I can hear a set of footsteps coming closer, the ruffling of cloth and something being… dragged?

I hide behind the pile of furs, feeling my mouth dry all of the sudden as adrenaline pumped into my veins and made me wary and alert as a shadow stretched out in the entrance, making me duck behind my hidden spot.

The footsteps continued, getting closer and probably already on sight as I hear it drag something one last time before using something, a… a rope?

I sneak a peek, only to see a black figure pulling a ragged cloth clotted in red up with a rope and leaving it up there, probably to stop an animal from stealing it.

The creature's head snaps back, making me hide with a drumming heart, putting my hand over my mouth, trying to muffle my breathing.

My mind goes blank when I see the big mistake of my plan; he would see that the bed was empty! But what could I do now?! I could not outrun the guy, even worst leave Kira behind or try to survive out there without any clothes!

And I won’t even start talking about how despicable is the act of walking barefoot on the snow would be.

Lost in thought it took me some time to realize that the cave was oddly… quiet, but when I notice a cold runs down my spine and makes me look up over the pile of fur.

Only to encounter a black big snout and a pair of brown-yellow eyes staring me down an inch close to my face.

“Ah!” I scream, stumbling backward only to get my foot stuck on the fur and fall down on my butt, earning a low hiss of pain from me, as with widen eyes I look up to the creature in front of me.

A-another of those th-things, a werewolf!

Oh God, maybe I did not get saved after all, they just couldn’t get enough of me with one turn only and brought me here to savor later.

I would rather die; seriously.

With my eyes locked on his like a magnet I watch with horror as he starts to climb the pile towards me, not wanting to leave your staring contest as his body came to view little by little, his black raven shiny fur, golden-brown deep eyes looking straight at me, a long pointy snout and a very tall wide-body covered in a fluffy silky fur, finishing off with big paw-hands and long black claws, the same on his feet, just being different a little as the hind legs bend backwards.

I start to hyperventilate, images from last night flashing through my mind, and the creature, staring at me, notice it quickly, making his ears perk up as he bends his head sideways, his eyes narrowing with a flash of his white teeth coming to view.

He was not pleased.

Make that two buddy.

Up close as he was, on top of me yet with some distance between us, I’m forced to endure whatever this creature had coming for me, the musky smell of his body engulfing me, smelling like soil and pine trees.

I try to move up and out but one grow of his makes me stop mid-motion as his arms stay on the sides, his furry black body seeming like a very deadly pillow until, that is, he starts tasting the air in front of me, big huffs and puffs of air passing by his big black wet nose.

He first does that to my face, but goes down to my neck, making me feel lightheaded and about to faint as he gets close to the wound on my shoulder.

And worst then all…

He licks it, a very slow wide move that takes all of my shoulder at once, making me grit my teeth and close my eyes, trying to steady my breathing as to not anger this beast again.

Thought the only thought in my mind was how disgusting revolting filthy repulsive nauseating filled with saliva I was, how I really, really needed a bath.

Right.

Now.

I was very close to exploding here and there, but before things could get worse; because, you know, that’s my luck; the creature falls back and stands, his full height massive as he huffs at me and walks away.

W-what the hell was that?

By reflex I put my hand on the part that he licked, far too late to think about how that would only spread the saliva all over me, when something even odder happens, when my hands touch smooth skin.

What?! W-Where is the wound? I’m sure that that monster had bitten me here, strong enough to take a chunk of meat between his teeth.

And yet… there was nothing, all smooth, all patched up, and not even traces of blood or bandages on sight.

For how long was I out?

Or I was finally getting mad with all the chaos around me? Though I may add that it took some time for reality to hit me in the face and finally manage to break me, I should be proud, I think.

I slap my face, earning a weird look from the wolf, who huffed again, some type of chuckling I think as he seemed amused by my action.

Ok, I was not dead, I was not hallucinating, dreaming or anything, and now my face hurts.

Just my luck.

Laying down there on the fur I don’t know what to do, what to say, so I end up in silence for a long time, until a find strength in my legs to stand and hide my naked body behind the pile of furs, shivering all over for not wanting to pick the other fur up anymore.

