After we were done eating together, I tried to help Victoria clean up but she just grabbed the boxes of take out and threw them in the sink. She said the maids will deal with it tomorrow. She also told me to make myself at home so I did. I went back up to my room and changed into my PJ's. Grabbed my books out of my bag to do my homework.
I was safe. No Markus. No bullshit. The bed I was on felt like soft fluffy clouds. The takeout tasted amazing. The room was beautiful. The guy that made my heart race was next door.
Everything was good.
Actually, it was more than that, it was great.
But I've come to realize every great moment in my life was very short lived.
My phone vibrated next to my books and I flipped it over to read a text from Alexander.
It simply said "Come downstairs"
" what the..?", I voiced, confused.
I started typing out my response :"If you need me, move your ass and come to me, I'm not your secretar..." but I stopped typing suddenly, the thought of him driving me to Victoria's place, paying for our dinner, giving me his number and telling me I could call him next time I needed a place to stay came to mind so I erased my text and got up to make my way to my door.
Ok, fine, I'll come down myself. Let's just be nice to him this once. He's been nothing but pleasant tonight. If it weren't for him, I'd be home with Markus probably fighting him off of me.
Once I made my way downstairs. The house seemed oddly quiet and some really eerie energy was roaming around. I knew Victoria was in her room. The lights were off everywhere so I wondered what "Downstairs" meant. Was he somewhere else? Was he outside? Was he in the basement?
I debated whether I should check the living room or the kitchen or just text him again but my question was answered when I heard a crash in the kitchen and wondered what on earth was Alexander doing.
Not even thinking twice, I went inside the dark kitchen. The glass door was open to the backyard, nothing but the light of the crescent moon was illuminating the counter and bouncing off the table.
Cold winter wind was coming in from the door so I made my way over to close it to preserve heat inside. It wasn't until I shut it close and turned around that I spotted two eyes glistening in the dark area of the kitchen next to the dinner table and I froze in my place.
My blood ran cold at that one moment. It was staring at me. Motionless. In the darkness. My breathing was cut for a second.
I am going to say this as carefully as I can so I don't understate it. The word "giant" is tossed around carelessly enough in this day and age, but hear me out:
Looking straight at me with its tail casually wagging left and right was a giant actual wolf.
Like a real life wolf. Undoubtedly oversized. Looking at me. Next to the dinner table. Sitting down. Ears up. Tail wagging slowly and curiously. Big. Fluffy. Brown. Wolf.
Eyes on me.
I let out a shaky breath and backed off.
JESUS FUCKING CHRIST !!
The reality of the situation quickly came down crashing on me : Someone left the glass door open and a stray wolf wondered into Victoria's house, most likely lured by the scent of takeout food boxes we carelessly threw in the sink instead of safely put in the recycle bin.
It was now going to maul me!
The creature pushed its head forward. It was about five feet away from me which was too damn close for my liking. I looked around for anything to grab but didn't dare move. There were many objects to grab. Which one was the right one?
Regroup ! Regroup!
What kind of crazy law of attraction bullshit was this? We talk about wolves for the entire evening and I meet one not even two hours later?
I'm sorry for criticizing the poor girl for getting mauled. Karma is a funny thing. I don't want to end up like her.
Am I in bed, dreaming? Was I snoring in Victoria's guest room right about now with my head on my books? Will I wake up if I pinch myself?
I wanted to scream and call for the rest of the people in the house but I couldn't make a single sound.
When it moved forward, I backed off automatically, about to faint when my back slammed against someone's hard chest.
Before I could turn around, two strong hands grabbed my shoulders from behind and pushed me towards the animal. I braked with my feet as hard as I could and clawed at the person behind me, not realizing it was Alexander.
Sanding there calmly, as if this was a perfectly casual situation to be in.
"Calm down, he won't hurt you!" , Alexander spoke from behind me and I couldn't help but grab his shirt and cling to it like my life depended on him.
"Won't hurt me" Alexander's calm behavior is proof that he's a spoiled unconscious idiot.
