The fire crackled softly as I sat in my chair recalling the way the glow had played over the soft lines of Ailith's face. I had been unable to tear my eyes away. I had peeked in on her a while ago and even in slumber, her face held a mixture of strength and vulnerability that stirred something primal within me.
What little she had shared before exhaustion claimed her again only deepened the mystery surrounding her. She spoke of loss, of fleeing from a past she couldn't face. But there was more, I was certain of it. The way she held herself, the flashes of steel in her eyes – this was no ordinary woman running from ordinary troubles.
My wolf paced restlessly within me, equally fascinated and confused by her presence. Her scent was... perplexing. There was an undercurrent of something wild, something that reminded me of pack, but it was muted, as if hidden beneath layers of humanity. It made no sense. Either she was wolf or she wasn't, yet Ailith seemed to exist in some impossible space between.
This protective instinct caught me off guard. I'd come to this cabin to escape the weight of responsibility, the constant need to care for others. Yet here I was, feeling drawn to this stranger in a way I couldn't explain.
As the night deepened, I felt my own exhaustion creeping in. I should move to my bedroom and get a good nights' sleep but the thought of leaving an entire room between us, even for a moment, felt wrong. So, I settled deeper into my chair facing her door and let myself drift off.
Untold hours later, a sudden noise jolted me awake. The fire had burned low, its once-roaring flames now reduced to softly glowing embers that cast long, flickering shadows across the cabin's weathered wooden walls. Watery, pre-dawn light filtered through the frost-covered windows, barely strong enough to illuminate the fat flakes that were falling swiftly. The latest blizzard had shown up full force while we slept.
I blinked, momentarily disoriented by the abrupt transition from sleep to wakefulness. My neck ached from the awkward position I'd maintained in the chair, a reminder of my vigil over Ailith. Trying to stretch the kinks from my neck and back, I shuffled toward the coffee maker to start the morning elixir, when a folded piece of paper with my name scrawled across propped up against the machine caught my eye.
My blood chilled as I read the hastily scrawled words—"Garrick, You cannot know how much your kindness and help have meant to me but I cannot stay and bring danger to your door. Thank you for everything. Someday I will repay you for the clothes I had to borrow. I'm sorry for lying to you but it has to be this way. I'll never forget you, Ailith."
The words hit me like a physical blow – Ailith was gone.
I stood quickly, ignoring the protest of stiff muscles, the adrenaline taking the place of the missed caffeine in my bloodstream. For several long moments, my mind refused to believe the words on the paper. I stood stock still, searching with all my senses. The cabin felt eerily quiet. Ailith's scent, that perplexing mixture of wolf and not-wolf, still hung in the air, but it was fading rapidly. A quick glance toward the front door showed my eyes that the pile of outdoor gear I kept near the door was disturbed, key pieces missing.
My heart raced as I pieced together what must have happened. Somehow, Ailith had managed to slip away while I slept, venturing out into the pre-dawn chill. The thought of her alone in the wilderness, filled me with a fear I hadn't experienced in years.
"Damn fool woman," I growled, striding to the door. I yanked it open, only to be met by a wall of swirling white. The wind was howling like a pack of hungry wolves. The blizzard not yet blown itself out.
I stepped onto the porch, squinting against the onslaught. There, barely visible beneath a fresh dusting of snow on the porch, was a single set of footprints leading down the steps and away from the cabin.
Fear and anger warred within me. What was she thinking, heading out into this? She could die out there, lost in the whiteout.
I called to my wolf, feeling the familiar surge of power as we merged. My senses sharpened, cutting through the chaos of the storm. I caught Ailith's scent, faint but unmistakable, and set off in pursuit.
The blizzard raged around me as I pushed forward. Snow stung my eyes and caked my fur, but I pressed on, driven by an urgency I didn't fully understand. This woman – this frustrating, enigmatic woman – had awakened something in me. The thought of losing her before I'd even begun to unravel her mysteries was unbearable.
I lost track of time as I searched, the storm making minutes feel like hours. Just as despair began to creep in, I caught a flash of color against the stark white landscape. There, huddled at the base of a massive oak, was a lump of bright yellow. My parka—Ailith.
