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1888 Words
Arden was amazed that Erina knew how to treat wounds. He never met a woman who knows how to survive in the forest because all his life, he’s always been introduced to women by royalties, a woman who has her own servants, and the reason they don’t know any chores is that they were raised dependently.
“You’ve forgotten that I am not royalty and that I grew up in poverty,” she said in a cold voice as she looked at the fire.
“Did you also make that?” Arden asked and looked at the fire.
“Who else could it be?” she raised both of her brows.
Arden noticed that Erina doesn’t seem scared of him at all as if she was fearless. Knowing that he’s the most ferocious alpha wolf existing, has started wars, and shows no remorse when killing, Arden can feel that Erina doesn’t feel intimidated at all.
“We need to wait until you’re fully healed. And the snow seems aggressive. It might take a day before we could go back to the mansion,” she explained as she looked at the entrance of the cave.
Arden’s eyes remained on her. He’s stunned and amazed that she successfully brought him into the cave, treated his wound, and lit a fire on her own.
“What happened to your mother?” he asked curiously.
“She died,” she answered simply, just like how she rehearsed her answers once she got interrogated.
The least topic Erina wants is about herself. She wanted to act innocent and angel-like, but she couldn’t help but get serious about her parents. She never got the chance to know her real father because, according to Aurora, he left them.
Erina was raised independently. It’s the reason she knows how to survive on her own if she’s thrown in the forest: she was trained by Aurora for years.
Erina remembered the painting she saw inside the storage room. A part of her wanted to ask about it, but she doesn’t want to open up since she went there on her own, and she doesn’t want to put herself in trouble.
“I’ll come out once the snow calms down. I’ll… try to hunt for our food,” she said.
Arden raised his brow. Hearing that she also knows how to hunt amused him.
“Are you a hunter?” he asked, his brows shooting up.
Erina shook her head. “I just know how to hunt since we lived in the forest. It’s one of our ways to survive every day.”
Arden can differentiate Erina from the other girls. She’s indeed unique. She’s the first woman he’s encountered who seems so fearless and feisty.
“You can’t move since you need to let your wound heal first. I’ll just… find our own food,” she said and stood.
Arden’s eyes followed her movement. To see that she’s dressed like a princess who ran away from the castle but knows how to hunt and survive on her own is very ironic.
He followed her as she strode to the entrance of the cave, peeked her head, and roamed her eyes around. She shook her head and looked at Arden.
“Are you fine here?” she asked.
“I should be the one who’s asking you that. You’re going to go out, and you might encounter dangerous animals outside. You should stay here inside instead.”
“I am just going to find some fruits or anything edible. I might also find someone to help us out,” she continued.
Arden wanted to get up and move, but his body is still so numb that he can hardly move. And with Erina’s determination to come out to find some food, he knows that his words can’t stop her.
Erina went out as soon as the snow calmed down a little. She searched for anything they could eat. Luckily, there were fruits she got even though they were frozen, but it was alright since she can use the fire to melt them.
Arden saw her entering the cave again as she showed the fruits she got and immediately brought them in front of the fire. Arden raised his brow, while Erina was smiling successfully.
“This will do, right?”
Arden stared at the sincerity of her smile as if she were happy to have found something for their survival.
“I guess I will survive if I’m with you,” Arden said.
Erina cracked the fruit and gave it to Arden to feed him because he needed strength more.
“Your guards are probably searching the whole forest by now,” Erina pointed out.
Arden nodded. “We won’t stay here for too long.”
Erina ate the fruit silently as her mind wandered.
My mother is probably worried by now… I should contact her as soon as possible.
After an hour, Erina just silently looked at the fire while trying to warm herself as the cold wind entered the cave and she could feel the coldness pricking against her skin.
Arden saw how her body trembled a bit, her lips moving as she hugged herself and let the fire warm her when it wasn’t enough at all, unlike Arden, who doesn’t feel cold at all because he’s an alpha.
“You’re cold,” Arden pointed out.
Erina remembered that she still needed to earn his trust, which was why she nodded slowly.
“Come here then,” Arden said.
Erina knows what he’s up to. Her mind knows what he’s talking about, but her heart still reacts, as if she’s not ready for their courtship.
“Werewolves have warm bodies. I can help you with body heat,” he said.
