The Ember In The Dark ( book one )

Chapter 22

“You won’t harm my friends,” – said Danny.

Present time

“f**k” Danny cursed as she spat blood out. She must have a concussion from the impact on the tree. But she couldn’t get into that now; it was getting darker by the minute. That wolf has knocked her out for much longer than she could have anticipated.

She didn’t want to engage with the wolf. It seemed peaceful. She knew it was the same wolf that’s been following her. Yet she panicked when it turned in the direction of the twin’s house.

She had no intention of fighting it. She thought that seeing a hunter was enough to scare it away. When she was standing face to face with the wolf, something inside her was telling her not to harm it.

Moments earlier

After the weird morning with Blake, Danny decided to do a little training. The twins were still deep in sleep, and she could no longer sleep, having Blake in her mind.

She went for a run-up to the clearing a few miles from the twin’s house. She knew no human’s go here as it was so off the track. This was an excellent place to stretch her muscles. It’s been a while since her last training with Peter or her dad.

She had her hunter uniform underneath her joggers and an oversized sweater. She always trained with it. Her dad always made her train with it. This way, she would know how it feels underneath. The uniform’s fabric was made from excellent mail that looks like a single piece. Silver is woven into the fabric material. This protects the hunter should they be bitten or clawed.

Should this happen, it would also hurt the wolf.

Certain no one was around, she removed her clothes, revealing her in a tight-fitted, ninja-like outfit. She takes her face shield from her backpack, which looks like a fencing helmet.

The hunter uniform was designed to protect the human from the wolf. But in the end, the human needed to be strong as it was not guaranteed it could save you from significant injuries or yet death. That is why Danny trains so hard. Skill in fighting was needed to beat a wolf.

As she was about to put on her face shield, she spotted a wolf. It was moving towards the twin's house.

Instincts kicked in, and she couldn’t risk that it was running too close to her friend’s house.

Blake, she whispered.

Her training kicks in. She sprays herself to mask her scent. And takes the silver daggers in both hands.

She hides by the tree line as the wolf stops by the clearing. She was just supposed to watch it, make sure it leaves. She knows she alone cannot defeat a wolf. Let alone a wolf of this size.

It must be an Alpha, she thought.

Her dad thought her better than to engage unprepared and alone. But when the wolf stood and turned toin the direction of the twin’s house. She draws her dagger. The wolf heard a sound as it turned to face her hiding direction.

Shit, she cursed

She stepped out of the shadows, silver daggers in both hands.

She doesn’t remember how it started, but she was fighting the wolf before she knew it. She was dodging its attempts to bite her. But it figured out her moves when it faked a lounged and instead kicked her.

Kicking her so hard, she tumbles and hits a tree. She spits out blood. She knew what it meant to fight a wolf. It’s all or nothing now.

A sliver of fear snakes its way into her consciousness, and she wonders if she will be ready for it – Death. Yet she courts it every so closely each time. She wonders now what changed and why she should fear what she has longed for.

She longed for it to stop the noises in her head, the nightmares, the tremors, the flashbacks, and most significantly, the PAIN. The pain no one will ever understand.

Wasn’t that why she trained so feverishly. To the point of breaking her bones. So why be afraid now?

Wasn’t this what she trained for? To kill a wolf. Wolves attacked her and murdered her mother.

But for some reason, something inside her was stopping her from hurting the wolf. Something inside her feared death, something inside her wanted something more. She never felt that before, the feeling of hope—the hope of falling in love. The thought of Blake entered her head.

What the f**k is wrong with me? She thought as she circled the wolf. The wolf was showing its dominance and its canines. It was going to kill her.

Focus, Danny, this wolf will kill you in seconds, and you’re fantasizing about Blake.

As the wolf lunged toward her, she slid underneath it and sliced one of its hind legs with her dagger. This only angered the wolf, and the wolf managed to retaliate, and before she knew it, she was being thrown feet away, crashing into a tree.

As the pain of the blow consumes, everything turns dark.

Present time -

Fuck’ she cursed again as she tried to stand up. She asset her situation; her legs were not broken, but her back was sore. As she tried to sit up, she cried in pain. Realizing she must have broken some ribs.

“Ok, think, I can’t go back to the twin's house in this state.” She spots her backpack a few feet away behind a tree.

“Danny, you need to stand. The wolf may come back with its pack soon” she ready herself to stand, and as she does, she screams in pain as tears stream down her face. The pain was beyond what she had trained for. But she knew she couldn’t pass out.

“Come on, Move,” She commanded herself. Taking small steps crying with each step. She was counting on the adrenaline that had taken over.

Finally making it to her backpack, she huffs as she tries to kick the pack upward and catches it with her free hand. Her other hand was on her abdomen, trying to steady her waist.

Taking a deep breath, she lets go of her abdomen. She opens her back and looks for her phone.

“Dad’s back. I need to get back. I will visit you boys, boys, soon. Don’t leave town without saying goodbye, ok” She re-reads her message to Lucas. Satisfied, she hits send.

Now how to get back home? She thought

A couple of hours later, she finally reaches the farmhouse. She quickly walks to the cabinets above the sink. It was well stocked with medical supplies. With all the years of training with her father. She’s been patched up by her dad so many times.

Her father made sure she knew what to do, just in case. She looked for the morphine and bandage. She prepared the morphine in an injection. She knew she needed to reset the location of her rib.

“God of almighty, this will hurt badly,” She tried to joke. She bit on a cloth and bit down on it hard.

Mentally she countdown to 3. Yet, at two, she pushes her rib back into place. She screams through the cloth as she bites on it hard. Tears streamed down her face. With her shaking hand, she reaches for the injection with morphine. And injects it on her thigh.

She crashes to the floor, exhaustion finally hitting her.

“I can’t die now,” She cries as the morphine takes over.