"And for now, please avoid the forest and the cliffs as much as possible. Until we are done with our investigation. You all are dismissed."
A few days ago, there had been an attack near the forest area and multiple wolves had been slain with dangerous and brutal marks in their necks. Obviously the wolf was massive, way bigger than it should have been and the authorities of Lycanthra had just given a formal notice to everyone to stay away from the forests and the cliffs.
Of course, it was common to have fear and confusion amongst the wolves with such information, but someone was not particularly happy.
"Why does this have to happen now? What am I going to do now?" Zev was complaining to his brothers as they walked to their shared class. He expected them to understand him but they seemed to bash him either way.
"You can find somewhere else to take Naelle, I don't know, maybe somewhere more decent? But the cliffs are off limits." Nolan's nagging tone was enough to piss his younger brother even more. He crossed his arms along his chest and pouted in defiance.
He and Naelle were still not on speaking terms, so he thought he would surprise with nice food and a night of star gazing on the cliffs and if it went down well, the best sex of her life. The cliffs were one of their go-to. In fact, they had significantly bonded there and it was somewhat the place where their relationship started, and their love blossomed after she had almost thrown him off of it.
"If you want suggestions, there is a beautiful couples' garden not far from home. Dad goes there with Jaan very often and comes back glossy eyed. Naelle might like it, give it a try." Xerxes roughened his brother's hair out of affection, hoping that he would understand but Zev was insanely stubborn.
He had made up his mind that he will take Naelle to the cliffs and nothing will stop him. Very stupid boy.
It had been a few days since the mid-terms started, everyone was having tests and lectures did not hold as much. It had been a particularly busy day for Snow and all she wanted to do was to get back home and have a very hot bath and braid Liora's hair. As far as the tests were concerned, she was pretty confident she would pass with a good grade.
The dusk was looming over, and the breeze was gentle against her skin. She could see wolves like her sitting in the garden and on the benches talking about the tests and the break. It was slightly pleasant to be in the midst of people but not the focus and just enjoy the collective energy of the crowd. But the feeling of softness was quickly replaced with a growl from her stomach.
"Today is Wednesday, there will be lamb in the packhouse." Snow would eat anything she was given but if she was given lamb every day, she would never get tired of it. She always ate her fill on Wednesdays.
At this point, she was rushing to cross the gates that separated Lycanthra from the outside world and just as she was about to, a figure slipped in the corner of her eyes. At first, it looked like a ghost to her but it had a characteristic golden hair colour.
Her heart thumped.
Turning around, she saw the figure proper, slipping into the outskirts of the school that led straight to the woods, where it was forbidden to go.
"It is him…" and by him, she was talking to the boy she bumped into when she first came to the academy. Why was he going into the forest? He wasn't supposed to. Snow's eyes shifted to the gate and then back to where he was going. A pained expression quickly overtook her expression and ignoring the rumbling of her stomach, she followed after him.
She could smell him without mistake, her sandals crunching over leaves scattered on the path he had taken. As she walked further, fear drew breaths on her neck and back. She wanted to turn back, but why would she leave the one who she was destined to be with in a bad place?
Zev on the other hand had set a lovely picnic for his date, he was even wearing nice clothes and had his hair combed perfectly. He was so sure that when Naelle saw all of this, she would skip the food and just eat him instead.
He snickered with his back slightly hunched like a corny dorky evil villain from an old cartoon, rubbing his hands together like a mosquito about to lay eggs as he thought of his girlfriend with him under the stars.
In a place they shouldn't be. Just the kind of thing they both like.
He heard movements from the trees behind him and this was the moment he was waiting for, he had rehearsed for this, he had even stolen his brother's poetry book for this!
"Nae, my love, the only woman that can end my life. I know things have not been simple between us and it hurts me that you no longer care for me enough to want to end my life…" the poetry was flowing, his back turned on the one he was addressing, relinquishing in dramatic effects, "I do not want us apart any more. Join me tonight, let's gaze at the stars but just know that you are the only star in my life. Nae i—"
"You should not be here."
Shocked to his bone, Naelle didn't sound like that! He turned so fast he almost had whiplash and his eyes connected with Snow. She looked concerned and instantly, all the colour drained from his face and was immediately overcome with contempt.
"What the fuck are you doing here?!" spitting in her presence, he thought he was reciting for Naelle, but only Snow had heard it and now he was extremely embarrassed.
"You should not be here. It is dangerous. I have come to take you back." Though she was soft-spoken, the words were clear. Her eyes glanced at the meal he had set for Naelle and she squeezed a little. Out of dissatisfaction, she spoke, "Naelle will not come either. She has gone home."
Her statement ignited rage she had never seen before, burning in Zev's eyes, "Stop following me! Leave before I fucking kill you!" growling like a beast, he turned away from her before he did something he would regret.
Snow was hurt but ultimately, she knew it was a bad idea to stay any longer. He will never like her, his heart was with another. The sigh was almost breathless and Snow turned to leave him.
Until.
A scream erupted from her throat when she was tackled to the ground by a rabid wolf. Its eyes gleaming demonic crimson. As it attempted to bite into her neck, Snow put out her arm to shield herself and it instead bit into it, drawing massive amounts of blood from her.
But to Zev, her scream of pain was force stupendous to make his wolf take over, forcing him to shift and spearing the wolf off the mate he said he didn't want. It was bite after bite with occasional head thrashing and the whiteness that once made Zev's wolf so beautiful was being corroded with blood.
But he was dominating and was willing to kill the rogue for attacking.
While Snow struggled to her feet, dizziness overcoming her as her blood poured out, she wanted to escape, run, call for help, but as she even attempted to get somewhere safe, another rogue blocked her path, the same manic red eyes glinting at her as it barred its teeth in anger.
All she did was scream and it was again, force stupendous to get Zev to turn to her after snuffing the life out of the first attacker. The rogue jumped.
Zev jumped too.
And he knocked it off the cliffs, following with him.
"Oh no!" she ran after them, getting to the edge, she saw Zev still holding on to the edge while the second intruder had fallen to his death. His blue eyes begged for help and without a second thought, she offered him the arm that was already wounded.
Using his mouth to hold on to her, she pulled him with everything she had, until he was safe with her and instantly he shifted back. Blood on his neck, head, he had wounds and his clothes were badly torn. He was bleeding badly too, and he was getting dizzy. And his breath was getting shorter. Snow held him to her chest, in tears, unsure of what to do.
Zev didn't look like he was healing, the blood kept gushing. She was scared.
"What the?" her timing could have been better but Naelle burst through the leaves to see the disaster in front of her, "what the hell is going on here?!"
A gasp escaped her lips as she turned to Naelle, covered in blood and tears.
"Please help me, or he will die!"