Chapter 8 - A daring plunge
1701 Words
As they stepped out of the sauna, Chloe felt a rush of energy surge through her. The winter air was crisp and refreshing, a stark contrast to the sweltering heat she had just experienced. She did like heat, but one could only take so much.
Together, they all made their way towards the lake where a quaint little staircase would lead them down to the water's edge. The fighters had carved a hole in the ice, transforming it into a small pool with sparkling icy water.
Chloe gazed at it with hesitation, suddenly doubting her decision to take a dip. "Brr, it looks freezing," she murmured.
“You're a wolf! You can take it,” Marcus winked. "I dare you to beat me there," he shouted before taking off in a sprint. Chloe couldn't help but to follow suit, she never turned down a challenge...
However, as they raced towards the water, Marcus suddenly slipped on the icy steps and tumbled headfirst into a massive snowdrift! His towel went flying, leaving his perfectly shaped bottom exposed as he spun around and landed with a thud, all covered in snow. The sight was so funny that Chloe and the other pack members couldn't help bursting into laughter.
"Are you okay?" Chloe managed to choke out between the giggles, trying to control her laughter as she saw Marcus sitting there covered in snow, trying to regain his composure. Thankfully, the snow provided at least some cover for his delicate parts.
"Help me up, please!" Marcus pleaded and reached out a hand.
He even gave her the puppy eyes, so how could she resist? She grabbed onto his hand, ready to pull him to his feet - but before she knew it, he gave her a sneaky tug, and she found herself tumbling right onto his lap.
"Marcus!" she gasped, trying to push herself upright. "That's not fair!"
"That's what you get for laughing at me," he whispered playfully in her ear, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
But Chloe wasn't having any of it. With an evil chuckle, she grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it right in his face, transforming him into a snowman. She couldn't stop laughing as Marcus sat there, looking like a confused Santa Claus.
“Now, you….! “ he howled at her, jumping to his feet with a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Chloe continued to giggle as she started running, but as soon as he began chasing her, her instincts took over. She sprinted towards the lake with the wild abandon of an untamed creature, not stopping to consider her actions.
Without further thought, as she reached the staircase, she took a running leap and plunged headfirst into the icy water! The cool and refreshing sensation took her by surprise, but to her amazement, she found that she loved it. If someone had told her before that she actually would enjoy bathing in a frozen lake, she would have dismissed it as a bad joke.
However, as she prepared to ascend to the surface, she suddenly realized that something was horribly wrong...
Above her head, there was nothing but a thick layer of ice. She was trapped! Her heart began racing as she tried to fight off the rising panic. She kicked and thrashed against the unyielding ice, the wolf inside her whining in despair.
"There's nothing I can do!" her wolf cried out, echoing Chloe's own sense of helplessness. She could feel the icy water closing in around her, pressing in on her from all sides.
With each passing second, her lungs screamed for air, and she held her breath for longer than she ever had before, desperate to find a way out. With a sudden surge of adrenaline, she used every ounce of willpower she had left to push against the ice above her, straining every muscle in her body. With the sound of the cracking ice echoing in her ears, she felt a glimmer of hope. She could do it! She continued to push even harder, using every last drop of strength she had to break through to the surface.
But... Despite her best efforts, the ice refused to give way completely. Her body was beginning to weaken and her mind was slipping away. Was this the end? No! It couldn't be. She had to break through the ice, she just had to. She pounced one more time, hearing the cracking sound, realizing that the ice finally was about to give way.
However, she ran out of oxygen in her lungs and suddenly, she was unable to hold her breath any longer. With dread, she involuntarily gasped and the icy water rushed into her lungs, searing her throat and choking her with its frigid grip.
But then, just when she thought all was lost, a powerful arm broke through the ice! It wrapped around her waist, pulling her up from the freezing depths of the icy water, and in a moment of shock and relief, she wheezed as she drew in the air and began coughing up water, feeling herself being lifted into strong arms. Her whole body trembled with adrenaline as she clung to her rescuer, utterly grateful for the warmth of his body against hers.
