Chapter Five.

Chapter Five.

I slowly rolled over so that I was on my back, my hands propped out behind me holding myself up as I stared at the black wolf that was now standing a few feet away from me. It snapped its jaws and growled lowly as the fur on the back of its neck stood to attention.

I cautiously began to crawl away, my eyes never leaving the wild animal in front of me. Its unforgiving brown eyes watched my every movement like a hawk. The wolf in front of me was a predator, a natural born killer. I could see in the way its ears twitched that its sensitive hearing was designed to pick up any sort of prey no matter how big or small; right now I could tell that it was listening to my heart beat. Its nose twitched as it no doubt smelled my fear and its powerful jaws snapped revealing a set of large, white canines that could easily pierce the tender flesh of any animal. Its body was lean and lined with muscles making it powerful and fast.

I was being hunted. The way it stalked towards me with its ears flat back against its head, its body slightly crouched as if ready to pounce. I was the prey and he was the predator. It was strange that a few moments ago this very wolf had been standing in his human form a few feet away from me.

Any doubts I had about werewolves not being real were now gone. I had seen the transformation happen twice now, with my own eyes. Although I still couldn't think of a logical explanation as to how he changed I just knew that what I had seen was real. The wolf stalking towards me was enough proof that werewolves did exist. It was a difficult concept to grasp but if I were to live longer than today it might slowly make sense, but the possibilities of me living much longer, seemed slim.

It was less than a foot away from me, I could feel the heat radiating off its thick fur in waves. My body began to tremble and I closed my eyes tightly, my wet eyelashes fanning across the tops of my cheeks as tears rolled down them once again. In a last attempt to stop the oncoming attack of the animal in front of me I did the only thing that came to mine; I stuck my hands out, my palms towards the wolf in a defensive pose. The futility of the gesture didn't escape me as I prepared myself mentally for the attack.

I waited, expecting pain to consume my entire being at any moment, but it didn't come. I was used to pain but I wasn't immune to it and I continued to wait for the inevitable. Seconds went by and there was nothing. No pain, no stinging sensations, no sharp teeth ripping into my skin or warm metallic liquid pouring over my body. Surprisingly, the wolf had yet to attack.

I jumped when I felt something, but it was cold and wet and pressing itself into the palm of my hand. My tightly closed eyes opened in shock as I stared into a pair of deep brown eyes. My hand trembled as the wolf pressed his nose to my palm once again, it was firm and rougher than I would have expected as he pressed against my hand with more force.

I couldn't move, I couldn't speak and I couldn't scream, all I could do was stare wide eyed at the creature in front of me. Although he still looked deadly, its jaws were no longer snapping and his teeth were hidden from view; the wolf no longer looked like it was going to kill me. He was sitting in front of me with his head lowered so that he could press his nose to my palm. I gasped out loud before I would pass out; I hadn't realised that I was holding my breath until the burning in my lungs forced me to breathe. I didn't know what the wolf was doing but I stayed still as if I was frozen in time.

The wolf continued to sniff at my palm; I could feel his breath gently tickle my sensitive skin. Slowly he stood, pausing as if watching my reaction before stepping closer. I continued to remain frozen as I watched him. He lowered his head further as he walked to the side of me slowly, running his nose along the length of my arm, taking in my scent as if committing it to memory.

I held my breath as he slowly buried his face against my shoulder, using his large head to move my hair away from my neck. I shivered as I felt his nose on the delicate, vulnerable skin of my neck, it was especially sensitive due to the bruises and I tried not to wince as he added a little pressure.

Suddenly his tongue darted out and licked my neck making me shiver unintentionally in disgust. It took every ounce of self control I had to resist the urge to move away as I knew that would provoke a reaction from him I wasn't ready to face. His tongue was wet and warm; the rough skin irritating my smooth skin. I was surprised that I couldn't smell anything foul, I had expected his breath to smell of blood and death but I couldn't smell anything.

