Y después, Aen Z se preguntó algo repleto de alma:
No lo sientes, es la realidad y esto de nuevo está totalmente correlacionado con la digitalización de la vida y la llegada de redes sociales, la inmediatez y la hipersexualización que se vive gracias a ellas, explotando las emociones como mecanismo de guerra, marketing y productividad.
La gente no tiene absolutamente nada más interesante que tratar, que intercambiar contenido sexual hoy día, imagina cuán arruinada y devastada debe estar una sociedad para que en todo el mundo sea lo mismo, no hay interés genuino de otras cosas que son importantes y que merecen nuestra atención como humanidad.
Pero cuando veas a un hombre hablando de que la carne se ha mal baratado, cállale SIEMPRE el hocico porque el hombre a través de la alta demanda ha generado que existe hoy tal oferta, donde la mayoría de mujeres para sentir que son vistas o dignas de atención, se sienten presionadas de cierto modo a acceder a temas de contenido sexual porque muchos hombres, no saben pensar, ni hablar de algo más.
Te lo digo por experiencia, el hombre moderno dicen que quieren una mujer inteligente, cuando una se les planta en frente con un sinfín de planteamientos, no saben ni qué decir, más que balbuceos. Ah, pero eso sí, intenta enviándoles una foto, vídeo o gif y enseguida te contestan como desesperados, pero envíales un cuestionamiento filosófico, alguna idea, algún pensamiento crítico o reflexivo y se hacen los pendejos.
Así que, dime algo, Aen Z, ¿Sabes por qué esta sociedad está viviendo cantidades inmesurables de depresión y las tasas de suicidio sólo van al alza? Porque estamos presenciando, algunos con impotencia y otros con total inconsciencia, el colapso de toda una sociedad. Porque nuestros ojos sangran realidad, ya que el idealismo que un día se sembró, hoy no está más. Estamos padeciendo los síntomas y las secuelas de nuestra propia destrucción, y lo peor de todo estamos contribuyendo mayormente a ello.
¿Te gustan las historias de horror? Solían ser mis preferidas, hasta que un sutil: Bienvenido al Nuevo Mundo, Bienvenido Al Siglo XXl, me reveló la verdad, me hizo darme cuenta que estaba en una historia de horror, de la cual, de hecho, nadie iba a escapar...
And then Aen NZ was asking a question full of soul:
I couldn’t do anything else but answer her with the darkest honesty that always defines me:
You don’t feel it girl, but it’s the reality. And again, it’s totally tied to the digitalization of life, the rise of social media, the need for instant gratification, and the hypersexualization that comes with it, using people’s emotions as tools for war, marketing and productivity.
People don’t have anything more interesting to talk about these days than trading sexual content. Just imagine how ruined and messed up a society has to be for it to be the same everywhere in the world. There’s no genuine interest in things that actually matter and deserve our attention as humanity.
And whenever you hear some guy saying “women are cheap now” shut him up, because it’s men who, with their high demand, created the current supply. Most women, just to feel seen or worthy of attention, end up pressured into sharing sexual stuff because most guys don’t know how to think or talk about anything else.
I’m telling you from experience: modern men claim they want a smart woman, but when I show up with a ton of arguments and ideas, they’ve got nothing just mumbling. But oh, try to send them a pic, a video or a gif and they reply instantly like desperate little kids. Try sending a philosophical question, a critical thought, or something deep and reflective instead, and they just play dumb.
So tell me, Aen Z, do you know why this society is living through immeasurable amounts of depression and suicide rates that only keep rising? Because we are witnessing, some with helplessness and others with total unconsciousness, the collapse of an entire society. Because our eyes bleed reality, since the idealism that was once planted is no longer here. We are suffering the symptoms and the aftermath of our own destruction, and worst of all, we are contributing to it more than anything.