Her lips were blue with cold. Her long lashes caked with snow and ice lying still against her pale cheeks. I shifted back to human form, gathering her into my arms. The increased cold against my skin in this form barely noticeable in my concentration on the small female held against me. The skin lying still over my heart was as cold as marble.
"Ailith," I called, shifting back into my human form, oblivious to the storm swirling around me. My voice sounded feral with worry. "Can you hear me?"
Her eyelids fluttered causing crystals to fall against my fingers as I stroked my thumb across her jaw. A faint moan escaped her lips. It wasn't much, but it was enough. I clutched her to my chest tightly and began the arduous trek back to the cabin through the ever deepening snow.
"Stay with me," I murmured, more to myself than to her. "Just hold on."
By the time we reached the cabin, Ailith was limp in my arms, her breathing shallow. I kicked the door shut behind us and hurried to lay her before the fire. My hands shook as I stripped off her wet clothes, replacing them with the warm, dry furs again.
The fire crackled softly as I struggled to warm Ailith's nearly frozen body, my hands rubbing under the blankets desperate to feel the blood warming her limbs. After several interminable moments, I realized my current methods weren't working fast enough. With a muttered curse, I made a decision born of desperation.
I stripped her down, pushing aside the inappropriate thoughts that tried to surface. This was about survival, nothing more. If she had been worried about her modesty, she shouldn't have done such a fool thing as leaving a nice warm cabin to run into the middle of a blizzard. I pulled Ailith's limp form against me, continuing to attempt to rub warmth into her limbs, wrapping us tightly in furs.
The shock of her icy skin against mine made me hiss. I could feel every curve, every line of her body pressed against me. Her breasts, soft yet firm, rested against my chest. The slender slope of her waist fit perfectly in the curve of my arm. I forced my mind away from these observations, focusing instead on the dangerously slow beat of her heart. My wolf whined and paced under my skin.
"Come on, Ailith," I murmured, rubbing her back vigorously. "Fight."
With a flick of my wrist, I called upon the ancient magic that flowed through my veins. The fire roared to life, flames leaping higher and burning with an intensity that no ordinary blaze could match. This was the gift of the Ice Wolves - the ability to command fire in a land of eternal winter.
It was this very power that had driven us to the Frostpeak Range generations ago. Other packs feared what they didn't understand, viewing our magic as an abomination. They had hunted us, tried to wipe us out, forcing my ancestors to flee to these unforgiving mountains. Here, isolated and protected by the harsh landscape, we had built a new life, our unusual gifts becoming the key to our survival.
As the enchanted warmth filled the cabin, I focused again on Ailith. Gradually, achingly slowly, warmth began to return to her limbs. Her breathing deepened, becoming more regular. I let out a shaky breath, relief washing over me. The color was returning to her cheeks, a soft pink replacing the alarming blue tinge of before.
I found myself marveling at how this stranger had so quickly become important to me. My pack's magic, a closely guarded secret, had been used without hesitation to save her life. The implications of that instinctive action were not lost on me, adding yet another layer to the mystery this woman who seemed so set on her own destruction.
"Come on, Ailith," I urged again, rubbing her arms to stimulate circulation. "Fight. You can do this."
As I worked to warm her, I found myself whispering a prayer to the Moon Goddess. It had been years since I'd called on Her, my faith shaken by the burdens of leadership. But now, faced with the possibility of losing this stranger, I found myself reaching for that forgotten connection.
"Please," I whispered, "don't take her. Not when I've only just found her."
The words surprised me, but I knew they were true. In the short time since Ailith had stumbled into my life, she had awakened something I thought long dead. Curiosity, yes, but also a fierce protectiveness I hadn't felt since my siblings were small cubs.
As the immediate danger passed, the reality of our position became impossible to ignore. The soft swell of her hips pressed against mine, her legs tangled with my own. The scent of her hair, a mixture of pine and something uniquely Ailith, filled my nostrils.
My body responded, a primal reaction I couldn't fully suppress. Shame and desire warred within me. This wasn't the time or place for such thoughts. Ailith was vulnerable, unconscious. I was meant to be her protector, not...
I shifted slightly, trying to put some distance between my swelling cock and her naked curves without sacrificing the warmth she desperately needed. Ailith stirred, a soft moan escaping her lips.
