Her Human His Wolf

Special

Atlas POV

The loud, persistent buzzing of my phone echoed through the room, piercing the silence as I rose from the couch. Mia remained fixated on the television, her silence speaking volumes.

My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, struggling to make sense of the chaos. As I grabbed my phone, I noticed a series of missed calls from my workplace, an unsurprising consequence of my no-show. However, what caught my attention were the numerous texts from one of my late grandmother's long-time acquaintances.

I opened them, only to be greeted by a flurry of photographs. There, displayed before my eyes, were images of Gaven, his father, the town sheriff, and a group of unfamiliar men armed with hunting rifles. The photos depicted them on my property, accompanied by a large cage.

A message accompanied the images, saying that a dangerous white wolf had been spotted in the woods behind my house. A reward had been offered to the entire town to capture and turn it in alive. A notice had also gone out suggesting the possibility of me fleeing town with this rare wolf, resulting in a reward being issued for my capture and interrogation. The weight of the situation pressed heavily upon me as I pondered the trouble I had unwittingly entangled myself in.

I walked back to the couch, Mia was now peacefully asleep, her body teetering on the edge. I carefully reached out to move her, but she stirred awake, her eyes filled with momentary terror. As she sat up, I apologized for startling her.

"It's okay," she murmured, slowly rising to her feet.

"I need to show you something before you leave." I told her.

I quickly retrieved my phone and pulled up the photo I had received. Handing it to her, "Do you recognize any of these men?" I asked.

To my surprise, a low growl escaped her lips, a sound no human could produce. "They tracked me, but why are humans with them?" she sighed, her eyes fixated on the message. "You're in trouble because of me. I shouldn't have been so careless."

"It's fine," I reassured her. "I involved myself when I said I would help."

"You have no idea what danger you may face now because of me. You are completely oblivious to my kind. I don't understand why humans are involved unless they were involved from the beginning." She snapped, frustrated.

"Tell me about your kind then. Tell me what trouble you are in." I urged.

"I don't understand you. Why aren't you angry about me putting you in this situation? Why have you been so kind to me? Why did you agree to come with me when you don't even know me? You're even calm about the fact that I'm a werewolf." She asked.

I met her gaze. "I guess I'm not normal. I'm not one to ignore someone in danger. Plus, to be honest, it's not like I have anything to go back to. I'm surprised at myself for how calm I am about the fact that you're a werewolf. It's hard to wrap my head around it all. I never thought the wolf resting its head in my lap just a day ago would turn out to be... well, you. But for some reason, I believe I am supposed to help you. I know it sounds crazy, but I feel connected to you in some way."

A fleeting smile crossed her face, quickly replaced by a sense of resistance. "Fate must hate me," she whispered, making a move to leave for her room.

But then she paused, her movements slowing as she inched closer to me. I watched as she lifted her head, her nostrils flaring as she took in a deep breath, analyzing the scent in the air. In that moment, her eyes transformed, shimmering with a vivid shade of purple once again. "You were injured during the attack by those humans," she stated firmly. "I forgot that your healing process is slower. Show me."

"I wasn't hurt badly," I confessed, my voice barely a whisper. Nevertheless, she stepped forward, her delicate fingers gently lifting the fabric of my shirt. As she circled around me, her touch graced my skin, tracing the outline of a bruise. "I should have been more aware of this when we left the motel, but it didn't appear as severe," she murmured, her hand lingering on me for a moment.

"You should rest," she advised, retracting her hand and disappearing into the kitchen momentarily. She returned with a glass of water, her footsteps echoing softly against the floor. Following her suggestion, I made my way to one of the rooms, surrendering to the sleep that quickly enveloped me.

____________

A loud, thunderous bang jolted me from my sleep, causing me to bolt upright in bed. The deafening noise reverberated through the walls, filling the hallway with an unsettling commotion. As I stumbled towards the door, my heart raced in my chest, the adrenaline pumping through my veins.

The moment I stepped into the hallway, a familiar voice pierced through the chaos. It was Gaven, his voice filled with malice and a hint of desperation. A muffled cry reached my ears, intensifying my urgency to intervene. Without a second thought, I sprinted towards the source of the disturbance.

What I witnessed left me speechless. Gaven, accompanied by three other men, had Mia in his clutches. Her eyes met mine, "Run!" she screamed. Gaven's laughter echoed through the corridor.

Gaven, my once trusted best friend, had transformed into a stranger before my eyes. The past few days had changed him, turning him into a person I no longer recognized. Mia snarled, her defiance evident, as two of the men closed in on me. Gaven taunted, mocking my ignorance of the situation. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, Atlas. It's in your best interest to let us take this little shifter," he sneered.

Mia's anger surged, her protective instincts taking over. With lightning speed, she broke free from Gaven's grasp and struck him with a powerful blow. The impact caused him to cough, gasping for air. I joined in, fighting off the approaching men, although I questioned whether Mia even needed my assistance.

Within seconds, Mia had incapacitated two of Gaven's men, leaving them unconscious on the floor. Meanwhile, I focused on the remaining assailant, engaging in a fierce struggle. Mia stood over Gaven, who now lay battered and broken. Confusion filled his voice as he croaked, "How? They said if we dosed you, you couldn't fight."

