23

"Leave us alone, now," I heard Keno say, and Jamal's hand instantly disappeared from my back, making it difficult for me to stand alone on my wobbly legs. I quickly padded the remaining steps to the wide front door to hold on to the handle while I glanced out the window next to me and noticed the gray sky.

My breathing was still way too fast and I still didn't know what to think or feel anymore, but my mind didn't let me rack my brains anymore anyway. I was way too confused by everything around me and felt like my brain had shorted out.

Wide-eyed, I then turned away from the window again, to the other side to watch Jamal as he quickly disappeared into the basement, while my gaze wandered to Keno, who was just getting up from his chair, his black one Shirt straightened and looked at me without expression.

"Sit down," he said in a light command tone and I just shook my head, laughing hysterically, to show him the bird with the last of my strength.

"Damn me!" I uttered under my hectic breathing and felt my wolf tearing at me because of my stubborn behavior towards him, but I ignored her deep sadness and at the same time turned my gaze away from Keno to push down the door handle.

"Aria!" Keno admonished me, but I just pulled open the door and stepped outside, taking a few cautious steps forward until I felt the rain on my hair and closed my eyes. I stretched my face towards the sky, spread my arms and tried to focus completely on myself, my constant emotional chaos and this panic attack. I didn't care about anything else... as long as I would come to my senses...

The rain took over all my clothes in a very short time, so that they stuck to my skin in the cold wind and my hair and face were soaked, but it wasn't just the rain that got me...

Countless tears mixed with him on the pale skin of my face and ran down my cheeks with a warm feeling.

My body was trembling with confusion, my head was pounding from all the chaos and I only casually noticed Keno's scent getting closer to me as I forced myself not to open my eyes and show no weakness in front of him, but the move was fine already gone.

I hated it... hated me that right now I wanted nothing more than to escape into his strong arms. Hated that he had every right to kill those two girls and hated me for being too weak, too good-natured to see the real evil around me.

You could certainly call it naive...

"Everything will be fine," I heard the exact words from Keno whisper, which immediately made me turn to him, crying and utterly devastated by this world, as I hesitantly opened my eyes again, embarrassed at my weakness.

"How is everything ever going to be okay if we live in a world where we have to kill children? Where as a female wolf I'm never allowed to roam freely? Where I can never be safe?" I sobbed softly with trembling lips and then wiped away my tears with the sleeve of his sweater while the rain continued to pelt down on us and even Keno was now soaking wet in front of me.

I glanced at his dark eyes and his even darker hair, which was falling slightly in his face because of the rain, before I looked down and tried to avoid him.

"You're safe," he said immediately upon my words and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at this stupid statement of provocation, causing him to raise an eyebrow admonishingly and take a step closer to me.

"If I'm so sure, why am I trapped in this wooden hut? Why can't I visit Gloria? Why am I surrounded by an insurmountable wall? Then why all this?!", I got louder and pointed to the tall one wooden fence behind me, while I could hardly contain the desperation in my voice, which he also noticed.

"Insurmountable?" he suddenly grinned stupidly and took a step closer so that he was only a meter away from me and looked at me with pride. "I know a she-wolf who has already defeated her," he then explained and I didn't want to, but suddenly had to smile briefly at his stupid way of trying to cheer me up. Also because of the idea that I had really made it. Somehow I was also a little bit proud of myself.

"See," he whispered, placing his fingers on my chin to lift my head up a bit so I had to look deep into his eyes. "That smile suits you so much better and Aria I will protect you no matter what or who comes, never forget that. With me you never have to feel in danger. I would never let anything happen to you."

I just looked at him in a trance, letting his words run through my head, and then carefully placed my hand on his under my chin, slowly removing it, making him look slightly confused. He probably didn't know if I wanted to reject him again, but at that moment I just wanted his closeness... needed his closeness... was crazy about wanting to be close to him at that moment and gave in to this instinct. ..

Determined to do so, I spread my arms and took a tiny step toward him, wrapping my arms around him very carefully, eager for security. I immediately put my face down on the side of his soaked T-shirt and despite everything I felt his soothing warmth through it, while his scent mixed with mine and I smiled happily as my she-wolf jumped in the triangle with happiness...

When I then felt that he also wrapped his arms around me tightly and pulled me close to him, I closed my eyes and allowed this closeness, which freed me from the whole chaos at that moment and just let me relax.

"Keno?" I murmured softly and then listened again to the rain around us, which was pattering incessantly on the roofs and trees.

"Ja?"

"Don't you ever tease me that I'm weak," I whispered and felt his chest tremble almost at the same time as a wonderful laugh erupted from his throat, almost pulling me with warmth.

"You and weak?" he smiled and hugged me even tighter. "Well, I don't know anyone else who has dared to defy an alpha so often. Believe me, you're anything but weak... Stubborn and perhaps weary of life."

I could almost hear his stupid grin and I wanted to punch his arm just out of provocation, but this cozy feeling of just standing there in his arms was way too intoxicating for me to just give it up....