Unimpressed by me the wolf simply seems to… ignore me as he goes by doing his things, messing around the place and checking Kira out and putting a pot of water beside her, only to end up sitting on the floor with his hind legs up, exposing the black pads under his paws, and munching on some meat stored around somewhere, his bites resonating on the empty cave as the wind howled savage on the outside.

With a frown I try to back away, only for my feet to touch the cold floor and go straight back to the fur, nothing escaping his scanning golden eyes as he looks me up and down, analytical.

I didn’t know what to do, what to say, which ended up with opening my mouth only to close it next, my eyes scanning the place up for ways to escape, my mind going into a frenzy, of how, how such a creature could even exist?

I mean, there were far more important questions then that right now, but that was the one I haven’t had the time to make, this situation downing on me now that I had room to breathe.

I suddenly heard a raspy growly voice coming from the creature, the sound distaff and gruff as if his throat wasn’t made to utter delicate sounds.

He repeats, as if trying to say something, now sounding more annoyed than communicative as he huffs and looks away, his interest going back to the raw meat on his paws.

Was he trying to… communicate?

Fuck me, I’m really, really terrible with animals.

“W-who are you?” I surprise myself when I manage to say something, my hand shaking from the cold, nervousness and the continuous contact with the contaminated things.

His eyes pass me, as if uninterested, only for him to keep ignoring me, his wild eyes reminding me of those of a real feral animal.

I gulp down, noticing that if things went down I had no escape routes nor weapons at sight.

I have to somewhat persuade this… creature to let us go, I realized with a surge of panic knowing that it could cost our lives.

Fuck me.

“M-my is E-Enzo.” Was I supposed to say nice to meet you now? “W-what’s your name?” Ok, that’s dumb to ask since he hasn’t spoken a word. Maybe he was mute? Or didn’t have a name even…

I was questioning if he even understood me at this point, he was… somewhat human… right?

“Uhm… you were the one who… saved us?”

He nods, munching away and yawing in between, giving me a good view of the rows of sharp white teeth adorning his big snout. Well, at least he understands what I’m saying, otherwise all would have been for naught.

And yet I did not know how to feel about this situation. Another of those… those monsters were my savior? How I’m supposed digest all these at once, the fact that werewolves exist, my dirty state, how I almost ended being…

I shake my head. It shouldn’t matter, what was in the past could not harm me anymore, I needed to focus on what was happening now, in our predicament now.

Adaptability was a very important skill to have in the apocalypse.

“C-can I have my things back?”

At that point on he went straight to completely ignoring me, the prick. Fine then! If you are not going to say anything then I will help myself, I don’t need his help anyway!

Getting bold I scoff, closing my hands into fists on the sides as I grab the fur again, covering me so that it only took one hand to hold it.

I was already contaminated, no use in dwelling on that, better do what I need to do quickly so I can clean myself faster, not keep moping about on the sides.

I’m not that weak, I think, angry for no good reason.

So with one free hand I start searching the piles of fur for my backpack, a numbing sensation growing in my hand as if holding something ice-cold for too long.

Shit, where was it? Maybe on the corners, hidden in the shadows? Gosh it would take far too long to find it in this messy cave.

So I have an idea; not a bright one at that, but for someone already deep in shit what a little more could do right?

I start questioning the creature, even if I annoyed it.

“So, you cannot speak or you just don’t want to have the trouble to answer me?”

No answer… figures.

“Fine, if you want to ignore me, ok, but that doesn’t mean that I will stay put.”

I was getting angry from being tossed around situations that I could not control.

And, well… I figure that if it hasn’t killed us until now he would not have the trouble of doing so now, not after saving us would he?

Though I could not begin to phantom what passed through that beast's mind.

But I could poke him to find out.

~~~~

Yayyy! I made my life harder by making him mute!

Sigh….

And, well, Enzo is not the brightest of his class haha!

I mean, he is smart, just not with animals and people and social interactions in general.

See ya next Friday~~~

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