CHAPTER 1

Lacie Rowana Manson found a very unusual pet. She has left the house as soon as she was through with her food.

Mother wouldn't let her anywhere near the door if she didn't finish her plate of porridge. No matter how good she pretended a stomach ache.

It was Berries season. She usually went to fetch them with her elder sister, Gwenyvere. She will bring along a big basket that they will fill with lots of colorful juicy berries and return home to make jam and smoothies with fresh milk.

Lately, her sister has been inclined to help with the healing chores in their father's medicine cottage, so she has gone for the adventure alone; of course, carrying the new basket that her father had bought, comfortable for her twelve years. Ever since she has learned how to make jam out of berries harvesting them in their farmland has become one of her greatest kill-time.

The canine with abundant fur of an almost grayish-white color was lying among some thickets, she would have failed to remark it if it weren't for a mosquito bite that made her bend down to scratch her leg and notice a whitish paw in nearby shrubbery.

All infants wanted to have a pet, and in the eyes of Lacie the wolf wasn't intimidating despite his enormous size, in fact, she found it incredibly beautiful.

She approached the animal stealthily in order not to scare it away and discovered a red stain of blood on the wolf's ribcage; his eyes were closed and his breathing was almost imperceptible unless you get as close as she did.

The girl smiled at her great discovery as her heart was filled with so much love for the helpless creature, she assumed the owner has miss judged it for its size and abandoned it to perish there alone; how cruel, she thought.

No wonder why mother warned her of strangers.

She kneeled next to his body and gently began to caress it with great tenderness.

It was a wolf. But not just any wolf, it was the type that any man would find threatening, yet for Lacie, it simply seemed like a mere dog that needed shelter.

The wolf opened its blue eyes looking as weak as the dim light of a candle about to go out and looked at her.

She was worried about him for her alone couldn't help the poor animal, but she felt so protective of it that she took off in search of her sister to help save the pet that has conquered her heart.

"¡Gwen!" she came yelling from outside the hut and drop her basket of berries on the nearest table.

"Oh, Lacie you have startled me," said Gwen with her palm on her chest. She had been trying to thread a needle for a few seconds now without success.

"Gwen my friend … is hurt" she looked up at her sister with watered eyes.

"Your friend? but where..." Gwen's eyes widened as she too felt preoccupated and hurried to put together a rescue kit for any injuries or fainting.

"¡Please hurry!" Lacie ran to the front door and urge her to come along. Gwen picked up everything as fast as possible and followed her sister.

The nearer they got to the place the more was Gwen's concern, she has not imagined that the kid will be lying hurt in their farmland, and all alone.

The thought of any wild animal attacking them was constantly popping into her mind, even though their father has said not to have seen any in their farmland because it was pretty weird to have an encounter with one on that side of the field.

"Come, he is right here" Lacie passed through a bunch of cornfields not letting go of her hand. Gwen had to manage not to fall in her long blue sea dress.

She was getting ready to give her sister a good reprimand for bringing her friend into such a place when suddenly all bushes were left behind them revealing the biggest wolf she has ever set sights on in her entire twenty-two years of life.

"No!" She shouted to her sister when she run to kneel next to it. She was scared to the core.

Feeling her blood chilled instantly, Gwenyvere tried calling her sister without awaking the beast "Lacie, come with me now" she ordered with a tremulous voice. Still unable to move a single inch she flinched as her sister caressed the beast with no single sign of dismay. If she screams, she would face the risk to wake it up, and as far as she knew, there was nothing more dangerous than a startled wild animal.

"Lacie, we have to get out of here," Gwen said in an attempt to sound as authoritative as possible.

Her sister was very naive and kind she could see a friend even in the most ferocious wolf.

Never better said.

"But Gwen, we can't leave him he is hurt" in that Moment, Gwen Notice the animal's wound that stood out for the bloodstain covering a spot on his rib cage.

Her mouth cracked open as realization kicked in. So, the friend that she has told her that was in danger was actually the beast lying on the ground.

How long has she been around it? What if something has happened to her? Gwenyvere looked around for any sign of danger and then faced the wound. It looked like a great bite or a precise cut with something ten times bigger than a knife.

"Look, he opened his eyes," Lacey said with joy, but Gwen shouted terrified, and stumbled back almost falling into the bushes "No Gwen, stop shouting you're scaring him" The eyes of the wolf widened and looked at the other human starting to breathe in a faster pace "calm down snowball, everything will be fine" She whispered to their refugee while Gwen stood as still as a statue under the Fixed gaze of the wolf "right Gwen?" Gwen didn't even dare to utter a word for the wolf was still looking at her as if he was trying to figure out her every move.

"We don't even know...its gender" she whispered.

"But he's all alone, someone must have dumped him" The wolf whine moving his paw in a failed attempt to get up "Please Gwen you have to help me with his wound, he's a good dog, I promise he doesn't bite".

Gwen's hand tightened on her kit. how many times has she heard That?

Mrs. Johnson has always told her that the little Rufus was very kind and that he'll never bite a fly, but at the end of the day Rufus had turned out to be a mean kitten as fierce as a panther.

"Please" Lacie begged her in tears since the wolf wouldn't stop whining.

Gwenyvere took a deep breath, not every animal was under the care of Mrs. Johnson and if he was dangerous, he would have given signs of it.