore.

His hair, the same golden color, stopping just above his shoulders with a clear face. Except, he didn't have the alluring purple orbs of the beast before him, instead his dead silver eyes roamed everywhere until they landed on me.

He frowned at my state, probably wondering who I was, or where I came from. I didn't blame him. It wasn't everyday you saw a young woman sitting by herself in tall grass in the middle of nowhere. He raised his arms, and his head, to the sky in such a graceful manner, that I couldn't tear my eyes away from him.

Until his head snapped back to me with such force, that I swore his neck broke. His eyes were no longer dead, instead they shined with gall, and malice as I did was stand in a fluster as to why his mood changed so quickly.

"Your kind isn't welcomed here," he glowered, still seeming beautiful. I only blinked in response. I didn't know what to say. "What are you doing here?" he asked, after sensing my confusion.

"I... I d-don't..." He shook his head in annoyance and within an instant, the large beast was bounding towards me, maneuvering me unto its back and soon we were running towards the very mountains I feared. We traveled at top speed, reaching the top by followed a dangerous path that commenced from the base of the mountain. The lion jump from stone to stone, avoiding any obstacles that came its way, almost as if it mastered the mountain's path.

We soon came the summit, close the cold peak, where snow was falling from the sky in small specks. I poked my tongue out, just to lighten the moment, tasting the snowflakes as they fell. The lion's run slowed into a careen, as we entered a cave, to which I eventually fell off with a thud. I guess it was his way of throwing me off.

"Leus, I see you came back," a disembodied voice said. "I wanted to tell you... What is this?" The speaker soon came into view, the same appearance as the golden stranger, except his hair was grizzled with streaks of brown, showing aging. His jade eyes were not so bright either, they seemed to have life fading away from them.

"I found her wandering in the grass," he replied with much respect. He seemed to look up to the old man. "She reeks of these dogs we loathe." The old man's eyes snapped to me with confused, his brows knitted together, bringing along lines on his forehead.

"Woman, what is your name?" he boomed.

"Dad, don't waste time. We need to get rid of her." Dad? I shivered in my stance involuntarily, down-casting my eyes to the ground. I couldn't bear to look at them if they were plotting to kill me. Maybe this was the end. I dug into my back pocket, pulling out a thin golden necklace my mother had given to me a long time ago. She deemed it sacred, but it was nothing more to me than a necklace and I didn't wear it anywhere because of that. All of which I regretted.

I played with it unconsciously, between my fingers, playing no mind to the two men before me. They were discussing circumstances about me which I ignored until I realized they were no longer speaking. Both stared at me, in fact, not me, rather the jewelry I held in my hands.

"Where did you get that?" Leus asked, walking nearer to me. I acted upon instinct and took two steps back. "WHERE DID YOU GET IT!" he roared when I didn't reply. I flinched from his grasp and pinned my back against the cave wall.

"Leus, calm down. You're scaring her," his father scolded and shoved him gently aside, and stood in front of me. "You can call Ales. But we'd like to know where you got that necklace from." I looked between the two of them, and gazed down at my necklace with melancholy.

"My mother gave it to me," I breathed, blinking back tears. They both frowned at each other before resuming their stares on me.

"Would a woman named Saudria happen to be your mother by any chance?"

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