So, you like horror stories? They used to be my favorite, until a subtle: “Welcome to the New World, Welcome to the 21st Century” revealed me the truth and made me realize I was in a horror story from which, in fact, no one was going to escape…
summary: You meet a lone wolf in the woods, and realize he’s more than you thought.
a/n: this is a reskin of a Kurapika x reader fic I wrote, but never got past the first chapter. If you want a continuation, please comment or send me a Kofi.
WK: 5k+
It was finally spring, a time where flowers bloomed and the snow melted away to reveal all kinds of herbs and plants for the little witch (Name) to gather.
Today she was doing just that, gathering herbs to begin making more potions. Through the winter, her stock of salves and potions had grown smaller and smaller, until she only had a few left.
(Name) had customers that would be coming by any day now to buy her goods, so she was determined to go out and hunt for all the ingredients she would need.
She was a good witch, focusing on healing salves and helping the villagers nearby. It was partially out of the goodness of her heart, and partly because she wanted to keep a good relationship with the townspeople so they didn’t grab their pitchforks and torches to chase her out of town with.
So (Name) grabbed her hat, wearing a thick pair of boots to protect her feet from the thorny vegetation. She was always careful when visiting the forest. After all, there were rumors that many magical beasts made it their home.
Along the path, she spotted small clusters of mint, frowning. “Mint is so invasive, I thought I told the villagers not to plant it in the ground…”
(Name) did her best to dig up and pick what she could, then moved on along the path. Mushrooms, herbs, and pretty rocks all found a new home in her basket. After searching for a while, she wiped the sweat from her brow. ‘Hmm… I should still have some time to go by the lake before I go home… I wonder if anything is growing near the water's edge..?’
(Name) stepped on a branch as she neared the lake, ready to search for aquatic plant life and maybe even find a good spot to go fishing!
But before she could get too close, (Name) heard a loud howl that made her freeze in her tracks. When she turned, she spotted it.
There was a large, golden wolf near the water’s edge, its ears pinned back and snarling. From the water dripping from its furry chin, the witch assumed it had just been drinking from the lake before she interrupted it by making noise.
She was quick to hold up her hands in a sign of surrender, talking in an even voice. “Easy, boy, I’ll go,”
Backing up slowly, (Name) made sure not to meet the wolf’s eyes, though she did notice they were a sparkling shade of scarlet she had never seen before.
The beast huffed, watching her for a moment longer before turning back to drink. Once it did, she broke out in a sprint, her basket held firmly against her chest. (Name) knew the forest wasn’t exactly safe, but she had never encountered a wild animal besides some chipmunks and bunnies.
‘I’ve never seen a wolf with that coloration before…’ (Name) thought, putting away her foraged goods once she arrived home. ‘Maybe it’s an albino or something? But wouldn’t it’s fur be more white then?’
Despite being a little afraid, (Name) couldn’t get her mind off of the wolf she had seen before. It was easily the top predator in the forest, yet it only gave her a warning growl before minding its business again. Was that normal wolf behavior? She had no idea.
‘I’m thinking too much…’ (Name) thought, changing into her pajamas. ‘I need to sleep, or I’ll be late to the coven meeting tomorrow…’
Turning over, (Name) wondered what exactly she would even speak about during the meeting. She wasn’t exactly the most confident witch, often being spoken over or ignored due to her shy nature. No one would think she was the very first apprentice Ania Quell, the head of the very coven (Name) was a part of.
‘I may have been her first apprentice, but I’m definitely not her best. Miles and Gil have me beat for sure…’ she thought, rolling over onto her side to stare out of the window.
Through the gaps in the curtains, she could see the moon shining up above, big and full. It’s light bathed her in a soft glow, and made her feel both rejuvenated and relaxed.
‘It’ll be okay… after all, I have friends there. Everything should… be fine…’
(Name) drifted off to sleep, the last image on her mind before she was taken to slumberland being the golden wolf peering at her with those scarlet eyes.
