Chapter 81 The lovely gentleman
>>Amara
I quietly made my way through the forest, feeling a little down. This treatment of people avoiding me wasn't new but that doesn't mean it was any less damaging.
I let out a soft sigh and kept walking but my thoughts were full of how it was a mistake that I was sent here. What was the department even thinking when they chose me?? Okay, I get that people are chosen at random but after they've been chosen I'm sure they looked at my data!
And even after that, it didn't cross their minds to skip me and choose someone else? Why!?!?!
!!!
I was so lost in thought and even a little mad that I lost my footing over an outgrown tree-root and fell to my demise.
Well, almost fell to my demise, but right before I hit the ground and rolled to God knows where, someone caught my waist and pulled me straight up.
!?!?
"Are you alright?" And there came a pleasant voice of a man who made me stand up right again.
My heart skipped a beat as I turned, startled, only to find myself face to face with a hunter. He stood there with a subtly concerned expression on his face as he waited for my answer.
Oh!
Either I was too lost in my thoughts, or he's nimble on his feet because I didn't notice him at all, 'I'm fine,' I nodded as I signed the words to him.
A small, knowing smile played at the corners of his lips, "That's good." He took a step back, "The forest is dangerous though, you shouldn't be here alone."
I averted my gaze at his words. I didn't know what to tell him. How could I tell him no one wanted to be here with me? But at the same time, I could sense his gaze on him.
"Um," He cleared his throat, "I didn't mean to be rude or anything." I turned my face to look at him again, "I saw you outside, asking the other hunters if they could accompany you." I just blinked at him in confusion and he got a little flustered, "Well, the thing is," He averted his gaze, "I thought you would come and ask me or my group too but you left for the forest before that."
!!!
My eyes grew a little wide at his words and I was going to sign my words to him but then stopped. He wouldn't understand that...
I went for my phone which was in my bag but he spoke before I opened the app.
"I just wanted to say I would like to accompany you." I stopped with my phone in my hands and looked back at him with surprise, "If," He was looking at me softly, "You don't mind my company."
I can't describe how happy I felt at that moment. It was as if something was lifted off of my mind and I found myself smiling like a fool. It was like my chest felt lighter, like the world wasn't all that bad as I thought it was.
I nodded at him enthusiastically and he grinned back.
"Great!" He gestured toward the path ahead, a clear invitation for me to join him, "Let's go then," He presented his other hand to me, "I'll guide you."
I nodded and took his hand without a second thought.
"Oh right," He looked at me, "I didn't ask for you name,"
I opened the text-to-speech app, 'Amara,'
He nodded, "Pretty name," He made me smile, "I'm Logan." And I felt my heart flutter a little.
OH! LORD! Thank you so much for sending someone!!
I'm so glad someone's ready to help me out!!
Logan had long brown hair, tied in a man-bun which quite suited him.
And so we moved deeper into the forest. He helped me out at every strange turn and made sure to look after me. I wasn't expecting a hunter to do that. They're here just to make sure we don't become food for predators here but Logan was awfully sweet.
Occasionally, he cast a fleeting glance in my direction, his eyes alight with a quiet reassurance. He pointed out safe paths, signaled when to step cautiously, and even helped me over a fallen log with gentleness but that's the point where I started feeling something ominous.
Like a looming dark energy, full of negative emotions somewhere around me.
>>Nico
It was like a battle of nerves. I had to keep glaring at the beast to tell him I wasn't afraid of him and that he needed to leave. Tigers aren't even included in the target list of the hunt so there was no use trying to hurt or kill it.
Not that I was going to, I was only here to get my assignment done. To hunt or fight a predator means to shift into my wolf and there is no way that's happening. I'd expose myself to everyone if I shift!!!
The tiger and I kept glaring at each other and I did my best to show him we weren't prey. It took a few minutes but the majestic beast understood and finally backed off.
As the tiger retreated, its growls fading into the distance, I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. I kept looking at it till it was completely gone from my sight and then I looked at Asher, our eyes locking in a shared moment of realization that I had him in my arms.
And I panicked right there! "OH!" Throwing him away from me and watching as he rolled a few steps away.
"Wait," Asher finally spoke, "I can shift and take care of it." He was still under the influence of drugs.
"What?" I raised my brow and looked at him as he struggled to sit up and started taking off his clothes,
"I got it." He said and I realized he got nothing. He was lagging in real life.
"Asher, stop," I tried to grab his clothes and pull them down again but he moved away and kept taking them off.
"No," He persisted, "I can do it," He took off his shirt after struggling a lot, "I'll make sure to protect us."
"Asher the tiger is gone!" I yelled at him, "Why are you taking-Stop!" I scolded him, "Stop taking off your clothes, there's no need!"
"What?" He looked at me with a confused look, "Let me see," He tried to take his pants off, "I'll shift and see that he'll go away."
I rolled my eyes at him, then looked away. Did the roofies melt his brain or something? Why has he become so dumb as well??
Asher didn't stop though, he took off everything, then shifted and then shrugged his fur, 'I got this,' He said in my mind and I looked at him again in annoyance. I wanted to smack the shit out of him but that's when he jumped towards the north out of the blue, baffling me.
Why is he jumping?? What is he jumping at !?!?
Well, whatever it was, it didn't matter, because he didn't succeed. He did jump, but ended up slipping halfway
!!!!
Oh Shit!!!
Instinctively I ran towards him to make sure he was safe.
His body skidded west and he went down, making me frantic. I stood up and went after him, only to stop after a few seconds when I saw his body had halted near a river running through the forest where the surface was leveled.
I watched in stunned disbelief as he collapsed before me, his wolf form now sprawled on the ground, unconscious.
...
The world seemed to shift on its axis as I tried to process the surreal scene that had unfolded before my eyes. It was an image that defied logic, leaving me bewildered and uncertain.
What the hell!?!?
A mixture of concern and panic welled up inside me. What had just happened? Why did the collapse so suddenly? A gnawing worry tightened its grip on my heart and I slowly walked up to him, then knelt down beside him, my fingers trembling as they brushed against his fur.
Despite the bewildering circumstances, a flicker of annoyance managed to find its way into my thoughts when I realized he had fallen asleep
I gritted my teeth in anger.
ASHER BLAIR!!!!
I couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration. But then, between all the blood pressure and annoyance, a curious thought surfaced, a glimmer of mischief that cut through the worry and anger.
The situation was so bizarre, so unexpected, and so annoying that I couldn't help but see a twisted kind of opportunity. My artistic instincts stirred as I stared at the awkward form Asher was sleeping in.
I smirked.
"Alright then," I stood up and walked away to get some distance between us, "So be it."
With a determined exhale, I got myself a good spot that provided a nice view of an unconscious Asher, then I retrieved my sketchbook, sat down, and began to draw.
"I'm going to paint this fool for my project."
As the image on the sketchbook grew, so did my sense of satisfaction. The absurdity of the situation was translated onto the page and I loved it. It took me about two hours to get the whole thing down but I loved what I put on the paper.
After I was done, I looked at the drawing proudly.
"Nice,"
I named the art piece, 'The Drunk fool' And then smirked.
I'm going to make sure to display it on a banner for the whole university to see.