470- Protection From Him
POV Thalyndra Moonclaw:
I stepped to the side, moving past him, and began to walk, hugging my body as if I needed protection from him, from what I felt. It was a mix of confusing emotions that drowned me every time they surfaced.
I walked for a long time, in silence. I knew he remained behind me, but I avoided eye contact. I made the turn, wanting to return to Edric and Lunara's house. I tried to retrace my path, but the more I walked, the more lost I became.
I stopped moving. I squeezed my eyes shut, swallowing my stupid pride, and turned to face him. Anton was leaning against a tree trunk with his arms crossed.
He arched an eyebrow at me, one corner of his lips curving into a lupine half-smile.
"Do you know the way back home?" I asked, annoyed.
Thinking too much was exhausting me. I wanted to sleep, my body and mind felt worn out, ready to rest.
He looked around.
"It's too dark, I can't distinguish well."
I narrowed my eyes.
"You're a wolf, you can see very well in the dark."
"So can you!"
I tossed a strand of hair behind my ear.
"I just don't know this forest, I haven't memorized the path, so I don't know how to get back. Could you please do us the favor of leading us back?"
He sighed dramatically.
"I'm serious, I don't know how to get back like this. You walk too much, keep going in circles and more circles, I ended up getting lost too."
"Oh, so now it's my fault?"
"And by any chance, was it me who went wandering around aimlessly?"
"No! You're just a crazy person who likes to follow girls through the forest."
"Only if they're pretty." He winked.
I growled.
"Could you at least have said we would get lost, that I should stop?"
"You were too focused on yourself for me to interrupt."
I looked around, searching for some obvious solution, but found none.
I started tapping my foot on the ground, restless.
"Can't you, I don't know, sniff around and figure out the right direction?" I gestured.
He arched an eyebrow.
"Sniff around? Do you think I'm a dog, by any chance?"
I rolled my eyes.
"You're similar to one."
He pursed his lips in a grimace.
"No, Thalyndra, I can't do that. We're too far away and the scent of the forest prevails. If you knew how to handle your instincts, you'd be able to distinguish the citrus scent of wildflowers, the woody scent of animals, and the pine of the trees. There are many aromas to distinguish."
I shifted, frustrated.
"And now? What are we going to do?"
He shrugged, moved away from the tree he was leaning against, and sat down. He patted the leaves covering the ground and then lay down on them, closing his eyes.
"Now, we sleep and wait for dawn."
I opened and closed my mouth, not knowing what to say. I didn't even know what I was feeling exactly. I ground my teeth.
"Sleep in the middle of the forest? Have you completely lost your mind?"
He opened one eye and looked at me.
"We're wolves, in case you weren't aware. Males and females of our species do this all the time. We won't be the first, nor the last."
There had to be another solution. Anton knew the region like the back of his hand, why the hell couldn't he find his way back home just because it was night?
"I think you're lying to me."
"Really? About what?"
"About getting back. It's impossible not to know the way back. You've lived here your whole life, you'll be the leader of this territory one day, how can you not know it?"
He sighed, opened both eyes, and propped himself up on his elbows.
"I know my territory very well, but... in case you weren't aware, we're not in Eldoria. We're in the middle of the forest, somewhere in neutral territory. During the day, I know the way, but at night... it's complicated."
"With wolf vision, it doesn't make a difference," I insisted.
"Yes, it does."
I looked around again, trying to orient myself, to locate myself. Nothing. If he, who had lived there his whole life, didn't know, who was I to find a solution.
"What the hell!" I cursed, bringing my thumb to my lips, biting my nail.
"Lie down next to me and sleep, Thalyndra. You must be tired. As soon as the sun rises, we'll go back home."
I crossed my arms and bit my lower lip, undecided.
"You're safe by my side, nothing will happen to you."
I wouldn't spend the entire night standing like a statue staring at him, so I stepped forward and sat down beside him. I wouldn't stay too far away either—I was afraid of waking up being attacked by some animal. If, to preserve my existence, I needed to sleep next to the idiot, so be it.
I lay down, feeling the hard texture of the ground covered by leaves that were damp with dew, making them soft. I placed my crossed hands over my belly and stared at the sky, watching the high branches of the trees sway in the wind. The moon was obscured by a cloud.
I bit my cheeks and let out a sigh.
This wasn't exactly how I'd expected to sleep that night when I went out for my walk. I'd make a note on my list to never do that again. Never walk at night through Eldoria, not without a map at least.
I turned on my side, placing my hands under my head and face. The scent of earth was strong, as was the eucalyptus, yet it wasn't unpleasant—it was as if I appreciated the aroma.
Anton moved, I felt his arm touch my back.
I tried to concentrate, to fall asleep, but he was so close to me that nothing could dominate my mind, divert me from his touch on my skin.
I stayed still and silent for so long that my leg fell asleep.
I heard a snap from far away. Light, simple. And then again, as if some small animal was walking near where we were. A rustling in the leaves followed.
The silence was broken by a sharp hiss, a quick, tense sound.
My eyes widened and my heart raced. My lips parted in a dazed gasp.
Anton turned, pressing his chest against my back, placing one arm over my waist and the other under my head, pulling me against him, pressing our bodies together.