—————
(Name) packed a small basket full of jams and jellies, humming a tune as she carefully stacked a small jar of syrup on the top. “I know Jill won’t be there today, but Ania loves my jams and jellies. Hopefully I’ll actually have a chance to speak with her…”
Ania, being the head of the coven, was always busy. She was usually stuck talking with several other witches about various topics, or leaving early to conduct business with other covens. Getting the opportunity to talk to her was rare enough, but being able to sit down and have a conversation was nearly impossible, especially these days.
There had recently been several cases of witches and their familiars disappearing, or even familiars turning on their masters and killing them, so Ania was especially busy dealing with the aftermath.
Each witch had a familiar bestowed upon them during a ceremony after becoming a full fledged witch. Some even had two or three, and witches with high status and great power possessed up to 10 familiars.
And there was (Name), with no familiar at all. At the ceremony, the wizard conducting it simply turned her away, saying she was not yet ready to become the master of familiar. Every other witch present had received their lifelong friend, while she went home empty handed.
It was lonely, all on her own. Watching the other witches go about their lives with the help and support of their familiars made her feel awfully… jealous. It wasn’t a feeling she enjoyed harboring, so (Name) tried her best to be positive!
Ania herself had said that it wasn’t unheard of for a witch to not receive their familiar during the bonding ceremony.
“Some witches just haven’t found their match yet, or perhaps they haven’t really found their true selves,” Ania had said after the ceremony, in hopes of comforting (Name).
(Name) huffed, loading her basket onto her broom. “So much for being a late bloomer. It’s been nearly five years since I became a full fledged witch, and still nothing! No familiar, not a cat or owl, not even a frog! Hell, I’d settle for a tarantula at this point!”
She flew over the forest, tilting her head when she spotted a spot of gold walking slowly near the lake. (Name) flew a bit lower, her eyes widening when she spotted the same wolf she’d seen the day before.
This time, it seemed to be walking with a bit of a limp, a small trail of blood behind it. Her heart ached to see an animal in such pain, so she landed a safe distance away from it.
“Hey there, pup.”
The wolf stiffened, quickly turning its head to growl lowly at her. (Name) held up her hands, her broom floating behind her in case she needed a quick escape.
“Woah, easy. You’re hurt, and I can help you if you’ll let me.”
She didn’t know why she was talking to it, but she kept it up. “There’s no need to be afraid, sweetheart. Shh…”
The wolf’s ears flattened against its head, and it began to bare its teeth. (Name) yelped when it began to approach her, jumping on her broom just in time to escape its jaws. It snapped at her broom bristles, but she was thankfully in the air by then and bar away enough from its jaws to not get hurt.
But… the wolf didn’t seem to be trying too hard to chase her. (Name) had a feeling it wasn’t actually attacking her, more so just trying to scare her away.
She frowned as the wolf became a small speck, her heart hurting for the poor thing. (Name) hoped that the poachers that her fellow witches had chased out from the forest years ago weren’t back.
‘I’ll have to talk to Ania about it… if I can talk to her that is.’
—————
(Name) landed in a vast meadow, wild flowers of various kinds softly swaying in the spring breeze. She took a moment to relax, bending down to pick a daily and place it in her basket.
‘Oh, I always forget where the doorway is…’ she thought to herself as she held out the stick end of her broom to feel around. When it bumped off of something solid, she grinned.
“There it is!”
(Name) reached forward and patted the surface until her hand landed on a doorknob. She turned it, and walked forward.
The empty flower field was replaced with a dark forested area, with lampposts leading down a snowy, worn down path. She could see the moon shining down through the canopy, filtered by the thick leaves until only small rays of light were visible.
‘I see the meeting is being hosted in the northern lands this time…’ she thought, pulling her cloak tighter around herself. The northern lands were often cold, even when spring came, snow still covered the land.
Each meeting was hosted in one of the four sectors of the world, North, South, East, and West. The north was her least favorite, due to the cold weather and people. The citizens of the north were often blunt and rude, having to time for warm pleasantries.