The wolf continued to lick my neck, licking at the band of bruises as if his saliva could somehow heal me. It was unpleasant and weird but I figured for wolves it was normal to lick each other's wounds. It was strange as I had thought that the wolf had wanted to kill me and now it tending to my injuries.

The large tongue lapped at my neck once again before pulling away and sniffing at my hair. His head was buried in the mass of curls that flowed down my back. I could hear him sniffing at me, his breathing loud as I felt strands of my hair slowly move from the light breeze that his breath caused. I was stiff all over, every muscle tense and my back rigid as I allowed the wolf to travel around my body sniffing me the entire time

.

He completed a full circle of around me. He had sometimes buried his head into my hair so that he could run his rough tongue over my neck and wounds. The majority of the time he sniffed me as if familiarising himself with my scent. The wolf now stood in front of me, his large head dipped so that it was the same level as mine as I sat on the floor.

My hands had dropped into my lap a long time ago and other than blinking and my chest rising and falling with every careful breath I took, I had not moved at all in the entire time the wolf had spent sniffing and licking me.

The sickening sound of bones breaking and realigning themselves startled me out of my trance as the wolf suddenly began to shift; tanned skin could be seen under the fur as the his snout decreased in size and morphed into the mouth and nose of a human. Within seconds the stranger from before was kneeling naked in front of me, his private areas hidden from view. His brown eyes locking with my own green ones as he slowly reached up and pulled a towel off of the banister before wrapping it around his lower region.

"I would never, ever hurt you," He spoke gently yet earnestly as he continued to kneel in front of me. His upper half was incredibly toned and muscular just like the rest of his body.

I now understood why he had behaved so strangely in his wolf form. When he had charged at me after breaking down the door I had thought that he was about to attack me but he wasn't. His wolf wanted to tend to my bruises and sniff me; it was as if his wolf was showing affection when he was circling me. I didn't understand why he did it but I wasn't about to ask him.

"Wh- Who are you?" I asked.

I had no idea who this stranger was. The man in front of me had let me rest in his bed, he had shifted into his wolf and charged at me, his wolf had sniffed and licked at my wounds. I didn't even have a name to call him and I now knew that 'monster' wasn't an option if I wanted to live. I needed to live so that I could find my mum and escape from where ever we were.

He cleared his throat before he answered me, "I'm Logan Wilson."

I nodded my head slowly letting him now that I heard him. I brought my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms tightly around them while watching Logan in front of me. He shifted his position so that he sat more comfortably on the hard wood floor. I half expected him to demand that I go back to his room or to carry me back kicking and screaming but as he sat in front of me watching me closely I felt myself frown at little.

It was obviously late at night. The hallway was lit with a few lamps dotted around but even then it seemed dark. Before I had fainted the sun had been setting and I was obviously out for a few hours which meant that it was dark and late. I wanted to fall asleep and wake up tomorrow back in my grandparent's spare room but the possibility of that happening seemed slim.

"Where's my mum?" I asked him as I looked away. My eyes focused on the walls and the many family photos that could be seen in different frames. I wanted to stand and get a closer look but I didn't.

"She's safe, she has her own room within the pack house," He spoke as I looked away from the pictures on the wall and back to him. I studied his face taking in every feature to see if he was lying or not.

I nodded my head again. He had been telling the truth when he had said she was safe and I was thankful for that but I wasn't about to believe him completely until I saw my mum with my very own eyes.

I hadn't missed how he had said that she was staying at the 'pack house'. I should have known that there was more than one werewolf around but the thought of an entire pack had me internally cringing. I wondered how many werewolves there were in his pack, I wanted to know how many packs there were and how many werewolves existed. I was curious despite the situation and I knew that I couldn't let my guard down.

"Can I see her?" I asked him quietly.

