Aednat and the Wolf

Chapter 3 Awakening

The surgical suite was dark, illuminated only by the hall lights. Aednat opened her eyes and looked about the room. She saw her wolf sitting on the floor. "Ulfy!" she whispered and slipped off the gurney. "I'm so hungry!" she whispered.

"I can take you to the man who carried you out of the cave, I'm sure he will help." The wolf led her out of the infirmary and toward the row of barracks. Aednat had wrapped herself in the thin soft blanket but was shivering in the cold night air. The wolf left her for a moment then returned with a hard roll and a large chunk of meat. "Eat this."

"Where did you find it?"

"It was available."

"How can we find that man? It's so dark I can't see a thing. The noise is terrible too." Aednat was covering her ears with her hands against the noise from aircraft landing and taking off. The tarmac was hidden from her view as she held on to her wolfs tail. The wolf led her avoiding lighted areas and sentries. "How do you know where you are going?"

"I can smell, see in the dark and can see heat signature from a person. This is the room." Aednat took hold of the door knob and not knowing what to do twisted to the left, then the right. Her wolf simply pushed the door open. "He's there, sleeping."

"I'm so cold Ulfy?"

"Just climb into bed and the human will keep you warm. I will remain and see that he does not do anything without your permission."

"If I do that I will be giving myself, it's the same as declaring a marriage. If he refuses to marry me after I sleep with him I will not have a second chance for marriage," Aednat stopped and shook her head looking sad, "What am I thinking. Thralls aren't allowed to marry. I have little to lose."

"You are no longer a thrall little one. We can sort this out later, you can't stay out in the cold at this point you need to get warm or you could simply die of exposure. You're not fully recovered from hibernating. You need more warmth than I can give, my body temperature is still cold, too cold to warm you."

"He spoke to me, I saw him undress me. He impressed me as a kind man. He said he wanted to help me. He is a man I could easily learn to love." Aednat dropped her blanket and climbed into the bed. She slid next to David and he took her into his arms.

"You're so cold Stephanie," he whispered then kissed her neck behind her ear and continued to sleep. Aednat felt heat radiating from David's skin. She twisted around and held him tight facing him. Her head only came up to his chin and she lay her head against his chest, his soft warm skin pressed to hers. She took a deep breath and slept.

David slept on dreaming of another woman. He and Stephanie had been married less than a month when she was struck down by a drunk driver. Her loss devastated David. He dropped out of his classes at the university and joined the air force. He had not even thought of another woman and after so much time no longer even dreamed of Stephanie. David was an early riser thanks to his time working in his father's bakery and his stay in the military and rose well before four AM. He almost fell out of bed when he felt then saw Aednat in bed with him. He had been holding her and now he had no idea where to put his hands. Aednat stirred and opened her eyes. She smiled at David.

"How..."

"I was so cold and my wolf lead me hear," she whispered in Norse. David could easily understand her.

"I'm Sargent David Hendersen."

"I'm Aednat, you have a strange accent, did you know that?"

"Where are you from?"