Wolf [Crowley Eusford x Reader]

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December 31st, 2012,

Aokigahara Forest, Japan

You could only watch with wide eyes as you made your way closer towards the forest, slowly allowing yourself to be engulfed by the endless expanse of trees.

There was something so peaceful, so beautiful about the forest. The soft earth beneath your feet seemed to absorb the noise of each and every one of your footsteps, leaving only silence in its wake.

There was something very welcoming about the silence. The past week, any sign of noise was usually a sign that a vampire was nearby and that you needed to be extremely cautious to avoid them. As you let your fingers drift lightly over the greenery, a sense of ease washed over you; here, it was just you and the wildlife. There was absolutely no reason for vampires to be out here, after all; the big cities were quite a distance away, and based off your knowledge of this specific forest, many humans were too scared to approach it anyways due to old myths.

Aokigahara. Your family had been planning to sight-see here before the virus hit, and so you had some knowledge regarding your current location. It just so happened that your journey brought you here, to this massive and tranquil expanse of trees and magnificence, all based off of sheer luck.

Your eyes narrowed in sadness as you remembered the forest's history. It was hard for you to believe that such a beautiful place was where so many chose to end their lives, and it was something that made your heart ache, especially after witnessing so many deaths the week prior.

Everywhere you went seemed to be some graveyard of sorts, no matter how it looked from the outside.

As you made your way further and further into the depths of the forest, your exhaustion made itself more apparent. For the past week you had been moving around almost nonstop, and now that you finally found a resting place, every single muscle in your body seemed to be screaming at you to stop.

I might as well... I owe myself some proper rest after all of this time...

Settling into the groove of a nearby tree, your eyelids grew heavy as you lazily watched the leaves blow in the soft breeze.

The last thing you saw was the dappled sunlight as it danced upon the forest floor.

The nighttime chill seemed to reach your bones.

Beams of moonlight drifted through the trees, illuminating the otherwise eerily dark forest. Shivering, you reached for your bag, pulling from it your blanket. You wrapped it around yourself tightly, eyes wearily scanning the space in front of you.

It felt like something was watching you.

You weren't quite sure why, but something about the silence was almost unsettling now. It felt as if eyes were burning into your back, watching your each and every move.

"Hello?" The sound of your own voice startled you. You wanted to punch yourself for speaking out loud; if something or someone truly was watching you, you had just given away your position.

Heart hammering out of your chest, you turned around, praying that everything was just in your imagination.

However, the second you looked behind you, you felt your blood turn to ice.

Standing, only a couple of yards away, was a creature. Its fur blended into the blackness of the night, making it almost invisible had it not been for the moonlight casting a silvery sheen on its back. Yellow eyes glowed through the darkness, peering into your own.

Eyebrows furrowed, you took a closer look. A... A wolf?

Your fear had been replaced by a burning curiosity. Wolves were not native to Japan, or at least, they shouldn't have been. This creature's presence was a complete mystery to you.

Worry began to worm its way into your mind as it continued to stare at you, unmoving. It seemed intent on simply standing there, watching you. Was it planning on attacking and just waiting for the right moment, or was it waiting for you to do something?

Cautiously, you placed your hands behind your back, moving your feet beneath you. You heard a soft exhale coming from the wolf's nose as you did so, and watched with astonishment as it turned its back towards you, soft paws hitting the fallen leaves with a crunch. It continued walking for some time before it suddenly brought its gaze back towards your direction. When you continued to sit, unmoving, the wolf slowly lowered itself onto the floor until it was lying down. Still, its eyes met yours, a dull, yellow glow.

Wondering what the wolf wanted, you slipped your bag around your arm, making sure all of your possessions were with you. The second you stepped towards the wolf, it stood back up, turning its back towards you once again as it began to move forward.

This creature wanted you to follow it.

Wondering what it wanted to show you, you began to follow the wolf, careful to not trip on any of the roots scattered about the forest floor. On occasion, the wolf's head would turn back in your direction, as if to make sure you weren't too far behind.

After what felt to be several long minutes of walking, the wolf picked up its pace, silvery coat disappearing into a thick sea of trees. Stumbling after it, you tried to match its speed.

Slowly, the trees began to disperse, thinning out until the path opened up into a large clearing. You could hardly make out your surroundings through the darkness, only managing to see the wolf you had followed there as its figure appeared from behind a bush. It sat down, and, to your realization, wagged its tail back and forth across the forest floor. You could make out the blurry form of leaves as the wolf's tail knocked them into the air.

You brought your hands up to your face, rubbing your eyes in hopes that it would help you see more clearly through the darkness. As you brought your hands away from your face, you let out a gasp as you began to make out your surroundings.

Scattered about the opening had to be about fifteen wolves, eyes closed as they slept, their forms huddled close together. Slowly, you came closer to them, watching in amazement as their backs rose and fell with each breath.

How was this happening?

You felt something warm near the bottom of your left thigh, and when you turned to see what it was, a soft smile appeared on your face as the wolf who lead you here leaned against you, eyes once again peering into yours. Gingerly, you reached towards its head, watching for any sign of aggression. The wolf simply watched you, tail twitching.

You weren't sure what the hell was happening, but you decided that questions could wait until later.

Its fur was incredibly soft under your hand as you scratched it between its ears, and you felt it further lean its weight against you as you did so. Deciding that this creature meant no harm, you began to lie back down, your eyes scanning the glimmering stars above you. As sleep once again began to lull you into its embrace, you felt the wolf lie down next to you, placing its head on your chest.

For the first time since the apocalypse, you truly felt safe.

***

A/N: Bit of a longer chapter, so I hope you guys enjoyed! Anyways, for those who don't know, Aokigahara is more commonly referred to as "suicide forest." It has a stigma surrounding it for this reason, but it really looks to be a beautiful place. Anyways, feel free to make any comments you'd like and stay tuned for more!