Chapter 13 - Can I tell you a secret?

EMMA

The wolf is mat-black like a shadow cloaking their surroundings in darkness. The wolf looks similar to the one I saw in the woods. The one I was sure was going to kill me but didn’t. It brought me back when I was lost.

The wolf walks into the alley, and the men crawl past it to escape. It’s either run, freeze or fight. And nobody dares to take their chances in a fight. They all run. I’m the only one left in the alley, and I lift my hands in an attempt to protect myself. There is no escape for me. I close my eyes and I wait for what comes next.

Something wet touches my hand and I squeal out loud. A strong shiver runs through my body, from my fingertips to my toes. I crawl away on the ground, finding grip in the rough cobblestones and shuffle along the brick wall. The wolf is lying down on the ground, and I move as far away from it as I can. It follows my every move. The wolf whines as it holds its head down on the ground, and it looks up at me with dark amber eyes.

It moves closer, staying low to the ground. Like it's crawling along with me. Through its lonesome eyes, I can see a soul that is pained and grieving. The wolf seems more sad than scary to be honest, and I wonder if its scary appearance is just a facade. Some sense of safety propels me to lift my hand towards the wolf. The wolf moves slowly and it carefully touches my hand with its nose. The skin is soft and wet. It guides my hand to the top of its head and whines softly. The wolf stares at me and waits. I think it wants me to pet it.

I scratch its large head, raking my fingernails through its black fur. The wolf closes its eyes and a deep rumble vibrates through my hand. The fur is thick and surprisingly soft. The black strands are so dark, that it has no other color in them. The wolf inches closer and starts to sniffle around my dress, pressing its nose into my stomach.

I move back with a gasp when the wolf sinks its canines into my dress. “What are you doing?” I shriek and I stand up from the ground to inspect the dress. There are now four holes visible in the fabric.

“You cannot do that,” I tell the wolf and run my fingers over the ruined fabric.

The wolf sinks lower to the ground with apologetic eyes and soft whimpers. Its ears are lowered. Animals are easier for me to read than humans. Their emotions are more primal and honest. In the fisherman’s town, I spend a lot of time with the dogs and cats around. Thinking of the town makes me homesick. I want to go home, but I can't. I'm doing this for them.

“I need to get back to the palace,” I whisper.

The wolf stands up to its full height and I take a step back as it towers over me. The massive wolf blocks the exit and I’m reminded of the fact that this is a werewolf and not a loving pet. This werewolf is both human and wolf. I’m surprised that the wolf moves aside for me.

I watch it with caution. “Can you understand me?”

The wolf barks in agreement. Then it barks some more. Its eyes flickr between different shades of amber and black. It starts growling but to nothing in particular. Like it’s arguing, but I can’t understand what it’s saying.

I carefully move past it, while it’s distracted. When I pass the wolf, I quickly walk out of the alley. “I came from the right, so I have to go left.” I turn into the street left and to a small open square.

Soft light from the moon shines over the cobblestones. There is a fountain and I wonder if I've seen it before. I try to take another step, but something holds me back. Then I feel a hot breath against my back. It growls and I freeze. After a second the wolf lets me go and I turn to face it. The wolf is growling and barking at me and for a second I’m afraid.

It blocks my path and continues to growl. The wolf is not attacking, more like scolding me?

“I don’t know what you’re saying, but I have to get back to the palace.” I move around the wolf again, but it follows me. It pushes me with its nose against my shoulder and I nearly stumble.

“What is your problem?” I shout.

The wolf pushes me again and then points its nose up. I follow its direction. That’s when I see the two tall towers of the palace that reach far over the houses. I feel my face flush because I’ve been walking in the opposite direction the entire time.

The wolf sinks down to the ground and moves its head under my arm.

“I have no time to pet you,” I say.

The wolf whines and I swear it just huffed. The wolf moves its head under my arm again and pulls me toward it. Its teeth pull on the fabric of my dress again.

“Don’t do that,” I say as I move away to check the fabric again, but it’s still intact. I begin to walk toward the palace, but the wolf blocks my path at a speed I didn’t expect. I stumble and fall over its back. Before I can move, the wolf stands up and I squeal as I’m lifted from the ground. I grip my hands onto the thick fur and prevent myself from falling off.

“Can you let me down, please?” My voice is shaky and I swallow.

The wolf ignores me and starts walking. I reposition myself and the wolf casually strolls through the streets of the city. The people back away from us with fear written on their faces. They whisper about Nero and I wonder.

“Is that your name? Nero?”

Nero barks in agreement and nods its head down.

“Are you a, uhm, male wolf?”

Nero growls and it vibrates through his body. I take that as confirmation. Nero continues to jog and we pass the lavish villas. He doesn’t stop until the houses disappear. We never pass the palace guards, but now we're surrounded by the palace gardens. Nero walks until we reach a small pond with a large willow tree. Nero sinks down to the grass and I climb off his back.

I take in my surroundings. The moonlight reflects in the water and the edge of the pond is littered with flowers and plants. I immediately spot the lilies, water hawthorn and watercress floating on the surface. I lean down to pick some water hawthorn. The white petals give a subtle scent of vanilla and I breathe it in. I turn to Nero, but he's already lying next to me and watching my every move.

“This is a water hawthorn, you can eat it and smells like vanilla.”

Nero moves his nose to the flower bud in my hand and shakes his head with a sneeze. He pushes my hand to the side and presses his nose into my stomach. He is much stronger than me and I fall to the ground. He lifts his head and he casts me an apologetic look. His ears are down and he reminds me of a puppy who's not aware of what it is capable of yet. I giggle and his ears point up again.

“Can I tell you a secret?” I ask him.

Nero perks up and nods his head. I lie down in the grass and watch a cloud drift over the moon. “I’m supposed to become the mate of the prince.” I swallow the quiver down my throat and wait one breath. “But I'm scared because I don’t think I’ll survive this.”

Nero makes a sound that is a combination of a howl and a whimper. He lies his head down on my stomach and torso. His head is heavy, but I don’t complain. A literal wolf is resting on me and I don’t mind.

*What is wrong with me?*

His touch calms me down somehow and I feel my eyelids getting heavy.