(Name) lived in the southern lands, where the weather was always warm and pleasant. Even the most severe winters in the south were not as cold as the northern spring.
She spotted the soft warm glow of a candle shining from a canon window. ‘There it is!’
(Name) opened the cabin door, revealing a bustling meeting hall. Witches all ages and genders walked around, speaking to one another and trading goods.
“(Name)!”
The woman yelped when she was tackled to the floor, knowing instantly who had done it.
“Miles, what did I tell you about jumping on her like some wild animal!?”
“Miles, Gil…” she smiled as she watched Gil drag his friend off of her, pinching his cheek.
“Hi, (Name)! It’s been so long since we’ve gotten to see you!”
She laughed, ruffling their hair. “Yeah, nearly three months. You weren’t able to attend the last few meetings due to Ania’s training, right?”
The two shuddered. “Uh… we’d rather not talk about that.”
(Name) could remember her own training, which would have been way less intense than theirs due to her weaker body. Even so, she collapsed nearly every day from exhaustion, so she could only imagine the horrors they had endured.
“Ah… okay, how about you show me how your training has been coming along then?”
The three sat in an empty room as the two showed her new, complex spells they had learned. Gil was able to summon lightning and use it as a weapon, while Miles was able to harden his body. Both were spells even she couldn’t do.
“Oh wow, you’ve grown so much! Maybe that training was worth it then?”
Gil groaned. “Barely, I didn’t think we were going to survive another day of it.”
“Aww, it wasn’t that b- no, actually it was that bad. But I’m still grateful Ania taught us so well!” Miles replied, giving her a smile.
She gave them both a hug. “I’m proud of you both. You should really come visit me sometime. Spring is here, so you can go play in the forest. There a lake~”
This excited the two, who both enjoyed swimming. “We'll definitely be coming by this summer!”
Before they could speak anymore, they heard a bell chiming. “Oh, we’ll talk later. The meeting is about to start!”
(Name) took her seat near Ania. As her first apprentice, she had to be at Ania’s side for every meeting. That didn’t mean she got Ania’s attention, though. She couldn’t blame her mentor, for she was the leader of this coven.
“Hello, my friends. Our monthly meeting has begun, and I will announce any upcoming events before opening the floor for discussion.”
(Name) looked around the room, unsurprised when she saw multiple witches waiting impatiently for the floor to be open.
It was mostly the same elderly witches that always had some mundane problem… but what was surprising was Ember, one of the fledgling witches that hadn’t yet gotten her familiar, anxiously tapping her well manicured nails against the oak table.
“And with that, the floor is open to discussion.” Ania said after finishing her announcements. Ember was quick to speak up, interrupting an elder.
“Some creature has been lurking in the south, killing my father’s livestock and scaring what it doesn’t eat half to death! It’s some kind of magical beast, I already did the identifying spell and it’s either some type of fae or a…”
She trailed off, her face going pale. Ania raised an eyebrow, folding her arms. “A what, Ember?”
“A… a werewolf.”
The sound of gasps and whispered conversation filled the meeting hall, only silenced when Ania held up her hand to motion for the noise to cease.
“And you’re sure that’s what the spell said?”
Ember nodded, standing up to offer her grimoire. Ania’s eyes scanned it, then she sighed heavily. “I see…”
(Name) frowned deeply, glancing from ember to Ania. She knew that Ember lived only half a day’s walk from her home, meaning if there was a werewolf causing trouble for her, it could potentially move onto (Name).
“As we all know, magical beasts are drawn to witches due to their magical power. This is good when it comes to making friends or getting a familiar, but leads to some… detrimental outcomes when the wrong creature gets attracted. And with the recent uptick in werewolf based attacks, I wouldn’t doubt this has troubled you, Ember.”
Ania stood, walking around the table. “But be that as it may, werewolves are not evil in nature. They are simply beings that are different from us, and can be reasoned with and befriended just like most magical beasts.”
