The Unwanted Mate: The Bond

Chapter 10:

Hannah POV:
I wake up on the bathroom floor. My body is sore and tender after a night on the cold tiles. I turn on the shower and wait for the steam to fill the air. I let the water soak my hair and try to drown my thoughts. I wonder how long I can stay alive if I don't leave the safety of the bathroom. I have plenty of water but besides the salad, I haven't eaten anything for a while and my stomach hurts. I need some food and I need it very soon. I pat myself dry and wrap the towel around myself. I brace myself and unlock the door. The bedroom is empty and it doesn't look like Marc has been in here. I put on my underwear and my white dress. It's pretty worn. There are a few stains at the hem that I gave up trying to remove a long time ago.

After a while, I get hungry enough to open the bedroom door. I hold my breath and take a step out into the hallway. His bedroom door is open and it doesn't look like he is in there. I walk down the stairs as quietly as I possibly can. I look around the corner and exhale as he is nowhere to be seen. Now I just need to figure out how to get some food. There's probably food in the kitchen, but it's not mine. Maybe I can find some berries and mushrooms in the woods outside. I can see the forest from the kitchen window. I braid my hair and put on my shoes before leaving the house. I close the front door and inhale the fresh air. It is warm outside and not a cloud in sight. My shoes aren't exactly the best for walking in the woods due to the holes in the soles, but I will manage.

I enter the beautiful forest. It's full of large trees and the the forest floor is covered with colorful flowers. The birds chirp merrily and I see a squirrel jump from one branch to another in a large oak tree. The oak tree reminds me of the big tree at home. I get a little homesick when I think of the tree back home. I miss my mother, I miss my accustomed surroundings and my routines. It's nice not to have to be drained of energy all the time, but I would always choose my home over this!

I find a bush of wild blackberries and eat a lot of them. They taste great! Full of flavor and juice. I continue into the woods hoping to find more to eat. The berries were far from enough to quench my hunger. I walk for quite a while without finding anything else. I suddenly hear a low rumble and turn to the sound. Horror runs through me and a scream leaves my throat, but it sounds strangled. A big gray wolf is staring at me. It bares its teeth and revolves slowly around me like a predator with its prey. I stiffen in pure fear. The animal is the biggest I've ever seen and the sharp teeth can without a doubt tear me to pieces in no time. I stand paralyzed by fear looking directly into the eyes of my soon to be killer. The wolf bends before me setting off and runs towards me. I close my eyes and keep my arms up in front of my face. A loud scream escapes my lips once more. I expect to be torn to pieces, but open my eyes as a loud roar sounds through the woods. A large black wolf comes leaping through the air. The gray wolf howls as it hits the ground with a loud crash. The black wolf stand over the gray and snarls. The black wolf is even bigger than the gray one, and the sound coming from it sound like it's being taken straight out of a nightmare. The gray wolf crawls away and sets off running as soon as it has gotten away from the black wolf.

I stand frozen to the ground. I hope and pray that the wolf will just go away, but little does it help. The wolf turns to me and I know that my death will now just come from this wolf instead of the gray one. Suddenly the wolf sits down and looks at me. We stare at each other for a moment. The wolf doesn't show its teeth or otherwise exhibits hostile behavior. It looks at me with its golden eyes and for a moment I feel like it is watching over me, but it's totally crazy. It's a wild animal! "Thank you" I whisper and take a step towards it. I don't quite know why I approach the animal, and stop dead in my tracks when realize what I'm doing. But then the wolf takes a step towards me as well. And then another and another. Suddenly I stare up at the large creature before me. It truly is a magnificent creature. So dangerous and deadly but yet so beautiful and majestic. It towers over me by several feet, and the body looks strong and powerful. The black fur is long and shiny and looks so soft. I really want to pet it but I don't. It might be friendly now, but maybe it won't take kindly to being petted like a dog. The kind golden eyes look at me like it can see right into my soul. I relax my shoulders and take a deep breath, feeling the calmness wash over me not once breaking eye contact. I'm not used to having eye contact with anyone, and especially not for longer periods of time, but this.. with this wolf.. looking into its eyes feels like.. like coming home.

I break eye contact as I look around trying to figure out where I am, but I got no idea what direction I came from. The wolf tilts its head as if asking me what I'm looking for. "I don't know how to get back" I say and hope that it understands me. I wonder if it knows where I come from and if it is a part of Marc's pack. What if it takes me to the wrong pack?

The wolf gets up on all four legs and start to walk. It looks back at me, as if it's telling me to follow. I guess it does understand what I'm saying. I mean I know it has a human form as well but I wasn't sure if it could understand me when it's in wolf form. I walk with a bit space between us. It seem friendly enough, and somehow I feel a connection to it, but it still scares me a little. "Thank you again. For saving me and for walking me back" I say, but it doesn't really seem to react. I continue "I'm new here, so I don't really know my ways around here. I just got so hungry, so I tried to find food. I found some berries. They where pretty good." I'm not sure why I say all of this to the wolf, but it just feels so nice. I don't know it at all, yet I want to tell it everything. There is a quiet moment and then the wolf brushes it's fur against my arm. I'm not sure it it was a misstep or if it was on purpose. The fur is just as soft as i imagined. "Do you live around here as well?" I ask, not sure if I actually expect an answer. It nods its head yes. "I'm staying at Marc's house. I don't know his last name. Do you know who he is? And what house I'm talking about?" I say and realize that I don't know anything about the man I'm currently living with. He once again nods his head yes. "Great! You are my hero" I say and laugh a little but then feel so embarrassed for saying something like that. He's probably disgusted by it. I don't say anything else and we walk in silence for the remaining 20 minutes.

When we reach the edge of the forest the wolf stops. I guess it doesn't want to get to close to Marc's house. Or maybe it doesn't want to get to close to Marc. Either way I understand. "Thank you again" I say and look into the golden eyes. I turn around and walk to the house. After a short walk I stand before the closed front door and try to prepare myself for whatever is going to happen. I don't want to face him. I'm scared that he will finish what he started yesterday.

"Hannah? Hannah are you okay?" I hear Nelly say behind me. I turn around and lower my head. "I'm fine" I say and try to sound calm. "Where have you been? I came looking for you earlier. I wanted to have lunch with you but the house was empty" she says, now standing in front of me. "I took a walk in the woods" I say. It's not a lie - but not the entire truth either. "Oh okay. Well next time don't go alone. There are a lot of wolfs out there, and they don't know that you're Marc's mate. To them you're just a witch trespassing, and that could be a dangerous situation" she explains. Well she's right. I did come across an angry wolf. "If you want to walk alone at least stay near the edge of the forest and put on one of Marc's shirts. His sent will let them know that you are his guest."

Wear his shirt? She must have lost her mind! He would be so angry with me! I'd rather risk getting killed in the woods.