"Kael," she murmured, the name barely audible.
I froze, confusion and an unexpected pang of jealousy hitting me. Kael? She had said she had no family, no one to return to. Who was this Kael she kept calling to in her sleep? A lover? A husband she was running from? Or perhaps someone she had lost, driving her to flee into the wilderness?
The questions swirled in my mind, adding new layers to the mystery surrounding Ailith. Whatever – whoever – she was running from, it was clear the wounds ran deep.
After what felt like hours, her breathing evened out once more and her heart became a steady thump-bump under my hand. I found myself studying her face, searching for clues in the curve of her cheek, the furrow of her brow, the slope of her straight nose.
The night again deepened around us, the blizzard's howl a constant reminder of how close I'd come to losing her. My wolf paced restlessly within me, agitated by Ailith's lingering scent of not-quite-wolf and the name she'd whispered in her fevered state.
As exhaustion began to claim me, I allowed myself to acknowledge the truth I'd been avoiding. Ailith had awakened something in me – curiosity, protectiveness, and a hunger for connection I'd thought long buried. But her past, her very nature, remained an enigma.
I couldn't shake the feeling that by rescuing Ailith, I'd set something in motion that would change everything. The isolation I'd sought in coming to this cabin was already crumbling. Yet I couldn't bring myself to regret it.
Tomorrow would bring new challenges. Ailith would have questions, as did I. The path ahead was far from clear. But for now, in the quiet of the storm-wrapped night, I allowed myself to simply exist in this moment. To feel the gradual warming of Ailith's body against mine, to listen to the steady rhythm of her breathing.
Whatever secrets Ailith held, whatever demons drove her, I was now irrevocably part of her story. And she, whether she knew it or not, had become part of mine.
I was an Alpha, used to strength and certainty. Yet this woman made me question everything. The tenderness I felt as I brushed a strand of hair from her forehead was foreign, almost frightening in its intensity.
Without loosening my grip around the now warmed woman in my arms, I allowed my eyelids to shutter closed—exhaustion finally overcoming me. A soft sigh escaping from her pinked lips tickled my skin before I allowed myself to drift off into the arms of Morpheus once again.
I'm beginning to wonder if Ailith has good sense. LOL Thank goodness Garrick found her. Liking the story? Show it some love so others can find it as well. Thanks for reading! Dallas
AilithMy mind woke slowly like a gentle tide, lapping at the shores of my mind. Warmth enveloped me, a cocoon of comfort that made me want to burrow deeper into sleep. The scent of pine and woodsmoke filled my nostrils, familiar and soothing. I shifted slightly, nuzzling into the warmth beneath my cheek.It took several heartbeats for my sleep-addled brain to register that the surface I was lying on was far too firm to be a pillow. And it was... moving?My eyes snapped open, my body tensing as realization dawned. I was sprawled across a broad, muscular chest, rising and falling with steady breaths. My makeshift pillow had crisp hair that tickled my cheek and radiated heat like a furnace.Oh no. Oh no, no, no.With painstaking slowness, I lifted my head, my gaze traveling up the expanse of bare torso under me. The weak light seeping into the room cast shadows that accentuated every ridge and plane of well-defined muscle. My eyes widened as they landed on an intricate tattoo spanning o
GarrickThe soft, rhythmic breathing of Ailith filled the cabin as she slept. I stood by the window, watching the swirling snow outside, my mind racing. Our conversation had yielded little, her walls still firmly in place despite my attempts to coax them down. Who was she running from? What danger could be so great that she'd risk death in a blizzard to escape it?I rubbed my temples, feeling the beginnings of a headache. The wolf within me paced restlessly, torn between protectiveness towards this mysterious woman and frustration at her stubborn silence.A flicker of movement in the trees caught my eye. I tensed, focusing my enhanced vision on the forest's edge. There – a flash of gray fur between the pines. Cracking open the front door, my nostrils flared, searching for information, catching a familiar scent on the wind."Damn it, Sin," I muttered, clenching my fists.With a last glance at Ailith's sleeping form on the couch, I shrugged on my heavy coat and stepped out into the bitin