One witch scoffed. “Miss Ania, with all due respect, all witches know werewolves are dangerous beasts that deserve to be put down to keep ourselves safe. I mean, haven’t the last three witch deaths been caused by werewolves?”
Ania scowled. “That’s the kind of attitude that causes entire species to go extinct. A few werewolves have done wrong, yes, but how many humans have killed each other or other creatures? Do we all deserve to die due to the actions of a few individuals?”
The witch who spoke up immediately shrunk into herself, grumbling under her breath. (Name) noticed that several other witches also looked displeased with Ania’s words, but said nothing.
“Ember, I’ll send you home with a spell that will ward off any fae or werewolves. It’s easy, and very effective.”
“Thank you, Ania!”
The woman turned to the rest of the coven. “Now, what else needs to be discussed?”
———————-
“I respect Miss Ania’s opinion, but werewolves are dangerous beasts!”
“I know, right? My friend’s cousin’s aunt’s stepbrother was killed by a werewolf!”
“And I heard that once a werewolf has seen you, it’ll tell its whole pack to come and eat you!”
“Oh that’s not the half of it! I heard-“
(Name) rolled her eyes as she passed by a group of gossiping witches, ushering Gil and Miles away. “Don’t listen to them, I’m sure not a single one of them have ever even seen a werewolf in person.”
“Have you, (Name)?”
(Name) paused when Miles asked her that innocent question, sighing softly. “Yes, once before. It was only for a moment while Ania went to meet with one for a trade. It gave her some of its fur for a potion in exchange for a protection spell.”
“So… it didn’t attack you or Ania?”
“Nope, so don’t listen to those witches. Not one single creature is the exact same as its kin. Some are more peaceful, some are violent, just like with humans. Once people come to accept that, we could possibly form an alliance with the werewolves.”
Gil huffed, digging in her satchel. Once he found what he was looking for, a bag of handmade candy, he swiped it. “Hey, you remembered to bring it!”
“Of course I did, silly. It’s your favorite.”
Gil popped one of the candies into his mouth as they walked, humming in delight. Miles grabbed one too. “Did you get to talk to Ania, (Name)?”
The woman sighed, handing out her jam and syrup to a few witches she traded with. “Not yet, but I hope I’ll be able to catch her before she leaves. You know Ania, she’s always busy.”
“You’re not wrong, but today I have a little bit of time to spare.”
The three jumped when they heard Ania’s voice from behind them. “Ania!”
(Name) jumped into her arms, easily being held up by the seemingly young looking girl. Everyone in the coven knew that Ania was much older than she seemed, but little knew of her immense physical strength.
“Oh, (Name) my dear, you’ve gotten a bit bigger haven't you? It feels like just yesterday I was carrying you home from the orphanage and giving you your first wand.”
“A-Ania! That’s embarrassing…”
The woman laughed, setting (Name) down. “Alright, alright… what is it you wanted to talk about, dear?”
(Name) gave Ania a shy smile, handing her the jams and jellies she brought for her. “I wanted to give you these and ask how the situation with the rogue familiars has been going.”
Ania stiffened, glancing at the two boys before digging. “Come, (Name). Let’s discuss things in private.”
With a wave of her wand, (Name) and Ania were transported to a vacant room. Ania made sure the door was closed before beginning to speak in a hushed voice.
“I didn’t want to scare anyone, so I’ve been keeping some of the information private. But…” she sighed, looking out the window, into the snow. “Every single familiar that attacked their witch was a werewolf.”
(Name)’s blood ran cold at the revelation, her eyes widening as Ania turned to meet her gaze. “Every single one? That’s…”
“Unusual, I know. Werewolves in and of themselves are rare to have as a familiar because they’re reluctant to be bound to a witch… so the fact that each familiar was a werewolf is suspicious.”
