Apprehended Ch. 11

Bracing for an impact I could not avoid, I shot out an arm in order to protect myself and closed my eyes, knowing that this was it. This was the point in my life where I? was going to die.

And what did I have to show for it? What accomplishments did I achieve? What lessons did I learn? How had I found myself...as a person...as a woman of independence?

I couldn't answer that.

All I could do was accept my fate.

I thought of Ethan; of his golden eyes and hard stare. I thought of the wolf. The same wolf that both frightened and enamored me. The wolf that I just saw for the first time, but knew that it lingered in the background. The wolf that made the man. The man that made the wolf.

I expected an onslaught of pain; a taking of my face in a brutal clash of tree bark and flesh.

Only...it never came.

Instead, I collided into something soft yet hard. It enveloped me in a warm embrace, taking the brunt force of the fall and shielding me from certain death.

Then...silence.

I shifted, suddenly feeling hot and covered in thistling fur. It tickled my nose and face. Warm, hot breath ran down the length of my entire spine and the animal that saved my life moved. I pulled back to gain my bearings and my distance.

It was dark and difficult to discern my surroundings. I blinked a few times, ridding my eyes of snow and ice. I managed to maneuver myself a little, shuffling back to gain some perspective on where we were and how Richen was.

Only...as I stabilized, stood up and found my balance, I realized four things. One: Richen was currently fending off four wolves at the same time-clearly losing the battle against the horde that attacked him simultaneously. Two: He was not the one who saved me even though he was currently keeping the wolves away. Three: Ethan got up from the ground and shook of his golden fur, chuffing and letting out a loud sneeze that made the ground tremble.

Four: Ethan saved me. He somehow managed to break free from the fighting by the firepit and save me from what was going to be a painful death.

Without thinking and full of pure adrenaline and fear, I ran to him, wrapping my arms around his thick, wolf neck. It was impossible to fully envelope him in an embrace, but I did what I could in spite of his size. I felt my tears of gratitude fall and get absorbed in his hair.

Breathing hard, he took a single step toward me and lowered his head to accept my affections. He was so warm, soft yet hard, and firm in all the places that mattered in an animal that was meant for destruction.

I had never been so appreciative in a time when I should have been consumed with fear. I realized then, that this was it for me. That Ethan now represented the safety I had longed for. The safety I prayed for when Jerry did his damage.

Ethan was my safety blanket. The calm after the storm. Even now, when shit reigned all around us and I had no idea WTF was happening, none if it really mattered as long as he was there with me.

Beside me.

But this moment was short-lived.

Ethan moved abruptly and nuzzled me behind him with a strong thrust of his head on my arm and back. I hid behind him, knowing that I was out of my element. There was nothing I could do to defend Richen, Ethan or myself.

I could only watch.

Ethan forced me in between two large trunks that had somehow merged together to form a hidden cocoon of safety. He made a sound in the back of his throat, his golden eyes looking between me and the dark space. I knew what he wanted. He wanted me to go in there and hide.

I didn't waste any time.

Even though it was cold, dark and unfamiliar, I shoved my thick body inside and managed to wiggle into its depths. I had a perfect view of what was taking place before me. And what a sight it was.

Ethan stole one more glance to make sure I was well hidden before he took off to help Richen. He was beautiful. A golden god of wolves that represented sheer power. Once he arrived beside Richen, two wolves took one look at him and whined, cowering away with a yelp and a run in the opposite direction.

The other remaining wolves seemed intimidated, but whatever drove them to the attack was what kept them in place. They snapped at Richen a few times before putting some distance between Ethan and themselves. They huddled closer together and it was easy to see what they were communicating as they growled at each other.

Richen shook himself off and stumbled a bit towards Ethan. Blood trickled from his fur and landed in the white snow, staining it a vivid red that nearly made me vomit. He was limping. It was obvious that he was injured, yet he was still willing to fight alongside Ethan.

They growled and spat, a feral sound that made my blood run cold. I waited in sheer terror and anticipation as the wolves danced, gliding back and forth, their eyes on each other. They waited what seemed like forever, but was in actuality a few tense minutes.

Then all hell broke loose once more.

The other wolves struck first, going for Ethan. I bit back a scream as they bit and used their claws, fur coming out in tufts; along with skin and blood. It was difficult to keep track of. Their bodies were so close together and moving so quickly and maliciously that I didn't know where Ethan and Richen were in the fray.

Several trees were knocked down, making the ground shake with the severity of it. Along with the wolves snarls and howls, the forest seemed to moan its indifference; suffering from the war it wanted no part of.

At one point, I lost track of the battle. I heard it some distance away, but the night had taken over. I heard the rapid, frantic beating of my own heart. I heard the owls hooting above. I heard the blood rushing to my head and ears, making me feel dizzy. I heard my short pants as panic consumed me.

I felt trapped and helpless.

If Ethan and Richen didn't survive, I'd have no choice but to hide here until the coast was clear. The problem? I didn't know if the coast would ever be clear. What if the wolves lingered and I left the safety of tree cocoon? What if they found me wandering the forest alone? What would they do to me? Would they kill me? Take me? Would they know that Ethan already considered me his? Would they use me as collateral if he managed to survive?

Everything began to spin. The dark was constricting. The cold stabbed my body like knives. The trees seemed to close in on me, squeezing the air out of the cocoon...out of me.

And just like that.

I blacked out.