I am Not Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf

I felt something brush my face that made me arouse from my sleep. At first, I thought it was some kind of bug, but when my hand made contact to it, it wasn’t.

I tried to open my groggy eyes when I finally saw Lance hovering over me at the bed. It startled me so much that I quickly sat up making me bump my head into his.

The pain of it made me really wake up that I think I’m gonna have a bruise later. Honestly, is that how hard his head is?

“Ouch! Is your head made of concrete or what?”, Lance asked as he rubbed his forehead.

“My head? What about yours? I shouldn’t have thought that your also a blockhead.”, I retorted back.

He just chuckled at me and pulled me to him.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”

I tried to make him let go of me only to find how strong he is. What is he trying to do?

“Oh come on, didn’t I tell you how relaxing this is?”, he said as he actually lied down the bed and pulled on top of him.

“Well, not for me, it isn’t. So let go now.”

He didn’t answer me but just tightened his arms around me gently. We were practically lying in his bed and I know I’m in trouble by how late it is.

“You do know this is weird right?”, I blurted out.

He chuckled again and answered, “Isn’t that what you always say to me when I do something you’re not comfortable with?”

I blushed and said, “Well, that’s because it’s true and you know it.”

“Hmm..I guess it is. But it doesn’t mean you don’t like it.”

I couldn’t answer back because my mind suddenly got confused. Did I like him being weird?
By then, we were silent with me, lying on top of him and with him, embracing me to him. I’m supposed to be fighting this but why can’t I do it?

I heard Lance give a grave sigh and then, he started nuzzling my hair and neck.

“Lance! What are you doing?!”

“I’m smelling you.”

“You’re what? Are you so some kind of dog now?”, I said as I squirmed in his hold.

He licked my cheek and said teasingly, “What if I am?”

“Eww!!! Get off me, you big, weird, doggie nincompoop!”

He chuckled and gave a last lick as he let go of me. I went as far away as I could go across the room.

“Now look at what you did! We haven’t got to finish anything!”, I accused him with my finger pointing directly at him.

He shrugged his shoulders and just kept on lying in his bed.

“Not a problem. We could just do it tomorrow.”, he answered with that grin of his again.

“Oh no! I will not let you take me off again in your house! No, I won’t!”

“It’s not like you have a choice.”

“I do have a choice. I could just leave here, you know. And news flash, I’m gonna do it right now!”, I practically yelled as I stomped my way out of his room.

Damn his arrogance! Damn his weird doggie ways! Just damn him!

I continued to stomp my way out of his house until I managed to walk just a few steps away from the gates.

“Dammit! Noelle! Stop!”,, I heard him growl behind me.

I turned around and yelled exactly at his face, “Why should I?!”

He gritted his teeth as he took me by my wrist and started dragging me while saying,

“Because I said so!”

He kept pulling me back into his house when I heard rustling just outside the gates.

I felt him tense and then suddenly, he scooped me up and walked slowly backward while never leaving his gaze to the gates.

By then, I heard rumbles and snarls just outside of the gates and it’s getting closer.

“L-lance?”

“Shh. Just stay close to me and don’t make any sound.”

I just managed to nod when I heard banging from the gates. There I saw large, furry things pushing their bodies against the gates. The crashing sounds filled me with dread that I’m shaking from every collision.

Wolves. Wolves are just outside of those gates and from the look in their eyes, they aren’t just here to be curiosity’s sake.

I felt Lance held me tighter as he rumbled through his throat and his gaze never wavering from the gates.

It seemed like just a second when the gates finally gave way and almost a dozen wolves swarmed into the estate. I almost gave out a scream when a loud howl came from Lance.

The sound made me speechless that I almost didn’t notice the sound of howls answering back at him. I trembled in uncertainty but Lance only held me tighter as a swarm of wolves came rushing down at us.

At that moment, the wolves encircled us as well as the other pack of wolves that attacked the gates before. I have never seen so many wolves in my life and I don’t think I should be happy about it.

I could hear growls and snarls being exchanged between the packs but it’s very obvious how outnumbered the attacking pack is.

“You dare come to our territory!”, Lance bellowed suddenly followed by snarls of the wolves surrounding us.

The attacking pack shuffled and looked around as though unsure among themselves whether to run or to stand their ground. The other wolves bared their fangs while pushing themselves closer to their enemies.

I gripped at Lance’s shirt and whispered nervously, “Lance? What’s going on?”

He didn’t answer but just glared at the attacking pack. I noticed how his eyes started glowing an eerie yellow making me cringed in his arms. Just what is going on?

“I’m gonna give you a few seconds to get your furry asses out of my territory or I swear that your carcasses will be decorating my lawn. Go!”, he bellowed as the attacking pack jumped at his voice and started running away.

A few seconds later, I heard him growl and the wolves surrounding us started running after them. It was obvious how the chase would end and I only wished I didn’t know about that.

Then, Lance started walking with me still in his arms back to the house. I could see Hall standing by Lance’s car with the passenger side door opened looking concerned at me.

“Thank you, Hall. I’ll be taking care of it from here.”, Lance said as he placed me by the seat and put the seatbelt for me and closed the door. I couldn’t even protest nor say anything other than let him do what he pleases.

Hall gave a nod and said through the open window, “Take care, miss. Be safe.”

I could only look back at him until I heard Lance entering by the driver’s side and started the engine.

We were already by the road when I finally whispered, “I asked you a question, Lance.”
He glanced at me and said, “And I chose not to answer you.”

I clenched my hands and snapped, “Don’t give me that bullshit, Lance Shadows! I have every right to know what the hell just happened and you’re gonna tell me whether you like it or not!”

Suddenly, the car stopped and I found myself being held by my nape with Lance looming near my face.

“Tell me, if I did answer you, will you run away like the coward that you always pretend to be?”, his tone was cold and his face was expressionless.

I couldn’t answer back. It’s almost like I’m frozen up.

A few minutes had passed until I heard Lance give a sigh and started the engine again.

It was only before we came up to my street that I finally managed to answer, “But, I-I am not a c-coward.”

He glared at the road and retorted, “Stop lying to yourself.”

I could only bite my lip as I saw the lights from my house open. We were a few feet from my house until we finally stopped.

Lance had already turned off the engine but still, all I could do is look at my house.

“Your promise.”, he murmured so suddenly that I almost didn’t catch what he meant until I saw movement by my house and I finally remembered.

The dread hasn’t caught up to me yet but I know it will be, as soon as I could get my head straight for a moment.

By then, I could only nod but still I couldn’t answer back.

I felt his hand in my cheek until he made me look at him. His eyes held concern as well as sadness for reasons that still baffle me until now.

“I may not answer you now but I will when I know you’re ready.”

“When will I be ready?”, I managed to whisper.

“Soon. Very soon.” Typical Lance.

I nodded stiffly and finally got the strength to open the door and get out. I didn’t look back at him until I found myself just in front of my house.

When I turned, it was only to wave goodbye and then, I walked the few steps I have to take, in order to face what is inevitable to come.