CHAPTER FIVE
1386 Words
The brush of wet grass tickling my face jostled me back to reality and I opened my eyes.
“Where am I?” I mutter in confusion as I take in the unfamiliar environment. The c***k of dawn was starting to filter through the trees. It will be broad daylight soon.
Brushing off the dirt and leaves clinging to my clothes, I stood shakily, clueless about how I got here.
Suddenly, an irresistible aroma wafted through the morning air—a delicious, unmistakable aroma of roasted meat with a hint of herbs and smokiness that made my mouth water uncontrollably.
"Mmmm... Smells like barbecue" I mused, sniffing the air.
"Grrrrr..." My stomach rumbled loudly in protest, signaling me that I hadn't had anything since yesterday, I even drank last night on an empty stomach.
"Eww..." I grimaced at the thought of how drunk I got yesterday.
I picked up courage, and followed the enticing aroma, wandering through the underbrush until I stumbled upon a clearing.
There, a fire crackled merrily with the meat skewered on a spit, roasting slowly above it. The meat was perfectly browned, its fats dripping into the flames, sizzling, and sending bursts of scented smoke into the air. The meat looks so mouthwatering that I could almost taste it. I swallowed hard.
Huddled around the fire with shotguns ominously pointing at me were three men on alert, and ready to shoot if I made any careless move. They were watching me closely.
I halted and raised my hands in surrender. "Don’t shoot, please…" I pleaded. "I’m just a girl passing by. I'm so hungry, and the aroma... it was what attracted me here."
"Do not move an inch, or we shoot. Are you armed?" one of them called out sternly.
Shaking my head vigorously out of fear, I replied, "No, I’m not armed. The only thing I have are these clothes on my back."
After a tense moment, I watched as one of the men signaled the others to lower their guns, having decided I posed no threat. I figured maybe he was the leader. I stood still as he approached me cautiously.
"Who are you" I heard a deep baritone call out as he approached me.
"I'm... I'm -" I stutter in fear.
There was something familiar about that voice. I could swear I've heard it before but I can't remember.
My nostrils flared as I picked up his scent. The smell of earth mingled with the smoky hint of wood fire.
"I'm Enya" I managed to say as he came within arm’s reach.
He froze, his expression turning to one of disbelief. "Enya?"
"Yea," I nodded.
"Enya Rosfield?" He asked, watching me intently now that he stood fully before me,
"Yes...that- that's my name" I confirmed, my eyelids fluttering in despair.
Does everyone know my name now? First, it was that mysterious woman, now this man. I must be popular in unknown lands.
"Enya, is this truly you, you've grown so much? Oh, for God's sake, what are you doing here? We almost shot you!" he exclaimed in exasperation, his hand reaching out to cup my cheek as if to confirm if it was truly me.
That's when it hit me. "Uncle Lucas" I squealed in huge relief, collapsing into his arms.
Waves of relief washed over me, and recognition soaked within me as I confirmed it was indeed him.
This is odd. That strange woman —how does she know, I needed to be here? I looked around, there was no way a car would have made it through those dense woods. How did she get me here?
Whoever she is, she just did me a great favor. My thoughts were soon forgotten as Uncle Lucas pulled me into a tight hug.
Oh, how much I needed this. Instantly, the floodgates of my emotions threw open, and I broke down into torrents of tears, soaking his shirt.
"You're safe now, Enya. You're safe,” he assured me repeatedly to calm me down, his hand gently stroking my hair. He allowed me a few moments to calm down before he motioned me over to meet his companions by the fire, who were already looking bewildered, and probably wondering who I was.
"Enya, meet my good friends Aldolf and Rudolf" he introduced enthusiastically. "Adolf, Rudolf, meet my niece, Enya," he continued, gesturing towards me as they both murmured their greetings.
"Hi," I managed a shy smile.
I could see that the two men were identical twins. They had a striking resemblance and their bulging toned muscles show they spent many hours training outdoors. Both are ruggedly handsome and sporting raven dark hair.
Their eyes were the only difference between them; one with piercing green eyes and the other with warm brown eyes. Each of them returned my smile and welcomed me.
Uncle Lucas then motioned for me to join him by the fire. "Come sit and warm up," he offered, pointing to a log near the fire. Gratefully, I took a seat,
I've always adored Uncle Lucas since I was a pup. He always gifts me toys and loves playing with me. He left moonglade pack before I turned 18, which was exactly the year my life went sour.
Before he left, he made me promise to come to him anytime I needed somewhere else to stay.
I watched as he signaled the men to give us some privacy. They both stood up, murmuring about some mundane task they needed to attend to, and wandered off.
Finally left alone with him, I took a deep breath. I knew it was time to answer questions, I just wasn't sure of how much I wanted him to know. I'm scared he may not see things from my perspective.
“Now, tell me what happened. Feel free. They're too busy to hear us" Uncle Lucas assured me as he finally asked, his voice gentle but firm.
"I left the pack," I replied, surprisingly calm.
He nodded, "I can see that kid...start from the beginning. What happened back in the pack and how did you get here?" He queried me, his eyes were filled with concern, lines of worry etched across his face.
He quickly produced a sharp knife from his waistband and cut a huge chunk out of the meat.
"I know you must be starving, you can eat while we talk". He handed it to me with a kind smile.
I didn't waste time, I quickly grabbed the meat and took a huge bite. "Mmmm ... I hummed appreciatively, the flavors exploding in my mouth. It tasted more delicious than it smelled.
Instinctively I knew I was in a safe place and I could trust him.
I swallowed hard, took in a deep breath "I...was mated to Alpha Eric, but he rejected me..." I heard him grunt.
I went ahead to pour my heart out to him. I told him everything that happened, how my life had been a nightmare since he left and what happened at the party last night, how I managed to escape and how I met a mysterious woman who knew my name and somehow knew exactly where I needed to be.
I skipped the part where I was marked, on purpose —it felt too raw to share just yet, I'm not ready. I felt reassured that my secret was safe, as the mark was tucked under my jacket away from his prying eyes.
He took in everything I said without interrupting me, occasionally grunting in disapproval of what I'd been through.
"Hmmm...this is strange" he mused, his eyes thoughtful as he processed my words. "You said a woman gave you a ride... It's rare for a she-wolf to venture far away from their packs."
He continued, "We're deep in the woods, and not sharing border with any werewolf pack. The only track leading here hasn't been used in years and we didn't hear the sound of any vehicle last night"
Returning his gaze to me, he patted me on my shoulder "Don't worry kid, you can stay with us as long as you want. We will protect you."
I breathed a sigh of relief. He'd finally said, what I needed to hear.
"Come let me show you around" he stood up and offered his hands to me.
- Writer
