Just like always, the sun was bright, the world was quiet, and the wind was still. Things didn't really change much in Sophie's small town. Especially, since she lived in the middle of nowhere. There wasn't another house around hers for a mile or so. It was all farmland in front of her house and behind it were only trees. Some people hated how boring it was out here but, Sophie found it rather nice. She liked the calm.
Sophie was finally in the garden this Saturday afternoon. She had already cooked lunch and ate with her grandfather. He was now reading in the living room and Daisy was outside with Sophie. Daisy was falling asleep on the deck while Sophie tended to the garden. Everything was calm.
That was until there was a loud howl that erupted from the woods behind Sophie. She turned to the woods just as Daisy jumped up and howled as well. There was an instant chill that ran up Sophie's spine as she stared at the rustling leaves of the trees behind her house. As the howl faded back into the depths of the forest, the world went calm again. That only lasted a few moments before Daisy was up and running through the yard to get to the dirt path she always paced back and forth on.
Sophie was slightly frightened by the howl. She hadn't heard a howl in weeks and it was usually the middle of the night when she heard it. But now, it was the middle of the day. That was the most eery part of this.
Trying to shake the eery nerves rattling inside her chest, Sophie watched Daisy relentlessly bark as she frantically paced the wooden fence. She was about to return to gardening before Daisy started digging vigorously under the fence. Daisy could already get her head under it before Sophie gasped and jumped up. Before she could reach her, Daisy forced her big body under the fence and bolted towards the woods.
Sophie caught herself on the fence and watched Daisy run into the woods. "Daisy! No!"
She had to go get her before she got lost or something.
"Daisy ran into the woods!" Sophie yelled as she rushed through the house. She grabbed her boots and threw them on at the door since she didn't wear any in the garden.
"Don't go in the woods, Sophie! I'll call the Thompson boys and they'll get her!" Her grandfather yelled from the living room.
Sophie was already marching out the door. "I'll be right back! I don't want her to get far!"
And with that, Sophie ran around the house and raced towards the thick forest behind their house. Luckily, Daisy was still barking as she ran so all Sophie had to do was follow the noise. Sophie hurriedly leaped over tree roots and rocks, her eyes mostly on her feet to make sure she didn't trip and hurt herself. She wasn't paying much attention to what was around her since her focus was only on the barking and her feet.
Unfortunately, that meant Sophie didn't notice the moving shadows following her through the trees. She approached the source of the howl before she even realized it, Daisy's relentless barking causing Sophie to finally look up. Instantly, she spotted multiple wolves violently attacking each other a couple feet in front of her. Daisy bounced back and forth and barked at them, angry but not sure if she should jump in as well.
"Daisy, come!" Sophie whisper-yelled as she snapped her fingers, sliding behind a tree to hide from the wolves. Daisy didn't listen. "Daisy!"
One of the wolves suddenly flew through the air and crashed beside her, causing Sophie to gasp and clap her hand over her mouth to stop it. Looking down at the huge wolf, she noticed just how bloody it's fur was. The animal was a complete, injured mess. But, the wolf still pushed to it's feet, it's height effectively shocking Sophie. Her eyes were wide and body trembling with fear as she watched it's head turn and it's eyes meet hers.
Sophie was scared stiff. She couldn't move a muscle. Luckily, the wolf averted it's attention away from her and leaped towards the wolf it was fighting a moment ago. A breath that Sophie didn't realize she was holding slowly escaped her. She looked ahead of her and finally spotted the crowd of wolves crawling stealthily through the woods around her. All of their heads were low and steps careful and quiet.
One of the wolves closer to her stepped out of it's path and towards her. Sophie remained still as it sniffed at her feet and looked up at her. The wolf looked back, in the direction Sophie had come from, and back at her. Something was telling Sophie that the wolf was telling her to leave. There was no way she'd know for sure. Maybe it was just her instincts telling her to run for it and she was just projecting they on to it.