Erina swallowed. Knowing that Arden had heard her statement earlier, a part of her felt embarrassed.
“I can’t f**k you; don’t worry. I’m wounded,” he raised his brow playfully.
Erina slowly moved her body until she finally neared him. Arden patted the space beside him, pulling her arm and coaxing her to lie beside him. With his hand holding her arm, she abruptly felt the heat in him, warmer than the fire that she felt.
Erina slowly laid beside him sideways as she faced the fire, while she used Arden’s other arm as his pillow, her back facing Arden’s entire body.
He pulled her waist closer to him. Erina felt the heat behind him as if there were a more intense fire behind him than in front of him. Arden sighed breathily and snaked his arm around her waist. Erina swallowed when the heat traveled throughout her body, burning her little by little.
Erina can feel his massiveness poking against her buttocks. His hard rock stomach pressing against her back and his hot breath kissing her nape
She never felt intimacy before. It felt so raw, enticing, and foreign. She can feel her heart banging against her chest, the chills rushing through her veins, and her stomach churning in anticipation of something else she couldn’t even name.
Right. This is going to be one of those days, and I need to deal with it. I need to get used to it because I know he’s going to do worse than this. And he’s just doing me a favor for the moment because if I didn’t do this, I might die here instead of getting frozen.
Erina’s body felt the warmth that it was too much; she felt like she’d been cast into the depths of hell as she could feel her entire body burning in passion.
She exhaled breathily, trying to relax herself. A part of her wanted to glance at Arden, but she didn’t want to know what he was doing.
“Feeling better?” Arden asked hoarsely.
Erina nodded. “Yes…”
And even though she’s fully clothed, unlike him, who’s topless, she can still feel her against her skin.
“You never sleep with a man?” Arden asked, curious that he could feel her getting stiff a bit.
I didn’t, because my mother made sure I’d focus on polishing my skill for this moment, to strike your entire clan.
“I don’t have time for those things,” she replied.
“Even a kiss?” Arden asked in his baritone voice.
Erina shook her head. She trained for years, and intimacy with men is her least concern. She spent her life knowing the potions taught to her by her mother, some witchcraft, and the spells she needed to perform. To think that they lived surreptitiously without showing themselves because they’re afraid the wolves might see them and hurt them just like they did to their entire clan, knowing that Aurora is a very well-known deadly werewitch,
Arden was amused that she’s really had zero experience with men. When her stepfather mentioned that she was a virgin, he didn’t expect that she didn’t have at least a kiss.
“How about you? I bet you have a lot of experience with girls,” Erina said confidently as her eyes focused on the dancing fire.
“In the past, yes. But I never touched another woman for three years,” Arden admitted.
Erina’s brows furrowed. “Why?”
Arden didn’t answer. Erina felt that he didn’t want to talk about it, but she felt him shrug instead.
“I’ll just wait until next week,” Arden said meaningfully, squeezing her a bit.
Oh, this asshole! Imagine it, Erina—he never touched a woman for three years! Imagine his ferocious body and the intensity of his stance. It’s going to hurt for real!
“You can… do everything to me since my father sold me. Which means my life isn’t mine anymore,” she said in her small voice, trying to sound innocent, but deep in her mind, she was already cursing him.
“Your life is yours. You’re just going to bear my child. I didn’t buy you to be my slave,” Arden said clearly.
Erina’s brows knitted. His gentleness really shocked her. She’s expecting aggressive treatment from him, but Arden has been so gentle with him that she feels like she’s just too fragile in his eyes.
If that’s the case, then your mission will be so easy for you, Erina. You won’t get tortured while you’re in the mansion, and there’s also a high chance that you can easily get his trust, break his heart, and use his baby to curse all of their clan.
Her mother’s words kept on ringing in the back of her mind, reminding her that his gentleness is just a facade to manipulate and break her into pieces when the time comes.
Erina fell asleep in his arms that night and woke up the next day when the guards of their mansion found them in the cave.
Erina was put on the horse as she glanced at Arden, who’s been feeling a little better because of the herbals she used on his wound.
“Oh my God, Arden! You made me worried!” Mrs. Gunner abruptly went to Arden as her eyes looked at his chest, a coat resting on his shoulders to cover his back.
“Take Erina into my room and make sure she can rest,” Arden ordered the servants.
- Writer
