Chapter 9 Elara's POV
The howls grew louder, closer each one sent a spike of fear through my already battered body.
Damian moved quickly away from the wall and came to my side. "Can you stand?" He asked quietly.
"I don't know.” I whispered back.
"Try we need to move you."
He helped me sit up, and the world tilted dangerously. I gripped his arm, waiting for the dizziness to pass. Everything hurt my ribs screamed in protest, my head pounded, but fear was a powerful motivator.
"Slowly." Damian instructed, pulling me to my feet.
My legs shook beneath me. I wasn't sure they would hold my weight, but Damian kept a firm grip on my arm, steadying me.
Another howl cut through the air, so close that I could almost feel it vibrating in my chest.
"There's a space under the floorboards," Damian said, guiding me toward the corner of the shack.
"It is not big, but it will hide you."
He knelt down and pulled up a section of the wooden floor. Beneath it was a shallow crawl space, dark and cramped the smell of damp earth hit my nose.
"Get in." He said.
I stared at the dark hole. "What about you?"
"I will be fine, they are less likely to bother a lone man than they are to investigate an injured woman now."
I didn't have time to argue the howls were almost on top of us now. I lowered myself into the space, biting back a cry as the movement sent fresh pain through my ribs. It was barely enough room to lie flat. The dirt was cold and damp beneath me.
Damian lowered the board back over me, and suddenly I was in complete darkness.
"Stay silent," His voice came from above, muffled now.
"No matter what happens, don't make a sound."
I heard his footsteps move away then I heard him settle onto the crate where he'd been sitting when I first woke up.
My heart hammered in my chest the darkness pressed in on me from all sides. I wanted to push the board up, to get out, to see what was happening but I forced myself to stay still.
The howling stopped.
That was somehow worse than the noise. The silence that followed was heavy and ominous. I strained to hear footsteps, voices, movement. But there was nothing.
Then I heard them.
Paws on the ground multiple sets, moving through the undergrowth around the shack. They weren't in human form. They were hunting as wolves.
I pressed my hand over my mouth, trying to quiet my breathing. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to run, to hide, to do something other than lie here in this hole waiting to be found.
The footsteps paw steps circled the shack. I could hear them clearly now, I could hear the soft sounds of sniffing as they searched for something.
For me.
But how did they know I was here? How could they possibly know?
A low growl came from just outside the wall. So close it was too close.
I squeezed my eyes shut even though I was already in darkness. My whole body was trembling now, and I couldn't make it stop.
Then I heard a voice human male.
"You there, what are you doing in this area?"
Damian's response was calm, unbothered. "Resting. Is that a crime?"
"These are pack lands." The voice said. There was authority in it, the kind of voice used to being obeyed you are trespassing."
"I wasn't aware," Damian replied smoothly. "I'm just passing through, I will move on."
"You are a rogue."
It wasn't a question there was disgust in the way the man said it.
"I am.” Damian confirmed.
"But I'm not causing any trouble just minding my own business."
A different voice spoke up, younger than the first. "We are tracking someone, a woman. Have you seen anyone else in these woods?"
My breath caught in my throat. They were looking for me. But why? Who were these people?
"No." Damian said.
"I've been alone for two days. Haven't seen another soul."
"Are you sure about that?" the first voice asked. There was suspicion there now.
"Positive."
Silence I could imagine them staring at Damian, trying to decide if he was telling the truth. Trying to decide if they should search the shack.
Please don't search. Please don't search.
"We need to check inside.” the younger voice said.
No. No no no.
I heard footsteps of human footsteps now approaching the shack. The old door creaked open.
"Not much in here.” One of them said, "Just some supplies."
"Check everything." The first voice ordered.
I heard them moving around above me. I heard their boots on the wooden floor, just inches from my hiding place. One of them walked directly over me and I bit down on my hand to keep from making any sound.
"Anything?" the first voice called from outside.
"No, he is alone."
"Check for blood, signs of injury, anything that would indicate someone else was here."
More footsteps, more searching. I could hear them opening Damian's bag, moving things around.
"There is medical supplies here." One of them said, "Bandages, antiseptic."
"So?" Damian said.
"I keep a medical kit for basic survival."
"Some of these bandages are used.” The man said slowly.
My heart stopped.
"I cut my hand three days ago," Damian said without missing a beat.
"If you need to wrap it, you are welcome to inspect it if you want proof."
A pause. Then, "No. That's fine."
They kept searching, but I could hear the frustration growing in their voices. They wanted to find something, needed to find something, but there was nothing to find. Damian had hidden me well.
Finally, after what felt like hours but was probably only minutes, they gave up.
"Alright, he's clear," One of them called out.
"You need to leave these lands," the first voice said to Damian. "If we find you here again, there will be consequences."
"Understood," Damian replied.
I heard them leave the shack and heard their footsteps retreating. But I didn't relax. Not yet.
The paw steps started again, moving away from the shack. The patrol was leaving, heading deeper into the forest.
But then one set of steps stopped.
I could hear a wolf just outside the shack. Could hear it breathing, sniffing the air. It had caught something of a scent , maybe something that made it pause.
My scent.