Before Sophie could even take a step forward, the wolf in front of her tumbled into a ball of fur as another latched on to it's neck. The nice wolf whimpered and snarled as it fought back right in front of Sophie. She was still trembling, even more so as she watched the violent attack unravel in front of her. She knew it was best if she took off now, while they were distracted. She had to get out of here before she got stuck in a dangerous situation.
Without a second thought, Sophie darted towards the direction she came in. The wolves around her watched the small human rush through the woods in a panic. Since their attention was on her, they didn't even notice the wolf chasing after her until it was too late. Before Sophie got to far, the wolf chasing her caught her boot in it's mouth and forced her to stumble forward as she collapsed to the ground.
Sophie cried out in pain as she fell forward into all the broken twigs, roots, and rocks beneath her feet. She didn't bother to whine for long, frantically turning over to spot the big wolf stalking towards her. Sophie heavily panted, her heart hammering against her chest as she watched the angry wolf growl lowly at her. She couldn't escape. It was too big. It was too fast. Her legs were too shaky to work properly.
Once the wolf bared it's sharp teeth at her, it was suddenly being attacked by another with a loud bark. Sophie screamed as the two wolves tumbled over her and landed a couple feet from her. She turned to see them biting and clawing at each other like rabid animals. That was until the bigger, pitch black wolf latched onto it's neck and ripped it's fur and flesh from it's body. Sophie gasped and averted her eyes, feeling tears perk at her eyes from the amount of fear coursing through her veins.
Tears rolled uncontrollably down her cheeks as she stared into the woods. There were wolves all over the place, attacking each other, barking, growling, jumping through the air. All Sophie could do was cry and shake in terror. She had never seen anything so violent. It was traumatizing. She just wanted her dog back. How did she end up in this situation?
The large black wolf stepped into her view and picked up her boot in it's mouth. It stepped slowly towards her but Sophie scurried away, pinning herself against a tree as tears poured down her face. The black wolf stopped and knelt down to crawl slowly towards her. It was giving her a non-threatening display of submission, she could tell. Still, Sophie was hesitant as it approached her. She didn't want to be anywhere near these creatures anymore.
The large black wolf gently placed the boot by Sophie's feet and laid beside it, it's eyes glued to hers and ears down. She slowly reached for the boot and returned against the tree to put it on her foot. This situation was so confusing to her, it made her dizzy. There were wolves violently fighting around her but this one wolf stayed laid in front of her like it wasn't phased at all by the scene around it.
She had no idea what was happening but she knew that some wolves were nice and others seemed to be rabid.
After a couple loud whimpers and cries from some wolves, Sophie looked up to see the wolves run further into the forest as the others nipped at their hind legs to rush them off. The forest calmed as the whimpering wolves disappeared and the remaining wolves regrouped. Sophie watched the scene around her as some wolves paired up, nuzzling snouts and pressing their bodies playfully up against each other.
Daisy suddenly appeared through the crowd, her bright golden fur a drastic contrast to the dark wolves around her. Her tail happily wagged as she barked and bounced around, as if she was celebrating. When she spotted Sophie, she was quick to run to her side and lick the tears off her face. Sophie felt some of her fear wash away as Daisy finally returned to her, being as happy as she was. She couldn't help but smile and softly laugh as Daisy licked every inch of her face.
That small amount of joy sunk into her stomach as the large black wolf at her feet rose to it's full height. Sophie held on to Daisy's collar to make sure she didn't go anywhere as she stared at the huge black wolf in front of her. The wolf simply stared at her with it's pitch black eyes. It's presence drew in the rest of the wolves around them until Sophie was completely surrounded by wolves.
Sophie weakly pushed herself off the ground and brushed off her shorts with one hand, keeping Daisy in place with the other. She looked around her at all the wolves staring at her and then at the black wolf, hyper-cautious of making any sudden movements. His sudden step forward caused Sophie to jerk backwards but, there wasn't anywhere to go as her back hit the tree. The wolf carefully watched her as it started slowly forward, walking past her and in the direction she was meant to leave in.
