Aria looked up, and her blood ran cold. She was standing face to face with a massive wolf, its fur as white as snow, with golden eyes gleaming like molten gold. It locked its gaze squarely onto hers, unblinking and intense. The rain cascading over its mane only enhanced its majestic yet fearsome aura. Power radiated from the creature, commanding respect and triggering every survival instinct in her body.
Clutching the unconscious man tighter, Aria froze, fear coursing through her veins. She scanned the wolf warily, terrified it would lunge at any moment, but it remained still, its eyes never leaving hers. The downpour drenched them both, but the wolf appeared untouched by the storm, as though it existed in a realm beyond nature.
Her chest heaved erratically as panic gripped her. She dared not make a sudden move, terrified of provoking it. Just as she began to hope it might leave her alone, the wolf took a deliberate step forward, baring its teeth in a low, menacing growl.
"Aria, you're a goner," she whispered to herself, her voice trembling. Tears threatened to spill as she took a cautious step back. "Is it on its period? That's one hell of a mood swing. Or is it an alpha looking for his bride?" she muttered not sure the sex of the creature but her thoughts were a desperate attempt to distract herself from the peril before her.
The wolf's once-calm eyes turned feral, bloodshot with an eerie intensity.
"Easy, boy… easy," Aria coaxed, her voice shaky. She moved backward, step for step with the wolf, dragging the unconscious body with her. "Down, boy," she tried commanding, but it came out more like a plea.
A voice in her head retorted dryly, *"At this point, you'll be the one going down."*
"Haha, not funny," she hissed under her breath, her nerves fraying.
The wolf advanced with calculated precision, its movements stealthy despite its size. Its golden eyes gleamed ominously through the rain. Aria's mind raced as she frantically searched for a weapon—anything to defend herself. But the barren field offered nothing.
Before she could react, the wolf sprang forward in a blur of motion. Aria screamed, throwing herself over the body, shielding it as best as she could. She shut her eyes tight, bracing for the sharp agony of teeth tearing into her flesh.
But no pain came.
The moments stretched agonizingly long, and Aria dared to peek through her lashes. She heard a guttural scream, raw and agonized. Her eyes snapped open, and she saw the naked man—the one who had been chasing her—howling in pain.
The man barely had time to scream as the wolf leapt at him with a ferocious snarl, its massive body slamming him into the mud. The impact knocked the air out of his lungs, and his hands flailed wildly in desperation. The wolf growled, its powerful jaws clamping down on his groin with brutal precision.
A blood-curdling scream tore from the man's throat as the wolf ripped away his manhood in one savage bite. Blood spurted onto the muddy ground, the crimson stark against the rain-soaked earth. The man convulsed, clutching at the mutilated area, his face contorted in agony.
But the wolf wasn't finished. Its golden eyes burned with an unrelenting fury as it lunged again, sinking its teeth into the man's shoulder. The man clawed at the ground, trying to drag himself away, but every futile struggle only seemed to excite the beast further.
With a guttural snarl, the wolf tore into him, its fangs shredding flesh with sickening ease. The man gasped for air, his screams turning into hoarse, gurgling sounds as blood bubbled from his lips. His body thrashed, but his strength waned with every vicious bite.
Aria's stomach churned at the sight, but she had no time to dwell on it. Her gaze flicked back to the wolf, now standing still, the wolf lifted its bloodied muzzle, its eyes locking onto Aria once more as if to ensure she was watching. its intense golden eyes fixed on her. It let out a chilling triumphant howl that echoed into the storm before retreating into the building without another glance.
What just happened?
The man laid to the ground with a loud thud, snapping Aria out of her shock. He was gasping for air, his hands clawing weakly at nothing as blood poured from his wounds. His terror was etched into every line of his face as he struggled against the inevitable. Moments later, his eyes dimmed, and his body went limp.
He was dead.
Aria's heart raced as she tried to process everything. The wolf had killed him but spared her. Why? Would it still come back—this time with its pack? It had to be the alpha; no ordinary wolf carried such an aura of command.
Fear drove her into motion. She hoisted the unconscious man onto the cart with trembling hands, not even bothering to wipe the rain from her face. Her mind screamed at her to leave, to get as far away as possible before the wolf returned.
She pushed the cart with all her strength, her muscles screaming in protest as she navigated the muddy field. The rain continued to pour in relentless sheets, masking any sounds around her. She didn't dare look back, terrified of what she might see if she did.
Her thoughts spiraled as she walked. What should she do with the man? Take him home? That might endanger her if the men hunting him returned. The hospital seemed safer, but another problem loomed: how could she transport him there with this flimsy cart?
Aria groaned in frustration. The exit to the farm was close, but exhaustion weighed heavy on her limbs. She couldn't stop now—not when she'd escaped death many times tonight.
Her gaze landed on something ahead, cutting through the rain like a beacon of hope: Mister Han's truck. The farmer had parked it by the barn, likely forgotten in the storm. Her heart leapt when she saw the door unlocked and the keys still in the ignition, like it was waiting for her.
"Mr. Han, dear, I hope you don't mind, but I'll be borrowing your baby," she muttered, a wry grin tugging at her lips despite the chaos, talking to no one exactly.