The Wolf Who Saved Me

There was no point in hiding, so Lila came out. She smiled at Wren and said, “Hello! I didn’t expect you to be here. I thought you were some boys. I was about to take a swim.”

Wren’s confusion slowly disappeared. She was somehow satisfied with Lila’s explanation. Only a few knew about this river and could scare you with a little bit of sound or rattle of the leaves behind the bushes. But she didn’t smile at Lila and just turned around.

“Bitch!” Lila whispered.

The soft trickle of water filled the air as Wren knelt by the riverbank. Her hands skimmed the cool surface. Her reflection wavered in the ripples, but she barely noticed it. She closed her eyes, focusing on the rhythm of the stream, hoping it might help chase away the lingering fatigue that clung to her. The fever had left her weakened. Lila remarked that a walk to the river would help her recovery, but Wren wasn’t sure.

“You’re looking better already,” Lila said from behind her, her voice faking to be cheerful.

Wren opened her eyes, glancing back at Lila. “I’m not so sure. I still feel like I could sleep for days.”

Lila chuckled, stepping closer. She hated doing this but she needed Wren to be engaged.

“It’s the fresh air. You’ll see, by tomorrow, you’ll feel like your old self.”

Wren noted how surprisingly friendly Lila sounded today. It was the first time she had been like this to her. But she didn’t have that much energy to argue or fight. She forced to nod but didn’t respond. Wren dipped her fingers back into the water. Lila’s demeanor was still bothering her, something was really off with it. Ever since the fever, her instincts had been sharper, like how a typical werewolf should be. But Wren had been tensed and uneased since Reule left. She just couldn’t put a word for it.

“I’m going to grab my phone,” Lila announced abruptly. “I think I left it back with my bag. Just give me a minute, okay?”

Wren frowned but shrugged. “Sure. I’ll wait here.”

Lila flashed a tight smile. She strode up the narrow path toward the trees. As Wren watched her go, that feeling of unease deepened, rooting itself in her gut like a cold vine. Something was wrong. She could feel it.

But she pushed the thought away, turning her attention back to the river. Maybe she was overthinking things. The fever had scrambled her senses and made her paranoid.

A rustling in the bushes across the river snapped her from her thoughts. Wren tensed, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the tree line. The sound was too deliberate and too purposeful to be just the wind or an animal. Her heart raced as the hairs on the back of her neck stood.

“Lila?” she called out. But her voice sounded weak, due to her low energy. It was only swallowed by the surrounding woods. No response came.

Wren’s breath quickened. Her body ached with fatigue, but her senses were on high alert now. She stood slowly, her knees threatening to buckle beneath her. She swallowed and forced herself to shout, “Lila, where are you?”

A shadow shifted in the tree line-something large, something moving with silent precision. Wren’s pulse hammered in her ears. Her eyes darted from the shadow to the path where Lila had disappeared.

“Lila!” she called again, more desperate this time. She took a step back, the cold water lapping at her boots.

Then, the figure emerged from the trees, and Wren’s blood ran cold.

Acwulf. Wren didn’t recognize him. But she knew that he was trouble.

Acwulf stepped into the open with his dark cloak blending with the thick woods behind him and his face a mask of cruel satisfaction. His eyes, black as pitch, fixed on her with a predatory intensity. Behind him, his men slowly emerge. They surrounded her, closing in, cutting off any escape.

Wren’s throat tightened. Acwulf looked like he was no ordinary wolf. She could feel his strength, his ruthlessness, and his bad intentions. And now, he was inches away from her, looking like he wanted to eat her alive.

Wren stumbled back, her heart thundering. “What do you want?” she demanded, trying to sound strong. She couldn’t show fear and she was hoping they would just leave her alone.

Acwulf’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “You,” he said simply with a cold voice. “I have been looking for you, Wren.”

“What?” Wren shook her head, her back hitting the river’s edge. “I don’t even know you.”

“Ah, but I know you. And so does Lila.”

His smile widened, and Wren’s stomach twisted with dread. “She’s been very helpful.”

Wren’s breath caught in her throat. “Lila?” she whispered, her mind reeling. No, it couldn’t be. Lila wouldn’t betray her like this although she knew Lila hated her. But as the pieces fell into place-the hiding, the strange cheerfulness, leaving her alone by the river-the truth hit her like a punch to the gut.

It was a trap.

Lila had lured her here to stay for these men to take her.

Acwulf took a step forward, and Wren scrambled back, her boots slipping on the wet stones of the riverbank. She scanned the clearing, searching for any way out, but the men surrounded. Her heart pounded wildly, her body screaming to run, but there was nowhere to go.

Acwulf tilted his head his gaze never leaving her. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” he said. “Come quietly, and I’ll make it quick.”

Wren’s breath came in ragged gasps. Her body felt weak and useless. She cursed the sickness that had left her like this, vulnerable and alone. She could barely stand, let alone fight. But she couldn’t just give up.

Desperation clawed at her as she eyed the river behind her. It wasn’t deep, but it was fast-moving, swollen from the recent rains. If she could just make it to the other side, maybe-just maybe-she could lose them in the trees.

Acwulf took another step forward, his smile fading into a look of impatience. “Last chance, Wren.”

She didn’t wait. With a burst of adrenaline, Wren spun on her heel and leaped into the river. The cold water crashing around her legs as she fought to stay upright. The current was stronger than she expected, nearly pulling her under as she stumbled through the rushing water. Her muscles screamed in protest, but she forced herself to keep moving with each step feeling like it might be her last.

Behind her, she heard Acwulf’s roar of anger. “Get her!”

Wren didn’t look back. She pushed through the river, her legs burning as she clawed toward the far bank. The water surged around her, rising higher with each step, until it was at her waist. She gasped for breath, her vision blurring from the strain.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

And then, just as she reached the far side, her foot caught on something-a rock, a branch, she couldn’t tell-and she went down. The water swallowed her whole, icy and unforgiving, pulling her under with the force of the current.

She thrashed, fighting to break the surface, but her strength was gone. The last thing she saw before the darkness closed in was the shadowy figure of Acwulf trying to pull her out of the current.

Lila emerged from the trees just as Acwulf’s men helped him to lift Wren. Her heart pounded in her chest, though not from fear. Satisfaction curled through her as she watched Wren taken by Acwulf’s men.

Acwulf looked at her irritated but just turned and left. He wanted to slap her but he didn’t want to waster his time. The most important thing was that he had Wren now.