Novels by Afamefuna Nwanyibuife

I couldn’t stay hidden any longer.Carlos was hurt, bleeding. They were tearing into him and I couldn’t just sit and watch. Every scream, every growl, each one felt like it was slicing through my chest.My promise to stay hidden didn't matter now. Nothing mattered except saving him.I ran to the door, My hands trembled as I grabbed the handle. The cold night air hit my face."Get away from him!" I screamed.The three of them turned to look at me. Carlos's eyes were full of pain and fear. Not fear for himself. Fear for me."Amelia, no!" he tried to say, but it came out as a whine. "Run!"The brown wolf lifted his head. Blood dripped from his jaws. His eyes locked on mine. He had been waiting for this moment."There she is," he seemed to say with his hungry stare."You're even prettier than they said you'd be.”Rage filled my chest like fire. These monsters had hurt Carlos. They had knocked Rowan unconscious. They wanted to kill me."I'm not afraid of you." I said through gritted teeth.

The sound of horses grew louder. Their hooves pounded against the forest floor like thunder. My heart hammered in my chest as I counted the beats, trying to count how many they were this time.Carlos moved fast. He kicked dirt over the fire, killing the flames. The cabin went dark except for the pale light from the moon coming through the windows."Stay down," Carlos whispered to me. His hand found mine in the darkness. "Whatever happens, don't come outside.""Carlos…""Promise me." His voice was urgent. "Promise me you'll stay hidden."I nodded. "I promise."He leaned down and kissed my forehead. His lips were warm and soft. "Everything will be fine," he whispered against my skin.But I could smell his fear. It was sharp and bitter in the air.The horses stopped right outside the cabin. I heard leather creaking as the riders got down. Heavy boots hit the ground. Two sets of footsteps walked toward the door."Remember," Rowan said quietly to Carlos, "Let me do the talking."Carlos and

Rowan stepped back and waved us toward his cabin, his eyes still fixed on me. "Come inside."He was tall and broad, with gray hair and eyes that seemed to see everything.The inside of the cabin was warm and welcoming. Thick rugs covered the wooden floors. Books lined the walls from floor to ceiling. A large fire crackled in the stone fireplace. It felt safe here."Sit," Rowan said, pointing to chairs near the fire. "You both look tired."I sank into the soft chair. My body ached from days of walking. Carlos sat beside me, but I could see he was tense. His eyes kept watching Rowan.“He can be trusted,” he said holding my hand. “Rowan’s never broken his word.”Still, my fingers curled tighter around the strap of my bag. My mind kept going back to what the intruder said: “They'll come for you, all of them.”Rowan brought us hot tea in clay mugs. The warmth felt good in my hands. He sat across from us and studied my face."Tell me everything that happened," he said. "Start from the begin

CHAPTER FIVE - THE JOURNEY NORTH Carlos. Please be alive. He was still lying in the grass, but his chest moved, barely. I dropped to my knees beside him, checking for his pulse. Faint. But there. My hands trembled as I pressed them against Carlos's chest, feeling for the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Relief flooded through me when I found it, strong and sure beneath my palms. "Carlos," I whispered, patting his cheek gently. "Please, wake up." His eyelids fluttered, then opened slowly. Those grey eyes I'd grown so fond of focused on my face, confusion clouding them before clarity returned. "Amelia?" His voice was hoarse. He tried to sit up, wincing as he touched the back of his head. "What happened? The man..." "He's dead." The words came out flat, emotionless. I helped Carlos to his feet, my own legs still shaking from what had transpired. "I killed him." ***** Carlos's eyes widened as he took in the scene, the stranger's lifeless form sprawled on my kitchen floor, the ove

CHAPTER FOUR- DANGER LOOMS "Again," Carlos said, holding up his hands. "This time, don't let me see what you're going to do before you do it." I threw a punch at his left hand, then quickly hit his right. He caught both, but smiled. "Better. You're learning." We’d been training for two weeks now. At first, it was just to help me regain strength. But now it felt like more than that. He said a woman living alone needed to defend herself, but I sensed another reason. "Why are you teaching me to fight like this?" I asked, wiping sweat from my face. "Most women learn to sew and play music." "Most women don't almost die in rivers." His gray eyes were serious. "Someone wanted to hurt you before. Maybe kill you. I won't let you be weak if they come back." The way he said it, so angry, so protective, made my heart beat faster. “Try again,” he said. “This time, don’t hold back.” I ran at him, aiming for his stomach. He stepped aside, just like I expected. I spun and tried to trip him.

CHAPTER THREE- A WOLF IN THE WOODS Pain. That was the first thing I felt when consciousness crept back into my mind. Everything hurt, my head, my ribs, my arms. Even breathing was agony. I tried to open my eyes, but the light was too bright. I squeezed them shut again, groaning softly. Where was I? The bed beneath me was soft but unfamiliar. The scent in the air was different too, pine and woodsmoke. I forced my eyes open again, blinking against the sunlight streaming through a window. The room was simple, wooden walls, a stone fireplace, handmade furniture. Nothing fancy, but clean and warm. "Easy there." I turned my head toward the voice and immediately regretted it. Pain shot through my skull like lightning. A man stood in the doorway, tall and broad-shouldered. He had the kind of build that spoke of hard work and strength, not the pampered softness of wealth, but the solid muscle of someone who used his hands for a living. His dark hair was slightly tousled, and hi