When the wolf got a couple steps ahead of her, it looked back at Sophie. Something was telling her that this wolf was escorting her home, as crazy as that sounded. Her assumptions were proved right when she started walking through the woods and the big black wolf followed along side her. She kept her eye on the wolf and those around her as they all walked to the edge of the forest. She walked slow, on high alert, just to be safe and careful.
When they reached the edge, all the other wolves stopped a couple feet back and let the black wolf walk her to the edge. Sophie stepped into the soft green grass and looked back at all the wolves. A strange chill ran up her spine at the sight. She didn't have much experience with wolves but they seemed to have weird behavioral patterns. One second they were fighting like beasts and the next, they were making sure she got home safe like protective parents.
"Goodbye, then." Sophie spoke softly to the wolves as she gave them a small wave. None of them responded, obviously.
Sophie glanced at the black wolf and carefully eyed him before turning to rush back to her house. She dragged Daisy around the house and inside, announcing to her grandfather that she found her. She didn't want to tell him about the wolves. She didn't even want him to look at her since he could probably see how shaky she was and how red her eyes got from crying.
Instead of facing her grandfather, Sophie started through the house to get to the backyard. "I'm gonna refill the hole she dug so that doesn't happen again."
"Okay. Good idea, darlin'!" Her grandfather yelled. He cupped Daisy's face in his hands and playfully scolded her for running off.
Sophie stepped outside, wiping her nose of any snot from crying and running her hands through her hair. She grabbed the shovel leant against the wall on the deck and turned to the fence. Right past the white picket fence was Cortez, stood by his lonesome. Sophie jumped at his sudden appearance and stared wide eyed at him. She had no idea where he could've come from or how he showed up behind her house somehow.
"Good afternoon, Sophie." Cortez spoke casually as Sophie walked towards him.
Looking towards the road in front of her house, she searched for a car or four wheeler or something. There was nothing. "Where did you come from?"
"I heard chaos in the woods and went to check it out. I didn't know you lived by the woods." Cortez watched Sophie as she kicked some dirt into the hole under the fence. She didn't look happy. He knew why. "You alright, Sophie?"
Sophie glanced up at the man, her expression a mixture of all the bad emotions a human could feel. "I'm fine. I have to fill this stupid hole so my dog doesn't escape again."
"Let me do it." Cortez said. Before Sophie could protest, Cortez grabbed the top of the fence and hoisted himself over it in one swift motion.
Sophie gasped and stumbled back as his huge, muscular body landed in her yard. She stared wide eyed at the man for a moment before she looked towards the house. She couldn't imagine what her grandfather would do if he saw some man talking to his young granddaughter in their own backyard. He would be livid. He'd probably try to find his shotgun or call the police or something.
"It's really fine, Cortez. You shouldn't be..." Sophie was cut off as Cortez snatched the shovel out of her hands.
"Don't worry. You look exhausted. Let me help." Cortez flashed a friendly smile. He turned towards the pile of dirt leant against the shed in their backyard and pointed at it. "Can I use that to fill the hole?"
"Yeah.." Sophie breathed, still slightly flustered. "It's meant for the garden but it'll work."
Sophie watched Cortez bury the shovel into the pile of dirt and carry it back to the hole under the fence. He used his boot to pack in the dirt before going back for another scooped. Sophie awkwardly hugged herself and glanced back at the house over and over again to make sure her grandfather didn't see Cortez. As nice as he was, it was weird that he suddenly appeared and was in her yard.
"Did you happen to see what was in the woods?" Cortez asked as he moved between the hole and pile of dirt.
Sophie nervously scratched the back of her neck and took a deep breath. "Nope." She answered, gaining his attention. He carefully studied her before going for a scoop of dirt.
"Are you sure? You look pretty shaken up." Cortez pushed.
"No. I didn't see anything." Sophie nibbled on her thumb nail, her eyes glued to Cortez. "Did you?"