"Chloe, what were you thinking?" Marcus voice cracked as he asked. With Chloe still coughing and gasping for air, he held her tightly in his arms, his eyes filled with concern.
"I wasn't," she managed to choke out between coughs, giving him an apologetic look as she struggled to catch her breath.
"You could have drowned," Marcus scolded her, his grip tightening as he carried her towards the sauna. "It was only luck that the ice was clear enough for us to see where you were."
"I'm sorry," she whispered, nestling into his embrace. She was feeling both safe and embarrassed at the same time.
“You scared me half to death, Chloe," he murmured, his voice softening. "Promise me you'll never do something like that again.”
Gently, he lowered her onto the sauna bench and crouched down to pat her hair.
“Is she okay?” Maeve peeked inside, looking worried. “Can we come in?”
“I’m fine,” Chloe coughed and waved her hand dismissively, suddenly realizing she was all nude. They all were. “Can I get a towel please?” She felt the heat rise to her cheeks.
“Of course,” Marcus mumbled, suddenly blushing too, and handed her one.
One by one, the others filed into the room, shooting her worried glances.
“I’m OK, ya’ll,” Chloe gave them a faint smile. “I was just testing Marcus's speedy reflexes."
“Girl, did you ever,” chuckled Vidar, one of the ginger-haired fighters, even frecklier than Marcus. Chloe had understood he and Marcus were tight friends, and that he probably would become Marcus' Beta one day. “I ain't never seen our Alpha so anxious,” he continued with a grin, flexing his massive chest muscles.
“Alpha?” Chloe raised an eyebrow at Marcus. “I didn’t know you had your inauguration ceremony yet?”
“No, I haven’t,” Marcus cleared his throat.
"Nahh, Marcus has been our stand-in Alpha for years,” Maeve interjected. “Our real Alpha is just... well, let's just say he's not the fighting type."
“If someone challenged him, he'd be toast," added Vidar, snickering. "He's got a belly like a beach ball."
"Don't underestimate him!" another fighter chimed in. "He'd just belly-flop onto his opponent and be done with it."
"Yup, that's his secret weapon," snorted yet another, and everyone burst out laughing, the steamy air filled with their guffaws.
Chloe was grateful for the laughter that filled the room, removing the attention from herself. In fact, her dangerous encounter with nature had left her surprisingly cheerful, feeling very lucky to be alive. It had been a while since she had felt truly carefree, but in that moment, she allowed herself to sink into the feeling and let out a smile, relaxing her tense shoulders.
As the sound of their giggles slowly died down, Marcus sat beside her and pulled her close. She hesitated for a moment, noticing how Maeve shot them a knowing look, but then she closed her eyes and relaxed into the warmth of his embrace.
His arms were strong yet gentle, and she found herself leaning into his chest, nuzzling her head against him. She could feel the beating of his heart, and it was such a comforting sound… How wonderful it would have been if he was her fated mate.
“But he isn’t…” her wolf whispered. “And he’s already taken.”
For a moment, they sat there in silence. Chloe was afraid to move, afraid to break the spell of this precious moment. However, suddenly, Marcus broke the stillness with a heavy sigh and pulled away from her.
“Shall we?” he abruptly stood up and ran his hand through his auburn hair. “I think it’s time for dinner.”
“Will you dine with the pack tonight?” Maeve gave Chloe a friendly smile.
“I think so,” Chloe smiled back.
“Great,” Maeve nodded, a sly grin playing at her lips. “I think everyone is dying to meet you…”
As Marcus stepped out through the door, Maeve grabbed Chloe by the arm. "I have to tell you, I'm rooting for you," she leaned in and whispered, her brown locks falling across her face. "That Juliette is not the Luna we need, but you… You could be."
Chloe blushed, not knowing what to say. "Uhmm, thanks? But… we… Marcus and I,” she hesitated. “We’re just friends."
Looking out through the window, she saw him vigorously rubbing his face with his hands, his features etched with frustration. As though he could sense her gaze upon him, he suddenly looked up and their eyes met, and she was taken aback by the raw emotion that she saw in his eyes.
Why did he look so pained, all of a sudden? She didn't understand a thing. Was it something she said, something she did?
- Writer