“What could be the motive? I find it hard to believe a familiar would just kill its master like that! In all of witch history, I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
Ania opened her own grimoire. “I agree with you, it is hard to believe. But the detection spell pointed to each familiar being a werewolf. We have yet to find and question any of the suspects due to them fleeing the scene once the bond to their master was broken…”
(Name) frowned deeply. “And with what Ember said today, if this news got out, the entire coven will be in hysterics. There will be werewolf hunts and-“
“That’s why they can’t find out. You are the only person outside of my trusted inner circle that knows of this, (Name).”
She looked at Ania, confused. “But why would you tell me, Ania? I’m not as strong or intelligent as others, so why would you give me this information and not someone more qualified?”
Ania smiled at that, chuckling. “That, I cannot say my dear. You are destined for great things, and I just want you to be informed so when it’s time for you to make decisions… you’ll have all the information you need to make the right choice.”
“That’s really cryptic, Ania.”
The older woman only smiled, beckoning her to follow. “Come, I must take my leave. Let’s walk and talk.”
The two continued to chat as they walked towards the entrance of the cabin. “I’ll send you home with a spell, dear. It is quite late in the southerners sector by now, hmm?”
(Name) nodded, grabbing hold of her broom.
“Oh, and (Name)?”
She looked up as Ania raised her wand. “Yes?”
“Kindness and patience is always key.”
With that, she was sent home. She appeared in her cottage, the fire lighting the second she stepped close.
“I wonder what she meant by that…”
———————
(Name) brushed off her dress, staring out into the forest. She really had to go back into the forest to gather supplies… but she was worried she would encounter that wolf again.
With a sigh, she pocketed her wand and carried her broom. They were just there in case she sensed any danger. Unfortunately, she wasn’t great with defensive or attack spells, it was why she took to healing magic and concoctions instead.
But she knew a few illusion spells that may buy her some time to escape… hopefully those would work.
(Name) walked along the work down path, much more alert than usual. She listened for the sounds of the forest, making sure to listen for any branches snapping or leaves rustling.
She was able to make it back to the lake with no problems, sighing in relief. There, she unloaded her jars from her basket and began placing shells, underwater plantlife, and some of the nutrient rich soil to add to her garden.
Unbeknownst to her, she was being watched from a distance, a pair of scarlet eyes following her as she walked along the lake’s edge.
Once she finished, (Name) was surprised to see the wolf with the golden coat standing only a few meters away from her. Although it growled when she moved, it showed no other signs of aggression, only watching her… as if it was curious.
“Hello, again…” (Name) said softly, staying still as it approached. She kept her hand in her pocket on her wand, but began to relax. It only circled her, chuffing when it moved behind her.
She tensed, but relaxed again when it appeared on her left side. It was inspecting her, sniffing her… was that normal behavior for a wild animal?
Its scarlet eyes focused on her, and she noticed it still had that slight limp when it walked. “Are you… injured?”
As if it could understand her, the creature tensed, the fur on its back rising. “Oh, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to upset you…”
Taking a chance, she slowly reached out her hand to place it on its head. She had a connection with animals, having rehabilitated many woodland creatures. A wolf couldn’t be that different, right?
Well, she was wrong. The beast growled before snapping its jaws at her hand, barely missing her fingers. It then ran away, slower than it usually would be due to its injured paw.
Her heart hurt from the sight. Had it been trying to ask her for help? It was possible the poor thing was someone’s pet that had been let go after learning how hard it was to take care of a wolf. Maybe that’s why it was both comfortable around humans and also weary of them?
(Name) made a decision that day. She would gain that wolf’s trust, and maybe… even make it her familiar.
———————
As the days turned into weeks, (Name) visited the forest every day she could. She saw the wolf often, sometimes from the corner of her eye, and sometimes it came in direct contact with her.
She always sat patiently, letting it come to her. (Name) had learned her lesson, and eventually she was able to sit in silence with the wolf by her side as she did mundane tasks like cleaning out her jars or sewing by the lake.