It took him a moment to answer as he stomped down the dirt in the hole. "Not a thing."
Sophie felt a weird weight in her chest at his words. Her mind started racing. Were there no wolves at all? That's not possible. She saw them. All of them. They were fighting and then they escorted her home. Alright, Sophie thought, that last part is enough to convince her it wasn't real. In what universe do animals walk you home? She wasn't a Disney princess or anything.
Pulling her thoughts away from the wolves, Sophie then questioned where Cortez had shown up from. "You live near here?"
Cortez glanced at Sophie, his eyes traveling up and down her figure. "Yeah. Not too far, actually."
Sophie nodded. She didn't know what to say to him. How the hell did you suddenly show up at my house? Did you really walk through the woods and not see any wolves? Why are you helping me fill the hole under my fence? To be a gentleman? To get in my pants? Are you really interested in a girl that's clearly too young for you?
As Sophie mind raced with endless questions, her eyes carefully examined Cortez's build. He was so thick with muscles. His black shirt was tight against his skin and exaggerated his biceps and broad shoulders. As Sophie examined every inch of him, she couldn't help but spot some blood on his wrist. It looked like he had a fresh wound. Where could he have gotten a hurt? In the woods? Just now while he was shoveling dirt?
"Hey, Cortez.." Sophie's voice was quietly with hesitance. Cortez turned to Sophie and waited for her to continue. "Did you hurt your wrist just now?"
Cortez looked down at his hands, finding blood on his left wrist. He knew immediately that it was a bite from one of the rogues that had healed up already. The rogues hadn't hurt him too badly since he was much stronger than them. That strength also went into healing wounds quicker than an average wolf. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to check for blood before Sophie walked out of her house.
"It's nothing. Just a scratch." Cortez reassured as he wiped his wrist with his shirt. Sophie watched as the blood disappeared into the cloth and left his hand as good as new.
Cortez's loose strands of hair made him run his hands through his hair and pushed any other thought out of Sophie's head. She nearly dropped. He was so handsome. His arm muscles flexed so naturally as he did that. Sophie couldn't help but stare. Where did a man like this come from so suddenly? He wasn't like any of the men in her small town full of rednecks and troublemakers.
Cortez was something else. He was basically a whole other species of man.
Feeling a pair of eyes burning into the side of his head, Cortez stole a glance at Sophie. Their eyes locked and prompted Sophie to avert her attention to something else, her cheeks reddening as she nibbled on her finger nails. Cortez couldn't help the smirk that crawled on to his face and took over his expression. She was so small, so shy, so innocent. But he could tell her hands were still shaking and that made his smirk fade. He felt guilty.
"Since I don't live too far from here," Cortez started and gained Sophie's attention again. "You can call for my help and I'll do things like this for you whenever you need."
"No, that's really not necessary." Sophie waved her hand in the air. "I've got everything handled here."
"Really?" Cortez's eyes landed on the old white house behind them. "You don't need help with those broken steps? Or the gutters that are falling apart? Some of your window shutters are broken as well."
Sophie frowned as she looked back at her house. It really did look like it was falling apart. That's because it was. Besides what he had mentioned, they had a broken sink that they couldn't ever turn on otherwise it would flood the basement. They also needed new appliances and maybe new kitchen chairs since Sophie never had anyone strong enough to help bring those types of things home.
There was an endless amount of things she could list off that the house needed fixed or replaced. The white painting on the outside of the house would be her first project so the house didn't look like such an eye sore. The garden was pretty much the only thing that Sophie had the capability of maintaining herself. She would ask the Thompson boys for help like her grandfather always said but she didn't feel like inconveniencing anyone or selfishly being someone's first priority.
"It's alright. You probably have a job and a wife or family or something. I don't want to.." Sophie was cut off by Cortez.
"No." Cortez locked eyes with Sophie. "I'm not married. No girlfriend, no family."
"Oh." Sophie nodded, her eyes landing on her feet. She couldn't stare into his eyes for too long.