"Are we looking at the same thing?", I quickly ask in a very low voice, trying to make sure his vision wasn't impaired, my body was stiff, "Get your phone quick and call animal control!", I whisper, realizing maybe my reality and Alexander's were two different things.
Reading the body language of this oversize canine, it seemed relaxed and playful. It didn't look like it wanted anything from us, poor idiot teenagers, but that could change any minute.
If it's balls-y enough to venture into a human house, there must be something wrong with it. Wolves stick to their own land usually.
I'm not an expert on wild animal behavior. Reading about it isn't like dealing with it. So many questions were going through my head.
How big were adult wolfs on normal anyway? How did this situation even happen ? I was in my room doing homework two minutes ago.
Alexander just stood behind me, nonchalant, starring at the wolf with an indecisive look on his face.
Ok, he's definitely insane, next?
"Come here" Alexander asked the wolf and it OBEYED.
The wolf fucking started coming towards us slowly and that was my cue to evacuate the area.
EVACUATE THE AREA! CLOSE ALL DOORS. LOCK YOURSELF IN A BATHROOM. CALL 911. EVERYTHING BUT CALL THE WOLF OVER TO US!
Whatever courage I had when I was seven to stand still and follow a wolf in the woods, I didn't have anymore because I was about to fall on the ground at how weak my knees were getting.
"What the hell are you doing ?.." I whisper in a low voice, trying to stay calm, I wanted to bitchslap Alexander so hard.
The wolf stopped and just looked at us uncertain. I stopped breathing. Stopped moving. I would have stopped existing if I could.
Ok, ok! Calm down. Slowly. Breath out!
If I'm calm, it'll stay calm. If I panic it'll panic. If I act like a prey, it'll treat me like a prey. If I run, it'll trigger a chase response. Stay calm. STAY CALM! What do we do?
"Calm down!", Alexander slightly pushed me towards the animal, "nothing's going to happen to you ! Come closer!" he repeated to the wolf and I grabbed into his hand to prevent him from pushing me any further.
"Xander stop, this isn't a joke!" I hissed.
I was getting irritated at his unconsciousness.
He needed to shut the fuck up and let me figure out how we can both live. He needed to stop calling the wolf over like it was a stray cat. He also needed to stop shoving me into this beast's face. How the hell could he be so dumb? There's a limit to how oblivious a person can be. Does he have no common sense? Does he think this is a dog?
The wolf started coming closer again and I grabbed onto Alexander's arm and started clawing at him like a startled cat because the animal wasn't looking at Alexander at all, it was coming for me.
"no! no! no!" I panicked as it neared me but then reminded myself to stop panicking. The more the wolf came towards me, the more I shoved my entire body into Alexander's. If I could have dissolved at the moment, I would've.
Alexander looked like he was planning on ramming me towards the wolf but he seemed to enjoy me hugging into him a lot more and he welcomed me in his arms instead without so much as moving himself. It felt like he just got pleasure from me grabbing into his body, terror in my eyes.
"No, no, no, stay, stay!" I tried and the wolf stood still three feet from me then plopped down on the ground calmly.
Once it did that, it suddenly hit me: It understood commands!
Like a domesticated animal.
Then it hit me again: Alexander sounded like me when I walk Simba and some kid gets scared of him at the park; He sounded like the confident owner of a dog.
It kind of stirred in my head for a second but then it hit me again, Alexander was heavily defending wolves and people who owned them earlier.
And then the final realization: Alexander was the one who called me down to the kitchen.
Alexander owns a wolf!
Fucking hell!
The wolf looked interested in sniffing me because it kept throwing its nose my way but didn't move, "good boy!", I praise slowly before I heard Alexander chuckle and I realized I was clinging to him so hard, I had grabbed the fabric of his shirt in my hands and was unconsciously pulling it down towards me, his shirt was stretched off his arm and Alexander's body was tilted so far down his shoulder was on my neck level, I had his bicep in my between my breasts. He was looking straight ahead, amused as hell and the confirmation was when I realized this wolf was clean and behaved.