I stirred, coming awake in pieces. A warm blanket soft under my chin, woodsmoke tickling my nose. A muffled thud from the next room pierced my consciousness and my eyes popped open. I blinked, my eyes trying to adjust to the bright light shining through the frost-etched windows.For a moment I froze and tried to keep my breathing slow and steady, trying to orient myself to the growingly familia sensations surrounding me. I lay perfectly still, reveling in the warm of the blankets and the soft mattress cradling my body. Another thud, followed by a muffled curse, shattered the tranquil moment. I sat up, my brow furrowing as I recognized Garrick's voice. Swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, I winced as my bare feet touched the cold wooden floor. Grabbing one of the blankets off the bed, I wrapped it around my shoulders and crept toward the door.The door creaked in protest when I pushed it open just enough to call out. "Garrick? Is that you?"I pushed the door open wider with my fr
AilithAs we crested the final hill the next afternoon, my breath caught in my throat. The castle rose before us, its stone walls gleaming like polished silver in the crisp morning light. Turrets and towers stretched skyward, their peaks lost in a veil of mist that clung to the mountainside."It's... magnificent," I whispered, unable to tear my eyes away from the sight.Garrick gave a small shrug and chuckled softly beside me. "It's home."We approached the massive iron gates, which creaked open at our arrival. I tensed instinctively, my hand brushing against Garrick's arm. He gave me a reassuring smile."Welcome to Winterspire," he said, his voice warm with pride.As we entered the courtyard, a flurry of activity erupted around us. Pack members emerged from every direction, their faces alight with excitement and curiosity. I felt myself shrinking back, overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught of unfamiliar faces and scents.A tall, broad-shouldered man with salt-and-pepper hair strode towa
AilithThe warm water had done wonders for my chilled bones, but as I stood in my room, disappointment clutched at me. I'd been hoping Garrick would still be there when I got out. I made my way to a wardrobe and peeked inside. My eyes widened at the beautiful clothes hung there—soft wools and cozy flannels, pants, tops and long flowing dresses. My hand reached out to feel the plethora of fabrics. I'd just donned a pair of buttery leather pants and a sweater softer than anything I'd ever felt when a soft knock at the door made me jump."Ailith?" Garrick's voice called from the other side. "Can I come in?"Taking a deep breath, I opened the door to find him waiting, a reassuring smile on his face. "It's time for the evening meal," he said gently. "I thought…." His voice trailed off as he took me in. His eyes raked over me from head to toe with what I thought was appreciation.I nodded, and stepped back to allow him to enter the room. I tucked a wayward strand of hair behind my ear. "I h
The days following my arrival at Winterspire blurred together in a whirlwind of new faces, unfamiliar customs, and barely concealed whispers. I threw myself into learning everything I could about my new home, desperate to find my place among the Ice Wolves.Devin proved to be an invaluable ally, her cheerful demeanor a balm against the cool reception I received from most of the pack. She took it upon herself to educate me on the intricacies of pack life, from the daily routines to the more subtle social hierarchies."You're doing great," she assured me one afternoon as we walked through the castle's winding corridors. "Don't let the grumpy faces fool you. They're just not used to outsiders."I managed a weak smile. "I appreciate that, Devin. But I can't help feeling like I'm intruding on something I don't fully understand."Devin's face softened. "Give it time. You'll find your place here, I'm sure of it."As we rounded a corner, we nearly collided with a group of pack members engaged
AilithThe great hall buzzed with nervous energy as I slipped in, taking a seat near the back. Pack members huddled in small groups, their voices low and urgent. The air was thick with tension, setting my nerves on edge.Garrick stood at the head of the room, his brow furrowed as he conferred with a group of seasoned-looking wolves. I recognized a few faces from the border patrols – hard-eyed men and women with the lean, watchful look of those accustomed to guarding territory."Settle down, everyone," Garrick called, his voice cutting through the chatter. The room fell silent, all eyes turning to their Alpha. "I know there have been rumors circulating, and it's time we addressed them directly."He nodded to one of the patrol wolves, a wiry man with a scar running down his left cheek. The man stepped forward, his voice gruff as he began to speak."For the past few weeks, we've been noticing... disturbances along our borders. Tracks we can't identify. Scents that don't belong. There's so
