Chapter 106: Chapter 106

DAHLIA:

A pair of wolf eyes glowing fiercely was looking straight at me, and I gazed back. I couldn’t take my eyes of it. It was so mesmerizing and at the same time very frightening.

“Dahlia,” I heard the wolf say in a low growl. “Dahlly!”

I stood there frozen in horror. How did this wolf know me? Was he a spy, a soldier sent to kill me? Was he there to snatch me away? Did I just get discovered right now?

My feet moved involuntary away. I wanted to run, but all I could do was back away as the wolf emerged from the bushes and took some steps towards me.

“Ahh,” I opened my mouth to scream, but before I could overcome my initial shock, the man, in his half-wolf half-human form, had come closer like lighting. He came over me and cupped his hand against my mouth.

He was covered from head to toe with fur as dark as the night. The only thing I could see were his deep violet eyes that shone like gemstones. They looked quite viscous.

“Shhh, please don’t scream… Let’s not get caught yet,” he whispered.

I nodded, but my whole body was still trembling. I instinctively shielded my belly away from him.

The wolf looked at me from head to foot. I don’t know what he was thinking…

Was he debating whether to kill me, to report me, to snatch me away, or was he thinking of doing all these things?

“Do you… Do you recognize me?...” he growled yet again.

I shook my head. I was trembling so hard, I didn’t know if he saw me shake my head in denial.

“Why? Did you get into an accident? What happened? How did you end up here?”

I could only look at him with a frightened face. His furry hand was still covering my mouth, so I had no way of speaking back. My hand tightened over my belly, my heart still leaping in furiously out of sheer fright.

“Do you really not know me,” he repeated his words.

I looked at his gruff appearance and his strange demeanor. It looked as if he knew me. It didn’t look like he was going to kidnap me for he would have already done so. There was a trace of concern on his eyes and on his voice.

He seemed someone close to me… However, for the love of the Goddess, of course I couldn’t remember him!

I racked my brain hard. Maybe if I get hit by something again, it’ll help jog my memory.

I thought of the only possibility that made sense in my brain at that time.

“N-Naskan,” I breathed tentatively in his hand.

He slowly removed his hand, afraid as if I would scream and give away his presence.

“A-Are you Naskan,” I breathed out once more.

For the sake of my child, I hope he is… Otherwise, this might be the death of me!

“Y-Yeah,” he said quietly. “How did you know me…?”

“Samalah said you might come soon. She is expecting you. She told me in advance, so I won’t worry, I guess…”

Samalah had good reasons to tell me about this wolf. He really was rough. Who the hell would come up to a girl in the middle of the woods in twilight just like he did?

“Samalah… She told you about me? She was already expecting me?”

“Uh huh,” I nodded. Suddenly, suspicion crept over me. Did I just tell him a valuable secret?

“A-Are you really Naskan?... You’re… You’re not sent by my husband, aren’t you?...”

“Yes. I’m Naskan. Naskan Olrich,” he replied. “Are you staying near here? Did you travel together with Samalah? Where is she?”

“She’s at the cave. I couldn’t sleep, so I went here,” I replied.

The black wolf seemed lost in thoughts as if he was pondering deeply about something.

“Um, Naskan… Could you… Could you let go of me now?”

True, his hands were still around my waist, and although they were not tight, it was utterly awkward.

He cleared his throat as if embarrassed. I smiled weakly at him, still deathly afraid that he’d suddenly snatch me away and bring me back to my husband, who must be looking intently for a runaway prized slave.

“What happened to you? How did you lose your memories,” he asked again once I have settled in the grass next to him.

“Um… w-well… I can’t remember anything clearly because I had an accident. Good thing Samalah filled me in with the information I needed. Now, I know we must run away from my crazy husband who planned to sell in me in the auction.”

“He did?... Did Samalah tell you that?”

“Yes,” I nodded. “I’m glad she came to my rescue.”

Naskan could only look at me as I tell him briefly about the situation I found myself in, omitting of course the fact that I was pregnant. I don’t trust him that much yet to let him know of that secret.

“Where are we going then,” he said after my story.

“We?”

“Yes. You, me, and Samalah. Where are we going?”

I eyed him from the side. So, he’s planning to go with us all the way? Just how close was this wolf to me and to Samalah, I wonder.

“Uh, I’m not sure… Maybe we’ll stay hidden here for a while. Samalah said it’s bad enough to go into town.”

“I agree,” he said gruffly.

I looked back at Naskan, who was still looking so intently at me. Samalah was spot on in her description when she said he looked rough, and he was a little rude. Who in their right minds would come over someone whom they didn’t know like that?... Unless of course…

“Naskan, how well do you know me,” I gulped. “Do we know each other intimately?”

He sighed. “Yes. I didn’t know I’ll see you like this again, Dahlia... I’m so sorry…”

“Sorry? What are you sorry for?”

Tears rolled down Naskan’s face. What exactly was he sorry for?

“I’m sorry for appearing out of the blue right now. You must have been scared.”

“Yeah, I was,” I said in an incredulous voice.

I looked at Naskan’s features. He was three times bigger than me, and it looked like he was tough. He didn’t look like someone who would cry for such a small thing such as frightening me…

“Why are you crying really,” I began. My heart was palpitating wildly in my chest. I don’t think scaring me was something worth crying about, so why was he really behaving in such an odd way?

“Tell me the truth,” I demanded once more. Although I’m afraid to know the answer, I had to hear it… I definitely have to hear if he was my husband…

“Dahlia,” he said, sobbing again like a child. “Dahlia, don’t you feel it?”

“Feel what?”

“The pull… A pull so strong it’s inevitable.” His paws reached for my hand and placed it over his heart. “Can you hear it now?”

“Hear what?”

“Mate… It’s shouting for your name – my mate!”