"You own a fucking wolf?" I accuse and Alexander shot me a curious look without even trying to move out of m grip.
"What if I do?" he asked and the wolf breathed air out his nose heavily at that response.
I breathed out as well before swallowing hard. I realized my throat got so dry and my entire body was stiff.
"You said you never saw one up close..", he smiled and I twitched, "Still think it's scary, love?"
What the fuck? What did I ever do to this guy?
I don't deserve this.
"..Not sca..? wha..", I stopped and looked at the wolf as it yawned and tried to back off of both of them, "Look at the canines on that thing!!" I point my finger then retrieve it quickly because I don't want it to think I'm handing him my hand.
I was still hanging on Alexander's elbow like a koala on a tree branch, moving slowly behind him and trying to reach behind the counter.
Is that why he was pissed at me criticizing people who owned wild animals? Was it because he had his own little pet wolf?
"hm? He has about the same set of teeth as Simba..", Alexander argued nonchalantly and I pointed a finger at the wolf again.
"Do not make it seem like this is a harmless dog!" I snarl, "Tell it to back the fuck away so I can leave.."
The wolf growled at me and I swear had I not been using Alexander as a human shield at the moment, I would have fainted.
That growl sounded like a demon from hell. My entire body shook and my palms got sweaty.
This thing's warning me. This thing's telling me it would jump at me any moment and I didn't like that.
"Don't!" Alexander glared at the wolf before turning back towards me, "Come!", he ordered sternly and my feet moved forward on their own. I didn't get it. I didn't want to get it. I just wanted out but for some reason I listened to Alexander and took his arm again. My muscles were getting increasingly tense. For some reason, the energy in that kitchen was really heavy. Maybe it was the darkness. Maybe I was going insane.
The wolf walked towards us and I felt myself panic again. Alexander simply smiled.
"Come here! Let her touch you!" he commanded and the wolf moved again and I shoved my face into Alexander's shirt and started whimpering, my throat closing up.
I would love to pet it, honestly, but I'm going to go into cardiac arrest right now.
"No, no, no, please!" I begged, "Don't let it near, please! I don't feel so good!", I felt Alexander put his hands on my shoulder to push me off so the wolf can put his nose to my neck.
Ok, I'm the first one to hold Simba by the collar and ask the kids to come pet him so they're not scared. I never expect Simba to bite. But I'm not inside his head. I don't know what goes on in there.
If Simba did go insane and attacks them, I would be able to stop him. Size wise, I'll struggle but I'll win regardless.
This situation wasn't safe for either of us. This dog was twice our size. The muscles on his front legs were showing through the thick coat of brown fur.
It looked like death. Painful, blood gushing decapitation.
Alexander flipped me off of his shirt so I face the wolf. I started to hyperventilate.
"He knows you're a little human, he won't hurt you.." Alexander started. The wolf kept coming towards me and I started repeatedly making a cross sign on my chest with my eyes closed like I was definitely about to die. I've never been a much of religious person but please god, please save me!
"oh god! Oh god! Oh my god!" I cried out as the wolf's nose was inches to my face. At this point, tiny whimpers were coming out of me as it was sniffing me, my eyes were closed, my neck was fully exposed, my legs were going to give up any moment and I was breathing so quickly my lungs were starting to overheat.
The wolf's cold wet nose hovered above my ear, it got his fill on my scent before it exhaled a puff of air that made a few strands of my hair fly back.
Oh my god, please let me not smell like prey.
If I get out of this situation alive, I am never speaking to Alexander again.
Does he not understand that, under any other circumstances, I'd be happy to meet a wolf, if it was in a secure environment with a trained professional holding it and the wolf was tied to something and couldn't attack or hunt me freely. I'd even pet it.
But with an unconscious stupid rich spoiled teenager like Alexander who probably did a shit job as an owner, to have a loose fully grown wolf roaming around, growling at me and stalking me in the dark, it wasn't ok. This s a recipe for a late 911 call.
I've seen poodles turn on their owners.
