warm hands

I sprinted across the field, my foot hurting from the awkward sprinting position I'd somehow managed to get myself into.

Why did running from guards have to be so hard?

I silently wished I could shift into my wolf form, but alas, I was still 17, and that magical transformation thingy wasn't happening until my Luna ritual. Talk about inconvenient timing.

As I ran, my mind wandered back to that one time I shifted at age 7.

That wasn't even supposed to happen and no one even believes me till now, I mean, who shifts at 7, right?

Apparently, I do.

My left toe hit painfully on a rock waking me from my subconsciousness

"Shit, they're closing in on me," I mumbled to myself, my smile broadening for no absolute reason.

By now, they should have known it was probably me, and they were just trying to make sure I was caught as evidence that Kaida, had left the castle.

I stopped in my tracks, a plan forming in my head.

I couldn't let them catch me because, sadly, I would be punished with Kaida.

I couldn't run faster than them if they decided to shift, so I only had to be smarter than them.

I looked around hastily, my heart racing with panic, and spotted a tree that seemed like my best bet.

With a surge of adrenaline, I launched myself towards the tree, my hands grasping for the nearest branch.

My palms scraped against the rough bark as I pulled myself up, my legs kicking wildly as I sought purchase on the trunk.

I felt a rush of exhilaration mixed with fear as I climbed higher, the branches swaying ominously beneath my weight.

I heard their footsteps getting closer, and my anxiety spiked. What if I got caught? What if Kaida got in trouble?

I pushed the thoughts aside and focused on finding a secure spot to hide.

That's when I heard the ominous creak of the branch beneath my feet.

My heart sank as I felt the branch snap, and I was falling. Time seemed to slow down as I plummeted towards the ground, my stomach dropping with the realization that I was about to become a human pancake.

By now, the guards were just passing below the tree, a black-haired man shouting orders for them to stop. I closed my eyes, preparing for the impact.

How shocked they would be when I, their prey, fell right into their hands. I giggled to myself because I knew it was going to be so funny.

"Huh, why haven't I felt an impact with the ground?"

I thought to myself as I slowly opened my eyes.

Then I felt it, the warm hands that was snaked around my waist, no form of force just little unharmful pressure, pulling me closely to themselves.

Then I felt the impact

not with the cold, stony ground I had expected but with wide, broad shoulders.

Pain traveled to my brain, as my head came in contact with his almost stone like upper body, waking me from my dilemma as I heard the guards disperse.

"You aren't just clumsy, I think you're just stupid,"

a low, menacing voice whispered in my ear.

I could feel my whole body pressed completely against this male figure who had his other hand closed tightly against my lips.

I couldn't think

Something was weird

I felt hot, hotter than normal

I slowly looked up at him, gasping slowly as my eyes clashed directly into the prettiest blue eyes I'd ever seen.

I couldn't see his whole face because he had a mask allowing me just to see the area of flesh just below his eyes.

I felt him stiffened as our eyes met a little bit of warmth flowing through from his hands on my arms

As I gazed into his eyes, I felt a shiver run down my spine. There was something about him that seemed.... off.

His eyes were cold, calculating, and devoid of the former warmth warmth I just felt . I felt my weight shift as he lifted me and slowly jumped down from the tree like it was nothing.

The hard ground greeted my feet so suddenly I almost lost my footing. I felt his grip on me loosen as he stood looking at me deeply for a few seconds , then turned and walked away.

"Wait," I muttered, still surprised by everything that had just happened a minute ago. "Who are you?"

He stopped, then turned his head slightly so that you could only see a side of his face.

"I don't see the need to tell you who I was,"

he replied coldly as he began walking away, his whole demeanor changing, the former warmth I felt disappearing completely. I watched him walking away, his back fading out of my sight.

My legs gave away as all the memories came hitting me at once, I felt hot, What was this feeling, Who was this man…

As I stood there, trying to make sense of it all, I couldn't help but wonder what had just happened. The man's actions had been a mix of cold calculation and unexpected warmth.

I took a step forward, my eyes fixed on the spot where he had disappeared. Suddenly, I heard a faint noise behind me. I turned around, but there was no one there. The wind picked up, and I felt a chill run down my spine.

As I stood there, frozen in uncertainty, I heard the noise again. This time, it was louder.

My wolf had awoken.