AMARA'S POV
After work, I dragged myself into my car, completely exhausted. I started the engine and let out a small breath of relief, just a short drive home, I told myself. Then I could rest. A few minutes into the drive, the engine coughed once. Then again.
And then it died completely. I tried starting it again, but nothing. The headlights flickered weakly and then dimmed until the whole road ahead disappeared into darkness. I looked around. Tall trees surrounded both sides of the road. The forest felt darker than usual, too still, too cold. As I stepped out, a strange feeling crawled up my spine. The hairs on my arms stood up. I kept glancing over my shoulder even though I couldn't explain why. I tried to breathe normally, but each breath felt tight. Something wasn't right. I could feel it deep inside my chest.
My steps slowed as I walked deeper along the path. The last bit of sky behind the tall branches faded, leaving everything dim. I kept telling myself I just needed to reach the main road. Just a little more. Just a few more minutes. Then I heard it. A low growl, deep, rough and too close.
I froze.
At first, I tried to convince myself it was just the wind or a falling branch. But then it came again, louder this time, shaking the air around me. My heart jumped so hard I felt it in my throat.
My fingers trembled as I slowly turned my head. I didn't see anything… But I felt it, something was watching me. Heavy, Dark, Waiting.
My mouth went dry. My breath turned shaky. I stepped backwards, careful not to make sudden movements. My pulse hammered so loudly I could barely hear anything else. And then everything happened at once.
A massive dark shape dashed out of the bushes behind me. Before I could run or even scream, the creature slammed into me with full force. I hit the ground so hard that all the air was knocked out of my lungs. Pain shot up my chest. The wolf's claws dug into my back. Sharp, brutal. I felt my clothes tear and then my skin. The burning pain made my eyes water instantly. I tried to speak, please but nothing came out.
Its heavy weight pressed me down until it felt like my ribs were going to snap. I pushed against the ground, dragging myself forward inch by inch, but it was useless. It was too strong. Its claws raked down my arm, deep and merciless. I cried out as the pain shot through my shoulder. Warm blood ran down my arm, thick and terrifying.
Before I could even breathe, the wolf bit into the back of my jacket, lifted me like I weighed nothing, and threw me. I flew for a second, then crashed into a tree. My back hit the trunk with a loud crack. Every bone inside me screamed. I slid down to the ground, choking on air, vision blurring. My ribs hurt. My shoulder burned. My arm throbbed. Everything felt like fire. I tried moving my leg but nothing, it trembled and refused to hold me. Even lifting my head sent sparks of pain through my skull.
The wolf stepped closer, claws scraping the ground, growling rumbling deep. Its eyes glowed. It wanted to finish me. Tears filled my eyes not because I was weak, but because the pain was too much and there was nowhere left to go.
I pressed my back against the tree, trying to make myself small, and my fingers dug into the dirt. My heartbeat raced uncontrollably, and every breath hurt.
The wolf jumped and then, something hit it from the side, a dark blur, Fast, Violent, Strong. I blinked, trying to clear my cloudy vision. The pain made it hard to focus. But I could see two shapes fighting across the forest floor, slamming into trees, tearing up the ground.
Someone, something had appeared out of nowhere and attacked the wolf with unbelievable strength. For a second, I thought it was another wolf. But then I noticed the way it moved. The way it fought.
He was fighting for me.
The wolf snapped its teeth, but he blocked every attempt, pushing it back again and again. It lasted seconds but to me it felt like forever.
Then the wolf backed away and disappeared into the shadows.
Silence fell.
My whole body shook, and my breathing came in sharp gasps. I couldn't lift myself; everything hurt too much. He turned toward me slowly, his steps were soft… careful. As if he knew I was scared and hurting. He stopped right in front of me, lowering himself so he wouldn't tower over me. I stared at him, heart racing. I didn't know who or what he was. But he waited. He didn't move closer until I relaxed the tiniest bit.
Only then did he lean in.
He tilted his head slightly, studying my face. His eyes weren't cold. They held something I never expected, concern, worry.
He sniffed the air around my wounds. When I winced, he paused, pulling back a little as if asking silently if it was okay for him to be this close.
I didn't push him away, he seemed to understand.
He lowered his head to my injured shoulder. I sucked in a breath as his warm tongue touched my torn skin. It stung sharply at first, but then a strange relief washed through me. The pain didn't vanish but it softened.
He moved to the long cuts on my arm, licking them slowly, carefully, as if he didn't
want to hurt me any more than I already was.
His warmth steadied me. I didn't understand why… but my fear slowly eased.
My body still burned. My ribs still ached. My clothes were torn and sticky with blood. But somehow, his touch made me feel less alone, less afraid. When he lifted his head, and our eyes met, I understood one thing clearly: He wasn't here to hurt me; he had saved me. Later, when the ambulance arrived and I was rushed to the hospital, my friends panicked and asked a thousand questions. Their voices were loud and blurry, but my mind wasn't with them.
All I could feel was him, still in the shadows, still watching. Close enough to protect me and at that moment, I knew he had been there all along. Even when I didn't see him, even when I didn't know his name or had an idea who or what he really was.