It had yet to let her touch it, but she didn’t mind. She would get it to trust her… it needed medical attention, more than she thought. It was scrawny, hungry looking, as if it was having trouble hunting by itself.
She started bringing out raw meat from the market and leaving it by the lake for it, and when its condition started to improve slowly, she knew that it was eating.
Once she started feeding it, the wolf began trusting her a great deal more. It now followed her down the pathway when she walked home, a slight sway in its tail.
She was making great progress, and the two seemed to have a mutual trust that neither would hurt the other. Every time she came to the lake, it was waiting there for her. It would eat, then sit nearby as she did what she needed to do, then walked her home. It had become her routine.
That’s why it surprised her when it wasn’t there when she came.
“Pup?”
(Name) called for it, patting her thigh and whistling. Usually it would have come to greet her by now…
The silence in the forest was almost eerie, as if everything was holding its breath. There was no birdsong, no squirrels skittering from tree to tree… just silence.
“Something is wrong…”
It was growing dark, and she was hurrying back as quickly as she could. (Name) had heard from some other forest dwelling witches that when the sounds of the forest stopped, that meant there was a large predator around, something that made the squirrels and birds hide in fear.
Had the wolf gone into hiding too?
She didn’t have to wonder for long. As she neared her cottage, her eyes widened in horror. There were bloodied paw prints leading down the stone path to her front door, and laying on her doorstep was the golden wolf.
It panted loudly, its fur matted with blood. (Name) immediately kneeled at its side, trying to hold back tears. The injured paw was stuck in a bear trap, and it had gashed on its belly and back… as if it had been attacked with a knife…
When it growled at her touch, she simply shushed it. “Shh, shh, I’m here. You came to my home for a reason, right? I can help you…”
Although it still snarled and yelped as she hoisted it into her home with great effort, it made no attempts to sink its teeth into her flesh.
As soon as it was inside, she summoned as many bandages as she could, along with a metal bar to help her pry the bear trap off.
“This is going to hurt, pup. Don’t bite me…”
The wolf laid its head down, as if telling her it trusted her to help. It growled and snarled in pain as she pried open the bear trap. Once its paw was free, she examined the damage.
His paw was barely hanging on… thankfully she focused on healing magic. She was able to reattach his paw and clean the wound, bandaging it before moving onto the gashes on his body.
(Name) collapsed in exhaustion after hours of working on the wolf. Her efforts had paid off, as it was now sleeping peacefully by the fire.
‘At least one of us is able to sleep…’ she thought, rising from the couch to wash the blood from her hands. She exhausted all of her magic saving the wolf’s life, which worried her slightly. That meant if it were to attack for any reason, she wouldn’t be able to defend herself.
After much thought, she realized that even if it wanted to hurt her, it would be unable. The thing couldn’t stand, much less leap out and attack her, so she decided to sleep next to it… just to watch over it, of course… the fact that it was so soft and warm had nothing to do with it…
———————-
(Name) woke up in the early hours of the morning, the sun not even up yet. She could have only been asleep for a few hours, as the fire was still going…
She sat up, yawning and rubbing her eyes… but paused when she took a second look at the fire.
She hasn’t remembered putting that second log in the fireplace… before she slept, she had even cursed herself for not doing so.
(Name) felt a chill run up her spine and immediately turned to see if the wolf was okay… but instead of seeing its beautiful golden fur and large form, she was met with something much smaller hidden under the blanket…
Smaller, but still bigger than her, whatever it was wriggled the second she spoke. “U-um…”
She expected the wolf to perhaps be some kind of magical beast that turned into something smaller when injured to conserve power… and she wasn’t that far off.
When she pulled back the blanket, instead of a furred creature, she came face to face with a handsome… man?
“… hello…”
For finding a man in the place of the injured wolf she saved, (Name) took the situation well. And by well, she screamed and scooted away, wielding her wand.
“W-who are you and what did you do to that wolf!? Are you some kind of poacher? A pervert? A poaching pervert!?”
