11. Rain

**Rain**

After dinner, I return to my room. I get in bed and try to sleep but I end up tossing in bed for a long time because my head is full of memories. In the end, I get up and I go to the window. I look at the sky, and then at the forest. Minutes later I look at the houses. My heart almost stops when I see something moving into the shadows. Werewolves have better eyesight than humans, but even so, I can't see what's lurking in the shadows. I keep looking wanting to know what's out there. When I am about to give up I see something coming out of the shadows, and it is walking slowly towards the Pack House.
At first, I am not sure what I am seeing, but as I focus I see the most beautiful wolf I have ever seen. It is completely white, and it is walking so gracefully. When the wolf got close to the Pack House, he stops walking, sits on his back legs, lifts his head, and looks straight at me.
I forget to breathe for a few moments, as I look at the wolf. Well, he is not a normal wolf, from his size I know he is a werewolf. But there's something about him I can't put my finger on. It is as if I feel drawn to him. The more I look at him, the more drawn I feel.
The wolf keeps looking at me as if he is expecting something from me. At some point, he jerks his head as if to tell me to go to him. I put my index finger against my chest, quietly asking him if he wants me to go to him. He nods with his head.
*'Go to him,'* I hear my instinct whisper to me.
Before I can think about what I am doing I am already putting my coat on, my boots, and scarf. In less than a minute, I get out of my room. I walk slowly not wanting to be heard by other werewolves that might ask where I am going. When I am outside the Pack House, I hurry afraid that the wolf has left.
When I see he is waiting for me, I relax.
I get in front of him and he is even more impressive from up close. His fur is white as snow and his eyes are amber. And he smells like the forest.
"Hi!" I say. "I am Rain. But you probably know that already." The wolf nods. "I wonder who you are. I guess it doesn't really matter."
The wolf says nothing and keeps looking at me.
"This is a bit strange," I say when the silence is too much.
Suddenly the wolf stands and damn he is tall. He starts walking away. A moment later he looks back at me and makes a sign with his head. I look at him, wondering what he wants to tell me. He makes the same motion a few more times.
"Do you want me to follow you?" I ask and the wolf nods.
He waits for me to get next to him before he resumes walking. As I walk next to the white wolf, I wonder where is he leading me.
All kinds of scenarios come into my mind.
I stop walking and the wolf does the same, and he looks at me.
"Where are you taking me?" I ask him suspiciously.
The wolf jerks his head, letting me know that he is taking me into the forest. I look at the forest. It is so dark, and quiet, and to be honest it is a bit creepy. I look back at the wolf and narrow my eyes.
"Why are you taking me into the forest? Are you planning to kill me?"
The wolf makes some sounds that are similar to a chuckle and shakes his head.
I drum my fingers against my cheek, while I think. I chew my lower lip while the wolf watches all my movements. Why does he wants me to follow him? What does he want from me?
"Do you want to show me something?" I finally ask.
The wolf nods his head. After that, he points once more at the forest.
What can be that interesting in the forest that this wolf wants to show me? And why does he want to show it to me out of all the people?
When I still don't move, the wolf grabs my coat with his mouth and pulls.
*'Follow him,'* my instinct tells me.
"All right, all right! I am coming!" I say.
The wolf lets go of my coat and he starts walking fast. I rush after him. Soon we leave the Rogue Village behind, as we venture farther and farther into the forest.
I walk in silence, next to the wolf, listening to the forest. From time to time I feel the wind blowing or I hear owls. But other than that it is quiet.
As we keep walking, I look around me, trying to memorize the way back to the pack.
About an hour later the wolf finally stop. I wasn't paying attention to him, and I almost ran into him, when he stopped.
"Next time you stop so suddenly, let me know," I say in a sharp tone.
The wolf doesn't even look at me when I scold him, as he looks in front of him. I look at what he is looking at. And then I see the trees. My mouth falls open and I stare at them.
I take a step then another. I feel the wolf walking behind me.
"Dear Goddess! What is this?" I ask when I stop in front of the most beautiful trees I have ever seen in my life.
Instead of leaves, the trees have crystals. There are blue, red, white, green, purple, and yellow crystals and they glow, illuminating the area. I see a total of fifteen of these trees and they surround a small clearing.
Inside the clearing, I don't see any snow, only a green mantle of grass. There are also some rocks that I can sit on.
The wolf puts his head against my lower back and pushes me until I am inside the clearing. Strong magic flows inside this little clearing and I hear a song coming from the trees, but I can't understand the words. I try to listen, hoping I can hear the words but they are in a language I don't understand.
I take my coat off and sit on one of the rocks. The wolf comes to me and sits next to me.
"What is this place?" I ask him, still looking at the trees.
For the first time in months, I feel Safia react. I feel her curiosity about the clearing and the trees.