AilithThe great hall buzzed with nervous energy as I slipped in, taking a seat near the back. Pack members huddled in small groups, their voices low and urgent. The air was thick with tension, setting my nerves on edge.Garrick stood at the head of the room, his brow furrowed as he conferred with a group of seasoned-looking wolves. I recognized a few faces from the border patrols – hard-eyed men and women with the lean, watchful look of those accustomed to guarding territory."Settle down, everyone," Garrick called, his voice cutting through the chatter. The room fell silent, all eyes turning to their Alpha. "I know there have been rumors circulating, and it's time we addressed them directly."He nodded to one of the patrol wolves, a wiry man with a scar running down his left cheek. The man stepped forward, his voice gruff as he began to speak."For the past few weeks, we've been noticing... disturbances along our borders. Tracks we can't identify. Scents that don't belong. There's so
GarrickDawn broke with a crimson brilliance that felt ominous given our impending confrontation. I had been awake for hours already, making final preparations while Ailith completed a ritual Sin had suggested to strengthen her connection to the Emberfang powers before our departure.The sanctuary's main hall had been transformed into an armory of sorts, with weapons laid out for inspection and distribution. Most were conventional—swords, bows, daggers that our warriors were already familiar with. But interspersed among them were the Emberfang artifacts Sin had retrieved from the lower levels—weapons created specifically to combat shadow manipulation and dark magic.I lifted one such weapon—a sword with a blade that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it, its hilt wrapped in leather inscribed with the same symbols that marked Ailith's skin. When I had first touched it yesterday, the weapon had vibrated in my hand, neither accepting nor rejecting me completely. Now, as I gripped
AilithSleep eluded me for hours after securing Lena and briefing the others on her betrayal. The revelation had sent shockwaves through our small group, with everyone eyeing each other with newfound suspicion. Who else might be compromised? Who could we truly trust?Garrick had been particularly affected, blaming himself for not detecting the deception earlier. "I should have sensed something was wrong," he'd said, his voice tight with self-recrimination. "She was under my command.""The shadow's influence is subtle," I had reminded him. "Even I didn't sense it until it was obvious."Now, as I finally drifted toward sleep in our chamber, Garrick's steady breathing beside me provided little comfort against the storm of worries that plagued my mind.The transition from wakefulness to dreaming was so seamless that at first, I didn't realize what was happening. I found myself standing in a vast, barren landscape under a blood-red sky—similar to my previous visions, but somehow more subst
AilithI woke to darkness, momentarily disoriented before recognizing the now-familiar contours of our chamber in the sanctuary. Garrick's side of the bed was empty, the sheets cool to the touch—he had been gone for some time. A quick glance at the crystal timepiece on the bedside table showed it was just past midnight.Something had woken me—not a sound or movement, but a sensation. A subtle shift in the sanctuary's energy that my awakened senses had detected even in sleep. Someone was moving through the halls who shouldn't be.I rose silently, pulling on a light robe over my nightclothes. The silvery markings on my skin provided just enough illumination to navigate by, a soft glow that responded to my heightened alertness. I extended my senses, seeking the source of the disturbance.There—a presence moving toward the eastern wing, where we had confined Mira. Not Fiona checking on her patient, nor Sin with more questions. This energy signature was more furtive, purposeful in a way th
AilithThe great hall of the sanctuary echoed with raised voices as our council debated how to proceed. Night had fallen, and the crystal formations embedded in the walls cast long shadows across the ancient stone floor, giving the scene an appropriately ominous atmosphere."We should attack now, before Kael completes this merger," Garrick argued, his powerful frame tense with restrained energy as he paced before the central hearth. "Hit them while they're still preparing, before they're at full strength.""With what army?" Sin countered, her voice sharp with frustration. "We have barely a dozen warriors. Kael has his entire pack plus the Shadow Wolves. A direct assault would be suicide."Bryn nodded in agreement with Garrick. "Surprise gives us advantage. We don't need to defeat his entire force—just disrupt the ritual and eliminate Kael himself.""And if Mira is lying?" Lena asked, her practical nature asserting itself. "If this is all a trap to lure us out of the sanctuary's protec