As I knocked my opponent to the ground I looked at Mia. Her voice dripped with anger as she demanded answers from Gaven. "If you want to live, human, tell me who hired you," she snapped, her eyes burning with an intensity that mirrored her fierce spirit.

"A guy who goes by Artemis," he spoke with a trembling voice. As she bent down, a low growl escaped her lips. "He hired me this morning, offering a big reward for your capture."

Her eyes narrowed, a fierce intensity radiating from them as she locked her gaze onto him. "Now tell me, why did you turn your arrow on Atlas last night?" Her growl intensified, reverberating through the room.

"For fun," Gaven blurted out, his voice trembling with fear, provoking another menacing growl from her.

Her voice dripped with curiosity and anger as she pressed on, "Why was it silver? How long have you known about my kind?"

A smirk formed on Gaven's face, a mix of arrogance and superiority. "He warned me you were naive. Your kind has been working with my kind for a long time," he revealed. "How do you think they so easily attacked your home? We provided weapons in promise of wealth."

"I'll ask again, why did you turn your arrow on Atlas?" She snapped.

"To see if he was a beast like you," Gaven hissed, his words laced with disdain. In an instant, she seized him, her grip strong and unyielding, and forcefully slammed his head against the wall. Blood pooled beneath him, a sickening sight and metallic scent filling the air.

"We have to go," she snapped, her urgency palpable. Rising fast, she dashed into a nearby room, seemingly unfazed by the lifeless bodies scattered on the ground. Moments later, she emerged, clutching a small bag, and grabbed my hand tightly.

"Can you drive?" Her gaze bore into mine, searching for assurance amidst the chaos.

"Yes," I responded, a mix of shock and determination coursing through my veins.

"Good. We need to go now. Drive far away," she ordered, her voice urgent and commanding. Without hesitation, I complied, not daring to question her motives.

Once in the car, she leaned her head against the window as I accelerated quickly. I turned my head to glance at her, noticing the slight change in her breathing.

"They hurt you, didn't they?" I asked concerned.

Her response was a muttered command, "Drive."

"Tell me what they did to you. I'm involved now. I'm pretty sure you killed two out of the four people in that house. I need answers, Mia." I demanded. Despite my rising anxiety, I tried my best to remain calm.

As the road stretched out before us, she finally opened up. "Wolfbane," she admitted, her voice tinged with exhaustion. "I didn't detect it until it was too late. It was in the water. They somehow tampered with the house's water supply. But I've trained on wolfsbane, so I can handle it better for short periods. It just took me a moment to regain my strength."

"Is that some sort of poison, like silver?" I asked, my hands gripping the steering wheel tighter as we merged onto the highway.

"Yes." She responded.

"Who is Artemis?" I asked, desperate to understand the pieces of this dangerous puzzle.

"I don't know," she replied, her voice trembling weakly. "The name doesn't ring a bell. None of the warriors who attacked my home were familiar to me. I never knew any packs that communicated with humans. But I have to find out who he is."

"Why are they after you?" I inquired, my curiosity piqued.

"I am the last of my kind," she revealed. "Only a few of us remain. My mother was one, and then the gift passed on to me. My father protected us, but they took him. They took them all. I've trained my whole life, but I wasn't strong enough to save them. Now, they are after me. I hold the key to creating a powerful Alpha, one who can rise above all and rule. I must find someone worthy, someone who can fight alongside me, so I can avenge my pack," she mumbled.

As I reached out and placed a hand on her, I could feel the heat radiating from her body. "I need you to hold on for me, Mia. Stay awake," I demanded, concern evident in my voice.

"The bag, it has money. Atlas, I'm trusting you," she whispered, her voice fading. "Humans are forbidden, but I cannot deny fate. The moon Goddess selected you, so I will..." She passed out against the window, her body limp.

I kept one hand on her, monitoring her breathing, as I continued to drive until my tank was almost empty. Finally, I parked my car at a rest stop with a gas station near a bus. I carefully lifted Mia into my arms. Despite her tough exterior, she felt incredibly light. I grabbed the bag and headed towards the bus stop.

My phone had gotten us into trouble earlier, and I couldn't risk the same happening with my car. Fortunately, a bus arrived quickly. Although the driver eyed Mia suspiciously, he believed my story about her sleeping. I chose a stop near the train station, and once we got off, I purchased tickets for the next train that would take us far away.

Mia remained asleep against me during the entire wait, her body pressed against mine. Once on the train, I entered the private room and gently placed her on the small bed. She let out a small cry, so I climbed onto the bed with her, holding her close.

"I have no clue what I'm doing, but I'm going to keep you safe," I whispered.

"You said you are trusting me, that a goddess selected me for some unknown reason. Though I don't understand any of this, I know one thing: I'm not going to abandon you. Mia, you are special to me. I just don't know why."

As I brushed a stray hair out of her face, she nuzzled her head against my body. It felt right, as if we were meant to be together. The thought of being separated from this strange girl tore at me, as if she had been by my side forever.