It hadn't been long but I already missed her. I wanted her to wrap me in her arms and tell me that everything was going to be fine, that this was all a dream. I needed to know that she was safe. The thought of the werewolves that surrounded us hurting my mum made me feel sick.

I watched as Logan began to think over my request. I knew that he was weighing out the possibilities of me running away and possibly succeeding. They were slim; I was human, I was weak and small, and he would easily be able to catch me just like he had moments ago. I was silently pleading with him to let me see her. She was the only family I had left right now.

A thought crossed my mind as I realised that although we had no idea where we were, my dad might. I knew that he was looking for us, something within me told me that he had already thrown a fit and was no doubt on his way to my grandparent's house now if he hadn't already been. I wondered what would happen if he found us here, would he be able to get through the mass of werewolves. I didn't know what was going to happen when he found us but we would have hopefully escaped by then.

"Please," I added quietly. I could hear how vulnerable I sounded; the desperate plea didn't go unnoticed by Logan.I saw his dark eyes soften.

"If I leave you here for two minutes you're not going to run, are you? You know I'll catch you and then you won't be seeing your mum," he told me.

The overwhelming need to run away was burning within the pit of my stomach but I knew he was serious. He was going to take me to my mum on the condition that I didn't run away. I couldn't leave without her and I wasn't going to leave her at the hands of werewolves. I slowly nodded my head while he nodded once in approval. He got to his feet clutching the towel around his waist as he turned his back on me and walked towards his room, stepping over the door on the floor and ducking inside.

I stood slowly from where I had been sitting, taking a deep, but shaky breath I tried to relax my frayed nerves. My legs felt like jelly along with the rest of my body but I was able to move as I looked at the wall covered by frames.They were all family photos and I could clearly point out Logan from the group. As I looked through them all I could see the progression of time as he aged; his parents always at the back while Logan and what I guess were his two younger brothers and a younger sister stood in front of them.

Everyone was smiling or laughing in the pictures, while they embraced each other. I knew that this was what a family was meant to be like but I had never experience it myself.

I was struck with a feeling of envy as I gazed at the family in the photos. It was clear that they cared for one another very much, that they loved each other deeply and although I had a similar bond to my mum, my dad had always been there to make sure that we rarely spent time together. He would keep us apart by sending me to my room and shooing my mum to the kitchen.

A feather like touch brushed against my hand as I jerked it away. It had caused the same feelings to blossom within me as when I had awakened yesterday to something touching my skin. It felt like tingles were dancing across my skin and electricity coursed through the air. When I looked down for the cause I found a large, tanned hand was centimetres away from my arm. I followed the hand upwards along a bare muscular forearm and then an upper arm that was hidden by a black t-shirt. I already knew who the hand belonged to before I saw his face.

Logan stood next to me, towering over me completely as I took a step away and cowered into the wall. I had been too busy staring at the photos to hear him approaching and the touch of his hand on mine caused me to jump. I had known he was tall I just never expected him to overshadow my entire frame so easily. His hand had brushed against mine and been the cause of the tingles that had fluttered within me. I wondered if he felt it to or if I really was imagining it.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked. He was looking at the family pictures in front of us while a frown drew his dark eyebrows together.

I nodded my head knowing that he had seen me out of the corner of his eyes. He spared the photos once last glance before he turned around and walked down the hallway. I waited until he was a few feet in front of me before I slowly trailed after him, my eyes glued to his back in case he stopped so I wouldn't run into him. We walked down the stairs silently as I looked around at everything. The house was beautifully decorated from what I could see and I knew that everything within it was expensive.

Logan had already slipped on a pair of shoes as he opened the front door and stepped out. He held the door open for me as I carefully slipped past him, looking at the ground as I heard the door shut behind me and his footsteps at my side.

The night was cold as I wrapped my arms around myself; the jumper I wore was thick but not thick enough to keep me warm. I looked up and around as we continued to walk along.