AilithWe had barely finished sharing our discoveries with the others when the sanctuary's warning system activated—ancient crystals embedded in the walls flashing with pulsing amber light."Someone approaches the outer boundary," Sin explained, already moving toward the main entrance with fluid grace. Garrick followed immediately, his hand moving to the blade at his hip."Stay here," he told me, his eyes intense with protective concern.I shook my head firmly. "Whatever's coming, I need to see it for myself."He didn't argue further, knowing by now that my determination matched his own. Instead, he positioned himself slightly ahead of me as we followed Sin, a living shield I both appreciated and found mildly frustrating.The sanctuary's entrance hall was already filled with our allies—Lena and Bryn with weapons drawn, Fiona preparing healing herbs just in case, Gareth monitoring the crystal display that showed the perimeter."Single figure," Gareth reported tersely. "Female. Moving s
AilithThe sanctuary's hidden library lay deep beneath the main chambers, accessible only through a narrow staircase that spiraled down into the mountain's heart. Ancient torches lined the walls, igniting with silvery flames as I descended, responding to my Emberfang blood.Sin followed close behind, her footsteps nearly silent on the worn stone steps. Since the ritual two days ago, she had watched me with a mixture of awe and wariness—as if unsure whether I was still the same person she had sworn to protect.In truth, I wasn't entirely sure myself. The awakening had changed me fundamentally. The silvery markings that now covered my skin from neck to ankles pulsed with inner light whenever I called upon my abilities. Knowledge that I had never learned surfaced in my mind as naturally as memories, guiding my hands as I practiced controlling the elements."The texts we seek should be here," Sin said as we reached the bottom of the staircase. The chamber before us took my breath away—cir
AilithDreams came for me that night—not the chaotic visions I'd grown accustomed to, but clear, purposeful images that felt more like memories than dreams. I saw the ancient Emberfangs performing rituals at nexus points throughout the mountains, reinforcing the seals that contained the Bound Ones. I witnessed their sacrifices, their determination, their unwavering commitment to protecting the world from darkness.But one vision disturbed me more than the others. A circular chamber deep beneath the earth, its walls inscribed with runes of containment and binding. At its center stood a crystalline structure that pulsed with malevolent energy—a prison for something that should never have existed in our world.And the seal was cracking.I woke with a gasp, my body drenched in cold sweat despite Garrick's warmth beside me. The markings on my skin glowed faintly in the darkness of our sanctuary chamber, responding to my distress."Ailith?" Garrick murmured, instantly alert. He propped hims
AilithShadow Wolves fought with Garrick and the others at the perimeter, their dark forms a stark contrast to the golden morning light. Sin, Lena, and Fiona stood around me, maintaining the protective circle despite their obvious exhaustion.And beyond them, watching from the edge of the clearing, stood Kael—his once-handsome face twisted with rage and something darker, something that didn't belong in this world.But I was not the same woman he had cast out. The ritual had transformed me, awakening abilities that had lain dormant in my blood for generations. I could feel the elements responding to my presence—the earth beneath my feet humming with energy, the air around me stirring even without wind, the flames of the ritual candles bending toward me as if in greeting.I stepped forward, and the protective circle parted for me without breaking. Sin's eyes widened as she took in my transformed appearance—the markings that now covered my skin from head to toe, the subtle glow that eman
AilithThe nexus point Sin had identified lay within a hidden valley less than a mile from the sanctuary. As we approached in the pre-dawn darkness, I could feel the energy of the place calling to me—a rhythmic pulse that resonated with both my own heartbeat and that of the child within me."This is it," I whispered, stopping at the edge of a perfect circle of ancient standing stones. The ground within the circle was bare earth, marked with the same spiraling symbols that adorned the sanctuary walls. At the center stood a stone altar, its surface carved with intricate runes that glowed faintly blue in the darkness.Sin nodded, her expression solemn. "The Emberfang ritual grounds. I never thought I'd see them with my own eyes."Lena stepped forward, her gaze sweeping across the sacred space. "What do you need us to do?"I appreciated her directness. Since their arrival at the sanctuary yesterday, Lena and the others had proven themselves true allies. Their warning about Kael's approach