The person squinted at her, sighing. “No… I’m neither of those… I-“
He winced in pain, whimpering as the blanket fell around him. (Name)’s eyes went wide as she saw the bandages decorating his form, the same ones she had applied to the wolf last night…
The things that finally clued her in were the wolf ears perched atop of his blonde head, and tail limp on his back.
“Y-you’re…”
“A werewolf…” he muttered, his ears flattening against his head. “You… helped me, and… I understand if you no longer want to help now that you know what I am. I simply ask that… you let me recover until I am able to move…”
She swallowed, shaking her head. “It doesn’t matter what you are. You’re hurt, and I won’t let you suffer.”
The man looked on in mild shock as she helped him onto the couch. “This should be more comfortable… I’ll need to redo your bandages soon…”
The man watched her work silently. She redressed his wounds with a skill that was uncommon for women in their era. Once she was done, it was only then that her eyes trailed down his torso to look for anything else that she may have missed when his thick fur was in the way…
“Oh.”
Her face warmed, her eyes going wide.
He was completely and utterly nude, barely covering his groin with the blanket. His wolf ear twitched as she turned away, flustered.
‘I forgot, werewolves lose their clothing when they turn…’
For now, she simply covered him with a blanket, too tired to do anything else. With that, she left him to sleep on the couch and headed to bed.
‘What am I going to do? There’s a werewolf on my couch, right after Ember mentioned one eating her livestock. Is it the same one..? Could it… be connected to the familiars going rogue?’
She sighed, pulling the blanket up to her chin. ‘Well, whatever the case is, it’s my responsibility now. I decided to save its life, and I don’t regret it. Once it’s back to full health, I’ll think of what to do…’
With that decided, she drifted off to sleep, exhausted from her long day.
———————
In the living room, the werewolf stared up at the ceiling, his head filled with the images of the events he had been through.
‘I thought they lost my trail… those damn poachers will do anything to complete their collection…’
His heart ached to think of his pack, their coats skinned from their bodies after they were forced to transform and fight each other for their captors’ amusement. It made his blood boil to think of how scared the pups must have been, how the elders must have died comforting them with their final breaths, just for all of their words to mean nothing in the end.
He hated humans and their endless lust for money and power. For years he had avoided human contact, staying in his wolf form and attacked anyone that came near in fear of being hurt again…
That was until he met her.
Even before they officially met, he had been stalking her through the woods for months. At first, he had planned on killing her and taking over her cabin for himself. In his mind, it was only fair. Humans killed and stole from nature every single day, honestly he thought he was doing the world a favor taking one of them out.
But (Name) wasn’t like other humans. Every day, he watched her take only what she needed, and left behind gifts for the fairies and animals. She tended to the wounded creatures and made sure she never overstayed her welcome.
It would be dishonest to say he liked her, but she was the closest thing to tolerable a human could get in his eyes. So when he met her, he found himself unable to hurt her.
Though at first he kept his distance and attempted to bite her if she strayed too close, he never intended to actually hurt her. If he wanted to, he could have easily tore into her throat and feasted on her flesh… but he didn’t.
This human, this girl had become something akin to a friend to him. Despite his hatred for her kind, he couldn’t help following after her and staying by her side. It felt soothing, safe… almost familiar in a way. It reminded him of when he was just a pup and would follow behind his mother while she hunted or gathered ingredients for dinner.
So when he was attacked by the very poachers that killed his family, he escaped with only one thing in mind.
‘I have to find her!’
He followed her scent, barely dragging his wounded hide to her home and collapsing on the front step. He never would have thought that he would trust a human to help him, not after what he had been put through.
Even now, as he laid there powerless and unable to move, his mind was still conflicted. Was this really okay? Could he truly rely on this human to tend to him when he was utterly defenseless?
‘It doesn’t really look like I have much of a choice…’
Winning his trust would not be easy, but if she could… (Name) would gain a loyal companion.
Only time could tell what would become of these two…
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