His Gaze

I met his gaze. He looked ruthless but I could sense his tenderness, it is a mixture of fire and ice. Combined. Unable to determine if it is the fire or it is the ice that is dominant.

To my surprise, he tucked my dripping wet hair behind my ears. I was unable to move. Nothing changes in his expression which makes him difficult to understand. I can’t understand his actions. Is it out of pity?

“You did great,” he said after tucking my hair. He, then, shifted his gaze at the river in front of us.

It was another unbelievable words coming from him. I felt the blood rushing over my cheeks, making it red. My heart pounded with those simple words. Tears begun forming in my eyes, ready to cry anytime. I felt…rewarded. I am not sure if that is the right word. I felt like I won some lottery or I won the duel. It is probably the feeling of being appreciated.

From this feeling, I could say that my work has paid off. It felt worth it. I wiped the tears that has already fallen out of my eye, stopping myself from crying even more.

“Thank you for helping me…” I said after few minutes of silence. I covered my face with the hood on my jacket, I am starting to get embarrassed and small in front of him again. I could probably will never have the courage in front of him.

He clenched his jaw, “it will be harder from this day.” He said in a ruthless way but I can’t help but watch how his jaw moved handsomely.

“D-don’t… don’t give up on me.” I said like some puppy begging for his owner to not leave him alone. I might give up on myself too if he did give up on me. That happened when my father, my own blood, has given up on teaching me years ago. I lost my hope, then. Darren did also give up on me.

He smiled devilishly, a smile that I don’t find frightening. “You might give up tomorrow,” he said as if it was a warning that tomorrow will going to be the death of me. I could only look forward. My life has been so boring and empty, some hardship would probably good move to have some spice. Might as well enjoy it.

I can stay at ease knowing that he is with me.

He picked up my arrow and bow and stood up. I can only watch him; I am too tired to stand on my own. He held my bow using his left hand, while his right hand held the arrow. He immediately released the arrow without aiming.

My mouth fell open when I saw a bird, directly pierced by an arrow in its body, falling from above. I gulped out of the realization how good he is in the archery. I can never beat him in a million times. He did not even aim for it; he just shoots for it as if it will be moving towards its prey from any direction.

“Your turn.” He said as he handled the bow to me.

I held my breath, time to get embarrassed again.

George’s POV

“Wolf!” Shouted by one of the hunters that we encountered in the mountain that will lead us in the north.

They are armed with shotguns and other dangerous weapons for hunting. I can smell some sort of explosives meters away from us. I have encountered several hunters, they are all full of greed to kill and bring our body as a trophy for their own prestige. I can never understand the greed that humans have for killing animals like us.

“Hera, run…” I whispered to my wife as soon as the other hunters spotted us. Some of them immediately pointed their guns toward us.

I run towards the man that is aiming to shot a bullet for my wife, I could be dangerous if I leave him alone. I can’t let those bullets pierced through my wife’s body. With my sharp teeth, I immediately bit that hunter’s arm. This made him winced at pain that made the other hunters looked towards us.

I run as fast as I could after that attack. I would never kill humans; it was a promise made with my mother.

Several bullets flew towards my direction, with many hunters aiming to take my life. At least, my wife was able to get away from those bastards. With those various bullets, I am not surprised when one was able to slipped in my back.

I only stopped running when I reached the cave where my wife is hiding. I shifted in my human form to look for the wound that I got from that encounter.

“George…” My wife full of worries.

I nodded to assure her. It was only a scratched from the slipped bullet. I wasn’t hit directly but my blood must have been dripping in that scratch, enough for me to leave a trace on our whereabouts. Some of them might probably follow those drops of blood.

We stayed at the cave for some time to avoid any encounter from hunters. It is both to keep our lives and the hunter’s lives safe. When the sun is about to set, we decided to move from our location. Both of us decided to stay in our human form to be not targeted by other hunters. In that way, we will be disguised as their fellow hunters.

That was I thought, a man with his gun pointed at us come running. I immediately run towards his back and elbowed his neck, enough for him to stay unconscious for some time.

I quickly turned my gaze at my wife when I sensed that she did shoot her arrow. I wasn’t able to stopped the arrow as it immediately drove towards the another hunter in my back.

It pierced right through his skull. The man instantly fell in the ground with his eyes open.

My flesh trembled in anger.