"I'm going to cry! Please! Alexander please!!" I blubber in tears as I was shaking but Alexander did nothing until the wolf's nose dropped to my chest, still sniffing me and Alexander suddenly pushed its head off my breasts.
"Too close.." He warned and the wolf backed off to the side. He grabbed my arms and pulled me back so my shoulders slapped on his chest. He put his chin on my neck and wrapped his forearms around my waist.
"He won't attack you..." He whispered to ease me but I shoved my face in his shirt, trembling.
I don't care. Can I please just leave?
"What the hell are you two doing to her?", Victoria flicked the light switch and the lights in the kitchen came on.
Oh god! Someone with common sense!
"Xander I knew you were going to do something like this!" she shouted coming my way. She grabbed my arm to pull me to her but Alexander pulled back on my waist, not letting me go. I had red teary eyes. I was trembling. My body was stiff. My arms were gathered on my chest, hugging myself like a traumatized child. For some reason, I had no control over how fast I was breathing. My eyes still plastered on the wolf.
Listen, I'm a dog owner. I love animals. I don't mind hair, I don't mind drool, I don't mind dirty paws, I don't mind poop and pee. I don't have phobias. I don't think they're gross.
I don't doubt this wolf is trained. I don't doubt it's clean and behaved.
I just don't feel safe because there's no professional here with us and the size of this animal was intimidating. I was trying to make myself as small as possible in the room.
"Let her go!", Victoria hissed and pulled me lightly but Alexander glared at her, hanging on tighter to me.
"Don't touch her!", He warned and she eyed me up before frowning.
"She's obviously having a panic attack!", She started, "She's alarmed! You think she wants to be near a wolf after that news story?" She pulled me again but he gripped me harder.
I really need to breath. I can't breathe!
I needed my inhaler!
"Get off her" he warned again and she breathed out and obeyed. She suddenly thought for a second before she turned towards the wolf.
"Alexa, look!", she tickled the wolf's chin with her fingers, she smiled at me, "He's docile!"
She was trying to sooth me. It worked. Kind of.
"It growled at me!", I warned her and she turned towards the wolf with a surprised look and it nuzzled her.
"He won't hurt you, I promise!",she continued and I breathed in.
"Is it going to stay inside?", I asked, because if then, I'm not leaving my room until the sun comes out again and then I'm out for good!
"Don't worry, he won't!", she shot Alexander a warning look and he looked away, annoyed.
"You wanna try and pet him?", She asked and the wolf didn't really seem up for it. Not that I would go anywhere near it soon.
I shook my head.
"I'm good!" I answered quickly, "Can I leave now please?" I asked and she looked at Alexander who finally let go of me very slowly.
"Could you back off..", she asked the wolf and it nuzzled her again, I will admit, that was adorable, "please?.." she continued and it wagged its tail slowly. I wondered whether it was going to listen but it finally started moving towards the glass door very slowly. She opened then closed it behind the wolf after it went out.
I finally breathed in, shot her a thankful look before turning towards Alexander.
We starred at each other for a moment while I tried to dig in my brain for the one thing I could say that would aggravate the fuck out of him for what he just did.
I took a deep breath and looked at him straight in the eyes.
"Wolves are the worst!" I stated, hoping that'll bother him a little since he was trying so hard to make me agree that raising wolves was ok and not animal abuse. I didn't care either way. I had no particulate appreciation or disdain towards the creatures. I actually thought they were gorgeous. Deadly but gorgeous.
I would go near one under realistic safe circumstances and nothing else.
I hoped my harmless comment would bother him. Poke him at most. Slightly annoy him. Maybe get a rise. Touch a nerve. Nothing too bad.
If only I knew those words would stab him so hard, he'd slam me against the nearest wall, slap his hands on both sides of my head and stare at me with a murderous glint in his eyes that were turning a dark hue.
"Say that again, sweetness.." he grabbed my hair to make me face him, his lips inches from mine, "..and I'll rip you apart.." he grinned, dangerously threatening.
I wanted him to kiss me so bad at that moment.
what even..
What even is my life?...