Twilight Embrace (Completed)

Chapter 12

Wolfe had seen Alexandria walking through these woodlands many times as she wondered through the trees, gathering herbs for the medicines she helped her mother make.  Some people in the village had suspected her mother of being a witch, but those who had befriended her knew her to be nothing more than a gentle soul, who wished nothing more than to help those in need.  Her mother’s herbal remedies had helped many a villager recover from their ailments.

Wolfe was a magnificent beast with jet black fur and eyes deep and dark, almost black.  His sense of smell and hearing was more acute than the others in his pack.  He was of royal blood and next in line to run the pack should his father die. He often skirted the outlying edges of the village, drawn to it like a magnet.  A feeling he could not explain, until the day he saw her ….

Alexandria, now old enough and experienced enough to search for the herbs her mother required, would go out in the midday sun when the woods were bright with sunlight, making her search easier, than in the darkness of the shadows cast by the trees in the late afternoon or early mornings. 

It was one of these bright hot sunny afternoons that Wolfe first saw her kneeling amongst the green grasses selecting plants.  The breath caught in his lungs as the scent of her filled his nostrils, a scent he often caught on the wind.  This was the scent that brought him on his daily run around the village.  Scanning its borders for that something familiar that constantly brought him back here day after day. He was intrigued by this delicate female figure kneeling a short distance away from him.  Her scent drifted on the wind towards him and teased his flared nostrils.  Not daring to move for fear of frightening her away, he stood motionless in the shadows watching her every movement.

When she had filled her basket she stood, hesitated for a moment, looking in his direction.  Had she seen him, surely not?  He had not moved a hair. Her expression gave nothing away. She seemed to smile and slowly turned away, making her way back to the village.  A sadness he had not felt before overwhelmed him as she walked away.  He followed silently, keeping a safe distance, so as not to be discovered. At the edge of the village he stopped in the dark shadows and watched her walk down the street till she disappeared from view.  Slowly, unwillingly he turned and walked away.  Back under the cover of the trees he broke into a sprint and headed back to his pack.

From then onwards he made his way into the woods as the noon day sun lit up the leaves and trees, waiting breathlessly for her to appear. Hanging back in the shadows he watched as she gathered her herbs, all the while inhaling her intoxicating scent. A scent which all but engulfed every sense of his being, leaving a want, a need he could not explain.

Every day after that, he followed her around the woods, watching her every move, until she disappeared from sight back down the road into the village.  He did not understand why, but every time she stood up to go, she would look in his direction and smile.  A smile he had become familiar with now, but not knowing why or who she smiled at.

Alexandria had felt uneasy that day in the woods, a feeling of being watched, but not unkindly. She had felt a strange presence, but did not feel that it meant her any harm.  As she had stood to go she caught a glimpse of a dark shape that looked out of place amongst the shadows cast by the trees. And as she turned, out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of movement. She smiled, for whoever was watching her, seemed shy to come forward and she felt that they meant her no harm.

Every day after that when she settled to pick her herbs, she was immediately aware of this shy but friendly presence.  She felt sure they would come forward as soon as they realized she meant them no harm.  But on this particular day, it was unusually hot and humid, so close, almost suffocating. A heavy sensation hung in the air.  She knelt between the flowers and began selecting her herbs, when she suddenly became aware of an unfamiliar presence. No sooner had she realized there was something out there that meant her harm, when he was upon her, ripping her cape from her shoulders, plunging his teeth deep into the soft flesh of her neck.

Paralyzed with fear, unable to scream, not comprehending what was actually happening to her; she felt her life slipping away as the world suddenly closed in on her. As her eyes closed and she succumbed to the cold darkness engulfing her senses, she felt a powerful force thud against her, or was it a sound she heard.

As his teeth sank into her soft delicate flesh the blood gushed out onto his tongue. No sooner had he tasted her when he was knocked high into the air and landed on a jagged tree stump that tore into his body, making him weak and easy prey for the mountain wolf that towered over his broken body.  There was no time for him to heal or gain back any of his strength as the wolf straddled him. He saw those massive jaws coming down, saliva dripping from the huge fangs. He felt the impact on his neck and then nothing as his throat was ripped out. His body lay motionless, impaled on the tree stump, his head hanging by a mere thread of flesh left by the wolf’s vicious attack.

Satisfied he was no longer a threat, the wolf hurried back to where Alexandria lay, bleeding and unconscious.  He licked her wound and continued to lick until the bleeding stopped and his saliva had sealed the puncture marks in her neck.

Slowly, his heart rate settled and the blood stopped racing through his veins, forcing himself to calm down, so he could make the change that only occurred when he was at peace with himself.  He knew he had to make that change. It was the only way he could save her now.

As his body returned to its normal human form he shook himself vigorously and then quickly but gently lifted her into his arms. Breaking into a run he carried her back to his family.