Chapter 13: The Ray of Blessings

As his lecherous hands reach out towards me, a tense stillness engulfs the room which is broken suddenly by the thunderous crash of the door giving way to a massive, snarling wolf. In the blink of an eye, Patrick's form changes into a grotesque, monstrous creature, meeting the wolf's fury with his own. The air agitates with the intensity of their clash, the room becoming a battleground for primitive dominance.

In the middle of the chaos, the wolf's gaze meets mine, and in that moment, a realization passes between us. Nathaniel's wolf form is like his inner wild side, coming out to protect us. Instantly, the wolf breaks the chains that bind me, freeing me from captivity.

With newfound freedom, I rush to release Marina, our bond strengthened. Standing shoulder to shoulder, we face the threat, the creature with razor-sharp claws come closer to strike. But just as despair threatens to take hold, Nathaniel's wolf runs shielding us from harm taking all the wounds in his body.

In a brave move, Nathaniel's wolf charges ahead and bites down hard, breaking the creature's neck and separating its head from its body. Patrick's followers, who were once confident, now run away scared, as their leader has been defeated by the very powers he wanted to control.

The entire room is red with a flood of blood. Nathaniel, now transforms from the wolf, emerges holding the animal's thorny head in his hand. The children, women, and men of his clan are overjoyed, thanking Nathaniel from the core of their heart. I'm amazed at him, never imagined he would come to save me in this dire situation as the ray of blessings.

"Alpha Nathaniel, thanks for protecting us from this oppressor," an old man says.

With each details provided by the elderly man, Nathaniel's blood runs cold. Patrick's dark deeds unfold one by one: the brutal death of the pack's alpha, the brutal oppression on his daughter Marina by keeping her in the dungeon and torturing her every day. He raped all the virgin girls of this state one by one. He has made everyone the maid of his harem. Patrick's reign of terror extended further, enslaving the entire kingdom and extinguishing hope.

But the woman who was helping monster Patrick fails to escape, she is captured by them and sentences to life imprisonment. According to everyone, Marina is given the responsibility of being the leader of the pack.

Marina asks us to stay with them, but Nathaniel hasn't agreed to stay at the pack house. However, their hospitality has enchanted me, and I desire to stay. At least, we won't have to wander in the dense jungle amidst dangers. When I request him too, he looks at me with rage in his eyes. "Let's just stay tonight, please." "Is your heart crying for the fatty old man that you're denying to leave his territory?" He says while grinding his teeth in anger. "Seriously!" I don't say anything else being disgusted.

After all the tasks are done, he bid farewell to everyone and leaves the area. Marina gives both of us some clothes and food so that we wouldn't face any inconvenience on our journey. I have a lot of affection for Marina; I wish I could live here, maybe she could free me from all this hassle, but the person who's saved us won't let me go. Still, I muster up the courage to express my feelings to him. "Nathaniel, I feel a lot of affection for Marina. Can I stay with her?" He looks at me like I've committed a big sin.

"Are you lesbian?" He asks me which is literally out of the context. "Seriously, Nathaniel! I just said I'll miss her." I try to defend myself. "I see! That's why you're not showing any interest on me otherwise girls die for me, you know." He says making me roll my eyes in annoyance.

"Let's go!" I say, starting to walk quickly. "Ah! Wait, now what happened?" Nathaniel calls from behind.

He transforms back into his wolf form and mounts me on his back to resume our journey. He dashes off at high speed, as if fleeing from someone chasing us. Nathaniel's actions become even more mysterious, but I feel something wet forming in my hands as I grip his back tightly. When I bring my hand forward, I'm shocked to see it stained with blood. "Nathaniel, stop please," I plead, but he continues to run wildly, ignoring my existence like I'm invisible. "Just like the stupid human version," I mutter.

After a while, we reach near a lake, and Nathaniel finally stops running. He puts me down and transforms back into a human, but this time completely undressed. Although it's hard to unsee, I control myself.

The way he saved me, I want to hug him and shower him with soft smooches but I don't have the courage. Now I am totally in love with him.

"I saved you from danger a little while ago and you humiliated me like this in front of Titan?" Nathaniel whines. "Well his name is Titan!" I mumble. "As though you don't know." "I just know a very few things and rest of the things are still ambiguous but who cares about me!"

As I check Nathaniel's back, I see blood running down it. The claws of the animal have left a huge wound. This wound was inflicted to save me; if Nathaniel hadn't stepped forward, I would have been killed by the blow. When I go to pat him on the back, he jumps away from me.

"It's really so deep, Nathaniel. You need treatment." "Listen girl, I've an amazing power to heal. You don't have to worry about me. In some hours, it'll be okay." "You'll die in some hours if blood keeps dripping this way." I protest against him strongly.

Holding his hand tightly, I make him sit. I tear some pieces of cloth from the extra layer of my dress and start wiping the blood from his back. As I crush some of the seeds from my collection onto the stone and apply them to his wound, he grips my hand tightly

"I'm so sorry, Nathaniel. It'll hurt a little but believe me you will feel better few moments later."

Even though he doesn't say anything, I understand how much it hurts. There is no place to sit here so I collect some leaves and creepers and arrange them to form a mattress for him to lie down and rest.

"Take little rest." I make him lie down cautiously not pressing his back. He chuckles looking at me before saying, "The pain of the back may go away, but how will the sorrow of the heart go?"

I am silent for a while as I don't know what's going on with him, but all I can sense is that he blames me. It's not just him; even the animal that died moments ago seemed to blame me. Why am I disliked by everyone? Why is everyone pointing fingers at me when I'm just an ordinary person?

Right now, my heart is burning for Nathaniel. I want to make him feel better although I know perhaps I'm the source of his pain, maybe there are other things causing him distress that he'll never disclose. I know he'll not share anything with me, still I ask him.

"If you share your pain with me, then I can give it a try to remove it. You know I have amazing power to heal people's heart."

I just hear his chuckle in response. "You'll heal my pain? You just got to be joking me, right?"

"Why you always think I'm worthless?" I ask being sad. "Because you're worthless." Sigh skips my mouth listening to him realizing what I actually mean to him.

"Your words are enough for someone's death," I say again. "But you're still alive."

His unpleasant words remind me not to be broken and stay silent. I have a better retreat for his insult.