Chapter 29 – Grace

Frozen in terror, I watch as the sharp teeth from the lake monster draws near. Alsir is no match for it as he disappears into its mouth, the monster diving down into the depth of the lake. I use this chance to start swimming again as the water where Alsir once was soon grows red with his blood. The cold water laps against my fur, weighing me down and I realize if I want to get away faster, I will need to shift. Diving under the water, I allow my body to make the painful shift to human before surfacing, using this chance to see if I can spot the monster. Sadly, I can see nothing before I surface, gasping for air before quickly resuming my escape from this monster.

"Do not be afraid." A whimsical voice fills my ears, the gentle tone of the words slowing me down as I wonder where this voice comes from. Turning around, I look back to where Alsir once was, questioning if I imagined the voice. Turning back, my body freezes as I come face to face with the lake beast, a gorgeous water dragon with glimmering skills. For a moment I forget to stay afloat, the shock and fear paralyzing me as I begin to sink. A soft surface pushes me back up from the water and I cough up what ever amount of liquid I ended up swallowing.

“I wont hurt you little wolf.” The voice continues, the dragon tilting her head as she smiles gently at me, her green and blue scaled body floating on the water – a body I find myself kneeling on.

“Then…then why did you hurt the Ragers?” I ask, weary of this creature.

"I have been waiting for a reason to kill those males and you gave that reason to me. Thank you Silver Wolf." She chuckles out, her sea green eyes giving me the feeling of a mother looking at her child. All fear I have for this creature vanishes as she bows to me before her body vanishes and I am flung into the water. A large wave comes crashing into me before I can get my bearings, sending me under the water once more as I fight against it. I feel my back connecting with a rock, the little air I have left rushing out of my lungs and allowing water to enter instead. My vision becomes hazy, the water and darkness becoming a comfort to me as my eyes slowly close.

…

The sounds of waves crashing against the shore brings my groggy mind back to reality as my body starts to shake. I cough, the lake water that I swallowed quickly spilling from my lip until I am finally able to take a gasp of breath. My beaten and battered body refuses to move as I lay on the sandy shore, the waves lapping at my body. The last thing I remember is drowning, so how did I end up safe on the other side. Closing my eyes, I wonder if I will win the bet on a technicality of dying, if my last moments will be spent laying by the lake without being able to see Amelia or Caden again.

“Grace?!” My name reaches my ears. It is faint, almost as if carried on the wind.

"Grace?!" The voice is nearer, a deep male’s voice that calls my name, the owner sounding frantic and hopeful. But they are too far away to know who the voice belongs to.

"Grace!" The voice is close now and my eyes open as tears fill my eyes. He found me. He really came and found me.

"Caden?" I call out, my voice weak and croaky from the coughing and lake water I ingested. For a moment I am unsure if he heard me, unsure if I truly heard him or if my imagination is playing tricks on me. And then I smell him. His scent of fresh forest on a winter's day mixed with anxiety and relief. Strong arms gently cradle me from the sand as I am wrapped in Caden’s embrace, the feeling of being safe washing over me.

"You're okay." He whispers out, his tears falling from his eyes and onto my cheek. I smile, slowly reaching up to brush away his tears as my whole body relaxes into his touch. I am safe with him, secured in his arms knowing he will take me away from this god-awful place.

"I'm sorry.” He sobs out, pressing his forehead against mine and breathing in my scent.

“I let them take you. I will never let it happen again.” He continues, placing a soft kiss on my forehead. I smile, my heart skipping a beat at the gentleness. No wolf has ever been this gentle to me. They always treated me like an object to claim or an obstacle to train. But here is Caden, holding me, kissing me and allowing himself to be vulnerable with me.

“You didn’t let them take me.” I croak out, my voice still hoarse.

“They took me as you fought and then you came to rescue me.” My voice cracks as my tears spill, this overwhelming feeling of hope and love filling my heart. Suddenly, without a warning, his lips are pressed to mine, moving gently as he swallows what ever else I wanted to say. My eyes slowly close and a small moan escapes my throat when his teeth nip my bottom lip. I find myself kissing him back, my lips moving in sync with his as he pulls my body closer to his. His tongue dart across my closed lips, seeking permission to enter and I agree, parting my lips just enough for our tongues to tangle with one another. Another moan escapes me, my heart beating faster and my shivering body feeling warmer by the second. And just as suddenly as it began, the kiss ends and we find ourselves panting for breath, our foreheads pressed together once more.

“When the Run is over and we are safely out of this forest, will you go on a date with me?” I ask, my face feeling hot and flustered as I stare into his emerald green eyes.

"Couldn't you at least let me be there stereotypical guy and ask you out first?" He jokingly asks, his lips that were just on mine set into a carefree grin. I giggle, feeling the absurdity of the situation. I came to the Run looking to winning a bet, to freeing my pack members from being forced to come here. Now I am looking at a man I have slowly grown feelings for.

"Nope, I'm the boss." I state, getting a kiss on the forehead from him in response.

"Fine, you are the boss Grace. But I get to plan the date." He whisper, tucking a strand of my wet hair behind my ear, the feeling of a thousand butterflies fluttering in my stomach making me blush.

"Do I want to know why the two of you are cuddling by the water’s edge or have you already marked and mated her Caden?” Amelia’s voice sounds from my left, making Caden and I jump. I wince, the pain in my back reminding me of the injure I received slamming into the rock and I supress a whimper of pain.

“Shit! You okay Grace?” Amelia asks, her joking tone gone as she comes to kneel beside Caden and I.

“Just a small injury, nothing some rest cant fix.” I answer, happy to be reunited with my best friend.

“Why don’t you come rest at our camp then!” A voice chimes out, one I recognize easily. A little pixie with butterfly wings flutters towards me, landing on Caden’s shoulder as her large eyes look at me in concern.

“Hi Silver Fur.” Sunny chimes out, giving me a soft smile.

“Hi Sunny. If you can promise that my friends and I can leave safely, then I would love to rest at your camp.” I yawn out, already having a feeling that the Princess has sent this offer to the small pixie.

“Princess Airia already sent a messenger. You, Melia and Cade are welcomed to rest with us.” Sunny agrees, her face lighting up with a smile.

“Then lead the way Sunny. Grace has been through a lot and she needs her rest.” Caden states before I can answer, placing another soft kiss on my forehead. The pixie takes flight, landing on Amelia this time as she happily chats away with the blonde wolf. I smile, Caden carefully positioning my body so that my head rests on his shoulder before he stands with me in his arms. The lake side is quiet and I think back to the dragon, wondering if I will ever meet her again. Looking over Caden’s shoulder, his steady heart beat lulls me to sleep and the last thing I see is the tail to the dragon waving at me before she vanishes into the deep waters.