Episode 3

After walking for quite some time through the forest, they entered a cave. They must have been crazy to think I would step inside. When the larger man noticed I wasn’t following, he shot me a look.

"I’m not going into that cave; I have no idea what kind of creature could be in there, and I’m not too fond of dark places. I bet you can hardly see a hand in front of your face." I said, justifying myself.

"I hope you know how to start a fire, because this area has a lot of wolves, and they are not nearly as friendly as we are. As for my vision, it’s excellent in the dark." The injured boy laughed, though I didn't understand why.

Weighing my options, I decided I had a better chance of survival outside that cave, where I could at least see something. I simply sat at the cave entrance while the boy glanced at me one last time before continuing on, leaving me behind.

Since I couldn’t make friends at college, I spent my time in the library reading various books, some of them about survival. Therefore, I was aware that after finding water, my priority should be making fire. However, I had no tools to help me ignite one, so I would have to attempt the primitive method, using friction between two sticks. I wasn't sure I could do it, but I needed to try.

I was relieved to have kept that knife with me, as it would be very useful at the moment. I scraped some wood to create tinder and chose two sticks, beginning to rub them together in a drill-like motion. However, after several attempts, my arms were tired. I made one last try, and, with a stroke of luck, I finally succeeded.

A big smile spread across my face. That cave man would be surprised by me now. Remembering his voice sent a shiver down my spine. After a few hours there, I noticed the chill in the air. I stayed as close to the fire as possible to keep warm.

Yet, the place seemed even more frightening. I couldn’t see anything inside that cave, and outside, with the trees so close together, not much light from the moon filtered through. I began to hear howls, and the words of that man started haunting me. I grabbed a larger piece of wood from the fire and placed it closer to me, prepared to defend myself if necessary.

I began to hear growls, which frightened me and made my body tremble. I took the flaming piece of wood in one hand and the knife in the other. Before I knew it, five wolves larger than typical dogs stood before my fire. When they noticed me, the wolves began to growl in a more menacing way. I started taking steps back, trying to distance myself from them and moving deeper into the cave, but those creatures followed my every move.

One of the wolves lunged at me, but I thrust the flaming piece of wood in its direction, startling it and causing it to retreat. How was I going to escape this? I was spiraling into panic, unsure how to escape that situation when I felt my body collide with someone behind me. Instantly, I turned with my knife in hand, ready to face any attacker. However, nimble hands seized mine, causing the knife to drop to the ground. I didn’t know what that individual had done, but the wolves quickly backed off. I couldn't tell if my body trembled more from the cold or from fear.

From the moment I saw that woman, I knew she wasn’t an ordinary woman. My wolf sensed her scent, the aroma of peaches, from miles away. I was surprised to see her next to my brother, as the jealousy I felt was immense. When I told her to stay away from him, it wasn’t out of fear of what she might do to him, but rather what I might do to both of them.

It was becoming difficult to contain my wolf. He wanted to present himself to her; he desired to mark her as his. I couldn’t believe that he had chosen exactly that woman for himself. She didn’t even seem to be from here, but my wolf roared longingly within me.

“Mine” — was what he kept claiming, over and over.

She was practically naked, and I could imagine her entire body beneath that torn dress. It was difficult to control myself while I was bare. Normally, when we transformed, clothes were lost, and when I felt my brother needed help, I didn’t hesitate to come to him.

I decided to focus my attention on my brother first, and once I was more in control, I would deal with her. For now, I would completely ignore her and keep her at a distance for her own safety. My brother was captivated by that woman, not in a romantic way, but by the altruistic gesture with which she treated him, thinking he might die from the injury despite not knowing him.

My brother was utterly outraged when I left her at the cave entrance, but that was her choice, not mine. I had warned her about the wolves, and even so, she chose to stay. After a few hours, my parents asked me to check on her, and I was on my way to do so, but I kept that information to myself. To my surprise, she had managed to make a fire, but she wouldn’t survive the wolves or the rising cold.

It took only the wolves sensing my presence for them to back away quickly. When her body pressed against mine, a powerful energy coursed through me, the scent of her fear mingled with peaches. However, I wouldn’t yield to her so easily.

"You wouldn’t survive a single night alone in this forest," I said, irritated by her foolishness in wanting to be alone without even knowing how to defend herself. "Where did you get that knife?" My eyes spotted it before she could accidentally harm me. That knife was made of silver. I couldn’t just grab it.

"From your brother!" she replied, although she couldn’t see me clearly. The fire only partially lit the cave, and she looked quite frightened.

"Give me that knife before you cause an accident." I took off my shirt and wrapped it around the knife. Taking it directly would cause me severe burns. Now I understood why Paul still hadn’t healed. "Are you willing to come with me now?" I asked rudely, and I didn’t even know why I was angry. Maybe it was simply because she had put herself in danger like that. She just nodded in agreement.

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