It was as if we were strolling through a normal street that housed many families. I knew that the area was infested with werewolves and most likely werewolves only. The houses were average sized and nicely decorated; each house had their own garden. Overall nothing looked out of the ordinary.

Despite the time of night many people were milling about the street, chatting in groups or to other neighbours. Everyone seemed to stop and watch us as we headed down the street, my arms tightened reflexively around myself as I saw them openly staring, their gaze lingering on my neck and cheek. I bowed my head allowing my hair to fall forwards acting like a curtain as it hid my face from their view.

Logan growled lowly at my side from deep within his chest and I felt myself shiver, this time not from the cold. A heavy arm wrapped itself around my waist causing me to flinch. I was pulled gently against his muscular side and the heat of Logan's body began to warm me up.

I tried to pull myself away and out of his reach but his arm around my waist only tightened.

His touch was doing things to my body once again and it was confusing me. His arm was gentle around me, his hand resting on the curve of my waist and his body fit perfectly with mine. I didn't know why he was touching me, I didn't like him touching me and I didn't like the feelings he was igniting within me. It was like when his bare skin brushed against my own I was consumed with different emotions that I'd never felt before and didn't understand. For the first time in years I felt the overwhelming feeling of being protected, I was safe with Logan's arm wrapped around me. But the feeling was still foreign to me and quite unsettling.

"Please let go of me," I whispered.The sensations making their way through me were affecting my body; my heart was beating rapidly against my chest, my blood rushed behind my ears and I felt light headed.

I could feel Logan's gaze on me but I refused to look up and meet his eyes. I felt as if every time he looked into my eyes he could see everything that had happened to me over the past few years and I didn't like it. I wanted to put it behind me and every time he looked at me I felt as if I was reliving them for him to see. I felt the weight of his arm slowly release me as I breathed out a sigh in relief.

I was proud that I hadn't given into the panic attack that I had felt rising within my chest. It was an improvement as I had always welcomed them but now I found myself trying to fight it off.

Logan led us towards the end of the street where a large house or rather mansion had been hidden from view by the houses. It was huge, larger than any house I had seen outside of a magazine. I slowed down so that I could take in its beauty.The building was elegant, lights were on illuminating the house from the inside and I could see through the windows that just like the house I had been in with Logan it was nicely decorated.

"There are going to be a lot of werewolves inside and we are going to pass a lot on the way to your mum," Logan told me and I only nodded.

He spared me a glance over his shoulder before he opened the front door and held it wide so that I could step inside. I walked inside with my head down as the door closed and Logan led the way through the house. I could hear people talking loudly while others were laughing. As we headed down the hallway it seemed that the entire house fell silent as I was lead into what looked like the kitchen.

My mum stood by the stove, laughing at something that the two women in front of her had said. She looked happy, her face glowed and she smiled widely despite her bruising. My eyes scanned over her as I looked for any sign that she was hurt but I found none and I let out a relieved sigh. Logan stopped in the door way and I stepped forward, her head snapped in my direction and she smiled widely, relief evident in her eyes.

"Mum!" I cried as I ran forward into the room and into her welcoming embrace.

She wrapped her arms tightly around me while I cried into her shoulder. She whispered soothing words into my ear and ran her hands through my hair in a soothing manner, a feeling of relief flowing through me.

"Why do I smell a rogue and a human?" A voice boomed from behind us as I jumped and cowered into my mum.

I was snatched from her embrace and turned so that I was cradled against a large muscular chest. Logan wrapped his arms tightly around me and I was frozen in his arms. I didn't know what had happened, it was so quick as one moment my mum had been holding me in her arms and now Logan was holding onto me as if his life depended on it. My body was alight with emotions and I got the feeling that Logan was protecting me from the oncoming threat.

"Well son?" The voice snarled. I assumed the angry baritone belonged to his dad who I had seen in the photos always wearing a stern expression.

Logan began to bury his face deep within my hair, his breath fanning my neck as he growled, "Mate."