VALERY
I sit on the couch biting my nails while staring at the clock. He left three hours ago. Itâs almost midnight.
âPlease be okayâ¦â
I silently pray for his safety while looking out into the dark night through the window. Wait⦠What is that? Squinting my eyes, I make out two bright, golden orbs in the darkness, unflinchingly staring right at me. Fear surges through me, and I hastily close the curtains and slide to the floor.
I sit on the ground with my arms around my legs and hear a loud howl. Alvarius! Thatâs him! I know it! Following his howl, there are multiple angry growls from different wolves.
I fight against the instinct to run out to him, knowing I would just get in the way. I hug my knees again, tears streaming down my face as I listen to the whimpers and growls. Heâs hurt⦠Heâs fighting⦠And I canât do anything for him.
The tranquilizer gun! Shakily, I get up and locate my bag. Nestled at the bottom is the tranquilizer gun Mr. Lamberg gave me. With trembling fingers, I take it into my hand and study it. Thereâs only one cartridge.
It wonât help me outside, where a wolfâs senses are much keener than my own, but holding it calms me a little. I walk to the kitchen to drink some water and take a deep breath. Alvarius will be okay. Heâs an alpha. Theyâre strong. I just have to believe in him.
I freeze at the sound of glass shattering and stare into the golden eyes of a black wolf, baring his teeth and creeping closer to me. I back away but soon hit a wall. Panic rises within me, and my heart races as I stare at the sharp teeth of the creature before me.
Tears form in my eyes, but I blink them away. Now is no time to cry. I have to think of something! I look around for a way out and slowly make my way to the bathroom, the door slightly ajar. The wolfâs intense gaze never wavers, and its muscles tense, prepared to pounce at any given moment.
As soon as I reach the door, I rush inside, slamming it behind me and locking it. Seconds later, thereâs a tremendous thud as the wolf slams its body against the door. The sound of the wolfâs menacing growl and its claws scratching against the wooden barrier between us sends a chill down my spine. This wonât hold him for long! I have to leave!
I open the little window and look outside. There is no one around, no golden eyes, no wolves, no humans, nothing. Thatâs good. To the left is a pipe I can use to climb down. I tuck the tranquilizer gun Iâve had a death grip on into the top of my pants, and as I carefully but quickly climb out of the window, I hear the door breaking and force my racing heart to calm down.
I can hear the door burst open, splintering and cracking as it gives way from its frame. Instinctively, I tuck myself against the side of a bush, hugging myself and praying the shroud of night will help me blend in with my surroundings.
I pull out the gun as quietly as possible and continue to sit, shivering in the freezing night air. I know he told me not to leave under any circumstances, but what was I supposed to do?
âAlvariusâ¦â
I whisper his name, hoping it will calm my fear as I hug my knees close to my chest, trying so hard to hold in the sobs that threaten to burst forth. The fight is still raging not so far away, and the growls, yips, and barks are a constant presence filling the surroundings. I can easily detect which sounds come from Alvarius, and hearing him makes me feel safe, even if heâs not right next to me.
I jump lightly at the growl of the black wolf and tense. He stands not six feet away, his snout in the air, sniffing for my location. ~Please donât find me~, I pray, but my prayers are not enough. His golden eyes stare right at me. Dumbly, I freeze, trying to convince myself that if I donât breathe or move, heâll go away.
Iâm so wrong.
He jumps at me, his teeth bared, and I fire off the tranquilizer gun. Too quickly, though, heâs on top of me, his saliva dripping onto my face. Tremors of fear ripple through my body, and I scream out in sheer terror. I can only hope Alvarius will hear me.
The wolf growls loudly and is about to ram his teeth into my neck when his whole body relaxes. He falls on top of me, only to get violently thrown off. I instinctively wrap my arms protectively around my chest and pull myself into a ball. I gaze intently at the imposing dark brown wolf, its piercing eyes locked onto the motionless black one sprawled on the ground. The brown one jumps at my attacker anyway and rips his throat out.
I avert my gaze from the brutal scene in front of me. The tranquilizer must have taken effect just before the brown wolf threw him off me. Would the black wolf have succeeded in tearing my own throat out if it wasnât for him?
The brown wolf approaches me slowly as I shiver. âPlease, no. Please donât hurt me.â My voice is shaking, and I know showing fear is bad, but I canât stop my body from trembling as he continues his approach.
Less than two feet from me, he whimpers, bowing his head and closing his eyes. I frown. He doesnât want to hurt me? Cautiously, I lower my arms and take a deep breath. The wolf raises his head, and his eyes look into mine. I nod and he comes closer to me.
He appears to be searching for something, his eyes scanning my body. His gaze locks onto a spot on my arm, and I look at it too. Iâm bleeding. It must have happened when I climbed out of the window.
The brown wolf looks into my eyes and whimpers.
âOh, donât worry. Iâm okay. Thanks for saving me.â
He inches closer to me, his snout hovering over my injured arm, and looks at me as if heâs asking permission for something. Does he want to help me? How? I reluctantly nod, unsure of his intentions, and he licks my wound, causing me to flinch. My arm burns, and I want to pull away and cover it, but he holds my other arm down with his paw, preventing me.
As the pain slowly fades away, he seems to notice and lets go. Then he sits down next to me, looking into the dark as if to guard me.