Ch.9 - Gwen

My legs are in fire my body is screaming carrying this pack. At this point he’s gonna have to drag me the rest of the way, cause I’m about to give up. I let out a whine in the back of my throat for how uncomfortable I am and he stops to look over his shoulder. “Not much farther”, he says and continues to walk ahead of me. I tried to in loosen the rope a little before we jump the river, but I couldn’t get it loose enough and whenever I pulled on the rope he would turn back. Now the rope is taught between us. The more he pushes forward I drop back and he ends up dragging me forward. “ You said that 20 minutes ago”, I protest when my feet start to drag. “Keep moving kiddo” I feel like throwing up, my father and uncles called me that, they are all dead now. “Don’t call me that” I say pulling the rope towards me with my hand to get his attention. “Why you don’t like it”? He stops to turn back and look at me. “My family called me that, you are not my family.” He walks close to me and there’s no anger on his face so I’m not scared when I look up at him. “I’m all you got and I can call you whatever I want”. It’s the first time realization has dawned on me that I in fact am alone in all this. That whatever happens to me is my problem and no one else’s. I take a deep breath and let go of my emotion. “ Gwen my name is Gwen and never Kiddo”. He huffs a laugh and turns to walk forward again and before I know it I’m being g pulled again. We finally make it out of the Forrest to a house on a small hillside a creek running down beside it. It looks newer than the house he lived in the village and the chimney showing a fire inside is lit. Someone must be here already. I panic, looking around for an escape. When suddenly a woman I recognize walks out of the house wiping her hands on her apron. She’s the same women that helped me in the tent. She smiles at us and gestures us inside. Lucian gives her a half hug and pulls me toward her since we are tied together. “Oh my dear,” she hugs me. She looks down at the rope around my waist and then at Lucian and he just shrugs. She rolls her eyes. “Well now, we’ve not properly be introduced my name Lucy.” I smile at her and she gives me a smile back. Clearing her throat, “I’ve made sourdough and there’s a rabbit in the pot, come inside”. Her friendly demeanor puts me at ease and I walk inside the house, it’s clean and cozy and warm , the smell of the food she just mentioned hits me and I almost drool. She directs us to a long wooden table and Lucian goes to sit down, but Lucy smacks him on his arm. I stare in shock as does Lucian. “Before you think about sitting down you untie that poor girl and let her relax,poor things probably tired and starved”. “Relax I fed her some protein bars and she had plenty of water. We actually had a full breakfast before we left the cottage.” Lucy just stares at him not amused, folding her arms. “Fine, if she runs”. “Where would she run to”? Lucian isn’t amused, but knowing they just confirmed I can’t escape to safety well now I’m just gonna make the most of it here. After Lucian pulls the rope and unties me I go to sit at an empty chair ready to eat. My legs are on fire and I feel so hungry I don’t care what we eat. My time here with Lucian and Lucy are quite and easy going Lucy’s mate showed up on the third day we’ve been here but he quickly leaves after two days. A week has passed I’m beginning to feel at home. Lucian teaches me about the woods at first with the rope still tied to him, but after a while he doesn’t even bother anymore. He teaches me how to disappear into the woods and mask my scent, since I have no wolf yet it’s not as strong but still a faint smell is noticeable. I mean per Lucian “any wolf knows something’s not right if they walk into the woods and suddenly smell sugary goodness.” Although he doesn’t say what the smell is only that it’s sweet and to the wrong wolf that’s a deadly ending for me. After our training he shifts and puts me on his back and we head to the house, where Lucy has lunch ready. Like clock work we eat I help Lucy clean up and Lucian leaves where to I don’t know. But the routine is the same and it doesn’t change for the next 3 days.