Scars

Fur

She stumbled blinded by her tears and the snow and she bit her lip in pain when she fell twisting her ankle. She limped in the snow no longer able to feel her toes or finger tips. She was lost her ability to focus but found solace in the fact that she had considerably distanced herself from the mansion and away from Adonis. She felt a force grip her neck and she soon lost the ability to breathe. Looking around for help she yelled with a strangled voice. She saw red eyes rise and she began to tremble in fear when she heard a vicious growl. Falling into the snow, she dug around for something or anything that would help her fend off an attacker all the while struggling to breathe. The sensation was almost supernatural. The wolves inched closer and she crawled back rising a medium sized stick she found. It snapped at her cloak and the snow storm eased but it made it easier for the pair of wolves to see her and attack. She managed to rise and attempt to run on her sore ankle, but it caught hold of her cloak and ripped it pulling her back as she poked the other in its red eyes. She fell again into the slick snow and knew it was over when the attention of the wolves changed from her. Snarling they turned to attack Adonis and she watched horrified as he fended them off grunting in pain. After a struggle the wolf he had wrestled into a lock whimpered and she began to see the trail of blood as the wolves scampered away. She backed away when he turned toward her, the falling snow turning red with his blood.

He leaned down and the sight of her shocked tears eyes momentarily caused him to forget his pain. He picked up the trembling woman and whispered, "are you alright?"

Her teeth chattered and she automatically felt warmer when a fur cloak covered her freezing form clad in only the ripped cloak and her thin dress. Her breathing became easier as she was engulfed in his scent and warmth. She drifted as she heard him say, "please be alright."

He jogged back to the house freezing and aching but nodded to a concerned Sicily. "Is the fireplace on?"

"Yes and there is fur."

"Good." He coughed and carried her to the sitting room and laid her down. Sicily had a fresh set of clothing for them both and he quickly stripped himself of his shirt and that was how Sicily found him.

"Adonis!" She hissed. "You cannot bare yourself in the presence of a young lady."

He rolled his eyes assessing the damage to his forearm and chest ignoring her and she gasped. "What happened to you?"

He grunted his answer, "when I found her she was being attacked by wolves. Vicious, malicious wolves who would have torn her to pieces." He shrugged her off when she went to tend to his wounds clucking her tongue. "Tend to her. She has had a major shock and needs to get out of those clothes." He quickly exited to go finish changing in his room and that gave Sicily the ability to change her clothes. Not much later kind of shivering he stood and watched her as the fireplace flickered. Noticing the fire dying down he poked at it and turned toward her. He relaxed when he saw her breathing deeply without much trouble and leaned down to tuck the fur more firmly around her and repressed his own shiver. Fighting a sneeze that would wake her, he sat down in a chair close to the fireplace and before he knew it, he was out.

Adonis woke up covered in fur and glanced over at Valora who laid curled into a ball. He crept over silently and laid a hand tentatively on her forehead to feel for a fever and sighed when her skin remained cool. The hand went from her forehead to tenderly caress her cheek. Having that been his first time seeing her in daylight he noticed her beauty and how peaceful she looked asleep. His eyes took in her dark hair, naturally arched eyebrows, slim nose and high cheekbones. Her long eyelashes fanned her cheeks and her full lips were slightly parted in her slumber. Beauty. He thought. Belle. He jumped when his eyes met blue orbs.

"Where am I?" She sat up pushing her hair back. "The snow! My cloak! The wolves!" As it came back to her.

"You are back at the house." He answered licking his lips and stepping back. "The wolves ran off." He said calming her.