*'Beautiful, isn't it?'* I ask her. Safia doesn't reply, but I feel how she looks at the tree. I don't tell her anything more, and I let her watch the trees in peace.
Suddenly the white wolf gets up, gets close to my face, and starts sniffing me.
"What are you doing?"
The wolf sniffs me for a little longer then he licks my cheek. I have never been licked by a werewolf before and it startles me. I try to get away, and as I lean to my side I fall from the rock on my back. Next thing the wolf is next to me and he licks my face once more. I try to get him away from me.
"Enough with the licking!" I say but he ignores me.
I try to roll over, but then the wolf does another thing that surprises me. He puts his head on my chest and then he whines as if he is suffering very much.
I pat his head, "What's the matter, White?" He stops whining, lifts his head, and looks at me. "Is it alright if I call you White?" The wolf nods and puts his head back on my chest and I stroke his fur once more.
White keeps his head on my chest and so much pain and loneliness I sense coming from him.
"You are just like me," I whisper to him, and White whines a little more. "Did they hurt you too?"
White whines some more and I stroke him even harder, trying to comfort him. I have never felt so much pain coming from a werewolf before. He sounds so lost and alone. And I feel like I want to protect this wolf, whoever he is.
"It's alright, White. You are safe now. I won't let anyone else hurt you," I say to him.
White lift his head and licks my cheek once more, then he puts his head back on my chest and closes his eyes.
I keep stroking his fur until my eyes close and I drift to sleep.
I sleep for some time until I feel someone licking on my face. I try to cover my face with my hands, but then my hands got licked. After a while, the licking stops.
When I remove my hands and open my eyes I see White sitting on his back paws and staring at me.
"You really have to stop licking me!" I say and he tilts his head to the left as if to ask me 'why?'
I get up and feel my back a little stiff from the position I have been sleeping in. I stretch a little and then look at the sky. The night is coming to an end, as dawn is approaching fast.
"We have to return to the pack," I say to White and look at him. "What if the others discovered that we are missing and they are looking for us?"
White nods.
I put my coat back on me and then follow White back to the pack. This time he is walking faster. Before no time, we are already at the edge of the forest. White stops walking and I look at him.
"You are not coming?" I ask and he shakes his head. I bit my lower lip. "I had a great time with you," I say after a few moments. My instinct tells me that I have to see this wolf again. "Do you think we can meet again?" I ask and wait for his reply.
To my relief White nods immediately.
"Tonight?"
White nods once more.
"What time?"
White hits the ground eleven times with his paw.
"At 11 PM?" I ask and White nods once more. "Should we meet here?" I ask and White agrees.
I wave at him and hurry to the Pack House.
I get into my room, take my coat, boots and scarf off and get into the shower. When I get out I dry my hair and braid it.
I am about to get in bed when the door opens and Caleb enters.
"Red! You are awake! And you also showered! For this, you deserve a treat! I am taking you to the gym today!"
I groan. The last thing I need is more training with Caleb. And how can he think that the gym is a treat? Chocolate is a treat. Ice cream is also a treat. But the gym is more like a punishment.
"Don't I get a day free from training?" I ask.
Caleb thinks for a few moments, then says, "You can have Sundays free. How about that?"
I narrow my eyes, "What day is today?"
"Friday!"
Only Friday! I have to deal with Caleb for two more days until I have a day without him.
"Fine! The sooner we start the sooner you leave me alone," I say.
"That's the spirit!" Caleb says.
After breakfast, I follow Caleb to the basement of the Pack House, where the gym is.
"We should start with the punching bag," Caleb says. When I fold my arms Caleb says, "You can imagine that the punching bag is that jerk that rejected you."
I narrow my eyes at him, "How about I imagine the punching bag is your dick?"
Caleb growls, "How about you think of another thing?"
When I start punching the bag I do it as my life depends on it. After the punching bag, Caleb shows me other equipment and explains to me how to use them.
After lunch, Sarah takes me to the Entertaining Room of the Pack House, and together with a group of females, that Sarah presents to me, we watch a series on Netflix. I don't pay attention to the TV, my mind taking me to the clearing that White showed me.
Once we finish seeing the series, I try to keep myself busy, hoping that the time will fly fast because I am eager to see White again. There's something about that wolf that draws me to him. Something I can't figure out.
After dinner, I go to my room, and I find a white envelope on my bed with my name written on it. I pick it up and sniff it but it only smells like paper. Strange.
I open it and take out a piece of paper and read what it says.
*Thank you for keeping company to my wolf last night. He doesn't usually like to interact with other werewolves, but he liked being with you.*
I put the letter back in the envelope and spend a lot of time thinking about who could have left this for me. But I don't know all the pack members so it can be anyone. But I am determined to find out who he is.
At 10:50 PM I get out of my room. I walk slowly, making sure no one hears me. When I am out of the Pack House I hurry to the forest. When I get there, White is already waiting for me.
"What do we do tonight?" I ask White.