THE FIRST DAWN OF THE NINETY-NINE DAYS
1111 Words
Elysia’s POV
The first thing I felt was warmth. Not the kind that comes from a fire or the sun, though. This warmth felt different—solid and alive.
I was lying against something cold and firm, maybe leather, and underneath it, there was a comforting heat that seeped through.
Then I heard it—a heartbeat. It was steady and deep, thumping so close that I could almost feel it vibrating in my head.
Where am I?
I tried to open my eyes, but my body felt heavy, as if made of lead. My arms and legs were too weak to move, and my head was cloudy with confusion. Everything hurt. But I was warm.
Other sounds slowly reached my ears: the rhythmic thud of hooves hitting the ground, the wind rushing by, the creak of leather, and the soft sound of metal clinking.
I realized I was moving—not just walking, but being carried.
Panic shot through me as I opened my eyes wide. The world around me was a blur of trees rushing by, and above, the sky was pale with early morning light. And beneath me…
A horse.
I was on a horse, but I wasn’t alone.
An arm wrapped securely around my waist, strong and unyielding, keeping me upright.
My breath hitched in my throat. I stiffened, and a sharp pain shot through my ribs. I tried to hold back a gasp, but it slipped out—a small, broken sound.
The arm around me shifted slightly, adjusting its grip but not letting go.
“Stay still,” a voice ordered—low, rough, and cold. “You’ll fall.”
With my heart racing, I turned my head slowly to see who it was.
It was him—the man from the cliff. The one who had saved me. The one who had walked away without a word.
His jaw was set tight, and his eyes were fixed straight ahead. He didn’t look at me or acknowledge that I had woken up, except for that sharp command.
He was seated behind me on the horse, one arm firmly around my waist and the other holding the reins, as if I weighed nothing at all.
What’s happening?
My mind raced, trying to make sense of it all.
Why is he holding me?
Where is he taking me?
Did he… did he decide to help me after all?
I instinctively tried to pull away a bit, but a sharp pain lanced through my ribs, causing me to gasp.
His arm tightened around me right away, holding me in place.
“I said stay still,” he repeated, his voice sharper now. “You’re hurt. Don’t do anything foolish.”
I froze, going limp against him, realizing I had no choice. I was too weak to sit up on my own.
So I leaned back—reluctantly—against his chest.
I could feel his steady heartbeat beneath my ear, strong and calm.
Mine was racing.
*He came back*, my wolf whispered, her voice weak but amazed.* He really came back for us.*
I was grateful but I couldn’t understand why.
I swallowed hard, wincing at how dry my throat was. My voice came out as barely a rasp. “Why…” I managed to ask.
He didn’t answer.
I licked my cracked lips and tried again. “Why did you… help me?”
There was silence.
For a long moment, I thought he wouldn’t answer at all.
Then, without looking at me, he said flatly, “You begged for ninety-nine days. I’m giving you ninety-nine days.”
His voice was cold, devoid of emotion, like he was stating a fact rather than making a promise.
“Don’t make me regret it.”
My chest tightened. I opened my mouth, but no words came out.
He saved me. He actually came back and saved me.
I didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know how to feel. Relief? Gratitude? Fear?
All of it crashed into me at once.
“Thank you,” I whispered, so quiet I wasn’t sure he heard.
He didn’t answer.
I looked around, trying to understand where I was. We were moving through a dense forest, but nothing looked familiar. The trees were different—taller, darker, their trunks thicker than any I’d seen before. The ground was rockier. The air felt heavier.
And then I noticed them. Territory markers.
Rough symbols carved into tree trunks, stones stacked in strange patterns, scents I couldn’t recognize but that made my wolf nervous.
*This isn’t our territory*, she murmured.
“No,” I breathed back.
This wasn’t anywhere near my pack’s land. This wasn’t even close to the wildlands border.
We were going deeper. Where is he taking us? I thought, my stomach twisting with a mix of fear and dread.
“Where…” My voice cracked. I swallowed and tried again. “Where are we going?”
“My territory,” he said flatly.
His territory.
The words hit me like cold water.
I wasn’t going back to Silvercrest. I wasn’t going to some neutral ground or safe house. I was going into his land. A place I’d never been. A place I knew nothing about.
What if he’s lying? a small voice whispered in the back of my mind. What if he’s taking you somewhere worse?
My breathing quickened, panic clawing at my chest. But what choice did I have?
I was too weak to run. Too broken to fight. And if I tried to escape now, I’d be dead within hours.
So I stayed silent, my body pressed against his, and tried not to think about what the next ninety-nine days would hold.
The horse moved steadily beneath us, rocking me gently. My body was exhausted, every muscle begging for rest.
I focused on staying awake, on keeping my eyes open and alert.
But darkness kept creeping in at the corners of my vision.
“Don’t fall asleep,” I told myself. “You don’t know him. You don’t know where he’s taking you.”
But my body didn’t listen.
My head began to droop forward, then against his chest. I felt his arm shift slightly, steadying me without a word.
And then his scent hit me again—pine, smoke, something sharp and fresh.
It felt like a comforting blanket, and for just a moment, I felt safe. But there was something else, his scent was familiar.
“Where have I smelled this before?” I wondered, but my mind was too fogged and tired to chase the memory.
*“You’re safe,”* my wolf murmured softly. “For now.”
- Writer
