Chapter 22: Chapter Twenty-Two

Wet warmth dragged across her face, up her cheeks, and all over her forehead. It went down her nose, then around and between her lips.

She let out a groan, not wanting to open her eyes because she had no idea what she was waking up to.

A gentle breath brushed across her skin, as something large snuggled deeper into her body.

The skin was soft, softer than anything Saffron had come across.

More wetness assaulted her, more warmth burrowing into her body.

And it was at the second brush of the softness that Saffron reluctantly tried to pry her eyes open.

She peeled open her eyelids, her gaze meeting intense brown eyes—bright, inquisitive, and focused entirely on her.

A wolf.

She was on a bed of flowers, snuggling and being licked by a wolf. A real-life wolf!

The thought should have sent panic through her, but after the day she had just had, Saffron couldn’t find an ounce of panic in her or even have the energy to feel scared.

Something about the wolf felt familiar to her. And it was that strangely familiar feeling inside of her that made her lie still and let the wolf continue to lick her face.

Another strange thing she noticed was there was no pain blossoming on her body. She felt more hale and healthy than she had ever felt in her life.

What had happened in the time between when she had fallen asleep and when she had woken up now?

Was she in a dream or was this reality?

If this was reality, then had someone saved her?

Had someone moved her from the dank and moldy prison cell to this garden of flowers?

Was it even possible?

And her broken ribs?

What had happened to them?

Was it possible to go asleep with broken ribs and bruises covering up your entire body, just to wake up magically healed and without pain?

She gazed back at the wolf, taking in her features.

Her? Saffron wondered. How did she know it was a her?

The wolf’s fur was snow white, with a full fluffy mane that led down from her neck to her shoulders.

Sprawled on her back in the bed of roses, she reached for the wolf, her hand sinking into her silken thick fur.

If this was a dream, then she didn’t want to wake up. Ever.

“Who are you?” she asked, still petting the wolf’s fur, enjoying the feel of it against the palm of her hands.

The enormous wolf huffed, misting Saffron’s face with a much cooler damp air, staring down at her with a look that made her feel like she was being chastised.

Saffron could swear that the wolf had rolled her eyes, as if she found the question to be stupid. Which thinking about it now, Saffron knew was stupid. There was no way the wolf could answer her question because wolves didn’t talk.

The wolf bounced up from the bed and did a happy jump, her paws sinking into the ground with a thump as she headed for the shimmering lake, which Saffron hadn’t noticed until now.

Saffron didn’t rise from her lying position, just content to watch the wolf as it bent its muzzle into the lake and took a lick of water before bounding over to a tree, twirling up and down, her excitement palpable.

Everything seemed great, and with a sigh, Saffron geared herself up to go back to sleep until she saw the wolf still, which made her also still.

The hairs on the back of her neck shot up, alerting her to the danger that had interloped into their cocoon of tranquility.

Slowly, Saffron rose to her feet, her eyes going over the environment, trying to find what had interrupted their moment.

The wolf whipped around immediately, hackles raised, her mouth dripping with saliva as she formed a protective wall between Saffron and whatever it was the both of them had sensed.

Though she was alert, and a sense of dread trickled down her spine, Saffron stole a moment to look around the place which she had woken up to, wanting to see the full scope of it.

Rows upon rows of trees greeted her, their leaves lush and green, with thick trunks and hearty branches.

An orchard.

She had woken up in an orchard.

Hesitantly, she raised a hand to touch her face, wanting to confirm if indeed this was a dream or if it was reality.

While still damp from the wolf’s tongue, nothing seemed to be out of place.

She had hit her face pretty hard when the Alpha had hurled her across the cell before. And the hits she had taken? It shouldn’t be possible for her to be free of pain right now.

But, she felt good. Better than good, even. She felt refreshed and whole, like all her broken pieces had finally been fused together.

Whatever was happening transcended her realm of thoughts because there was no explanation or a way for her to understand the how and the why.

The wolf growled again, reminding Saffron that there was a threat in their immediate vicinity and that it was more important than her confusion.

Her gaze returned to the wolf, and she watched as she unleashed a sharp snarl and snapped her canines, her tail standing erect, her hackles still high.

Lips peeled back, she stared down the figure which had been swathed by shadows as it soared, rising above the smaller plants.

Even with her keen night vision, the wolf couldn’t see who it was, but she knew that whoever was there was a threat to both her and her human vessel.

Whoever it was seemed to be content on hiding out in the shadows. And though the wolf wanted to bounce forward, she didn’t want to leave her human alone.

So, the wolf stayed where she was, waiting out the interloper.

One moment, there was no one there, just shadows playing, and the next, there was a huge silhouette of a wolf, playing against the shadows of the trees.

A moment later, the huge wolf emerged, its form menacing as it strolled into the light.

Fierce brown eyes took them in. And as both Saffron and the wolf stared down at this newcomer, one word rang true within their insides.

Mate.

The word confused Saffron, but she felt the truth of that claim deep within her soul.

As the new wolf took a step towards them, she felt the other wolf relax, her threatening posture changing back into one of absolute happiness, as it yipped and let out a happy howl.

Saffron felt the air become charged with electricity, a faint shimmering surrounding the larger wolf.

Just as she felt something impactful about to occur, the landscape changed, and she found herself back in her prison cell, lying on the cot, her gaze finding that of her visitor.

With her regained clarity, the pain returned, but it was dull compared to what it had been earlier.

Seeing the pitying look in his eyes, a sob escaped her lips, knowing that this wasn’t the end of her torture sessions.

It was then that she felt the bandage on her side and realized that he had tended to her wounds while she had been out.