"It's really no trouble, Sophie. I want to help." Cortez stated.
Part of Sophie really liked that about Cortez. She had only met the man twice and he had proved to be endlessly caring and helpful. He helped carry her bags, fill the hole under her fence, and now he was practically begging to help out some more. She didn't meet a lot of people like him. Everyone around here was helpful, but to a certain extent. They would help until they would suddenly refuse, claiming they had other problems of their own to fix.
If Sophie had an extra hand once in awhile, that would take a lot of weight off her shoulders. She had no problem taking care of her grandfather or Daisy or doing school work. It was the little projects, like what Cortez mentioned, that she wished she could do. If he did them, she would have a few less things to worry about. Also, she didn't mind seeing him again.
"Hold on." Sophie put up her pointer finger as she took a step back towards her house. "Wait right here?"
"Okay." Cortez nodded, his expression soft as he stared at her.
Sophie trapped her bottom lip between her teeth before turning on her heels and marching towards her house. Cortez watched her disappear into her house and leant against the shovel, running a hand through his hair. Everything about her was endearing. Even the way she ran off with such light steps. She was so small, so innocent. He loved it.
Sophie suddenly popped out of her house again and jogged back towards Cortez. She gestured a small notepad and pen towards him. "If you write down your number, I can call you when I need your help." Cortez grabbed the pen and notepad and started writing down his number. "I promise, I won't call you all the time. Just when I really need something or if it's and emergency. I can also pay you, if you'd like."
"I don't need money." Cortez said, handing back the notepad and pencil. "And you can call me anytime. It doesn't have to be an emergency."
"Okay. Maybe I can pay you in food, then." Sophie bit her lip to hold back a smile this time. Cortez cocked an eyebrow as he studied her smile. "Like lemonade or cookies or you can stay for dinner one time."
"I'll take that payment." Cortez grinned.
"Okay." Sophie's eyes fell to her feet again as she anxiously bounced on the balls of her feet. Cortez admired her as she did so. "Oh!" She suddenly blurted. "I should probably ask how old you are before I invite you into my home, right?"
A deep chuckle rumbled in Cortez's chest, causing Sophie's heart to skip a beat. "I'm twenty five." He held Sophie's stare as she processed that fact. "I hope that's not an issue."
"Well, to me it's not... Not entirely." Sophie's expression twisted as she thought about it. It wasn't a problem is he was planning on helping around the house. It was, however, if he had ulterior motives. "As long as you're polite, my grandfather won't mind, I don't think."
"You live with your grandfather?"
"Yes."
"It's just him? You're parents don't live with you?"
"No, it's just him.. My parents passed away when I was young and my grandmother a couple years ago."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Thanks." Sophie picked at the notepad paper as she grew gloomy. "My grandfather and I, we have each other. I think we'll be alright."
Cortez studied Sophie's body language. It obviously wasn't alright. She didn't look comfortable, she actually looked sad. He wondered what she worried about, how she handled herself day to day. He wondered how old her grandfather was and how much she had to take care of him. She said she was only seventeen. That must be very taxing on a small seventeen year old girl. He didn't like that.
"Call me anytime, Sophie." Cortez said, reminding Sophie again. He wanted her to take him seriously. She looked up and met his stare as he continued. "I don't care if you just need help on a math question for school."
The corner of Sophie's lips curled upwards at his statement. "Okay. I'll call." Sophie nodded.
"Good." Cortez grabbed the shovel that he was using to lean against and placed it beside the shed. "I should probably get back now. Have a good rest of your day, Sophie."
"You as well." Sophie said.
Cortez smiled at the little brunette and turned to her fence, hoisting himself over it in one swift motion like he had before. Sophie was just as shocked as the first time. He dusted off his hands and waved a goodbye before jogging towards the woods. Sophie also waved and watched his large frame disappear through all the trees. She wondered, again, how he hadn't seen any wolves but he had come from the woods.