I search the forest for dried twigs, fallen branches and any dried straw that I am able to find. Luckily, the forest is filled with them, and I do not need to search for long. It just takes me a few trips to and from the bank of the lake and the forest before I am able to collect a respectable amount for a fire.

I start setting them up like we do in a bonfire. Wait, I do not have a lighter. Well, caveman way it is.

I search the bank for the appropriate kind of stones and start hitting them together. The stones rub against each other and heat up, and in a few moments, sparks start coming out. I keep striking them against each other on top of the dry wood and straws, and soon the wood catches fire.

I hear the sound of footsteps and look up to see Aiden. He is carrying a small deer on his left shoulder, and his right hand carries a pot more like a broken pot with it's mouth broken, but it has a solid base. He makes it look easy, but I am sure the deer weighs at least forty kg easily.

I rush towards him and reach out to take the pot from his hands. He lets me take it and then throws the dead deer on the ground.

"Wow. It's very lucky we found a pot. At least we can boil water and drink."

I was actually worried to drink the stagnant water from the lake. We might be able to resist the bacteria and fungus in the water in our were forms but in human form, our immunity is slightly greater than that of humans.

"Yes, even I was surprised. I thought maybe we are close to civilization too, but no signs of it. Must have been left behind by mistake or something." He shrugs and sits on the ground, leaning his back on a tree trunk and closing his eyes shut.

Even werewolves get tired. So I let him rest. I make use of the silence and jog to the lake, dunking the pot and washing it slightly before filling it with water and placing it on the fire.

Soon it is heated, and I try to remove it, but my finger tips get burned. I immediately retract my fingers, blowing air on them.

Aiden dashes towards me and scolds, "You should be more careful."

He then pulls me to the lake and dips my fingers in it. The cool water soothes my skin, and I feel relieved. He then pulls out a kerchief from his pocket, wipes my fingers, and blows air on them.

He moves my fingers back and forth, asking, "Are they still causing pain?"

"No" My eyes are fixed on his face, indicating his concern for me. Who has ever cared for me except Grandma and my uncle?

Aiden is turning out to be a true friend. His care and his protective instincts are becoming overwhelming now. He must stay away or my secrets will burn him down.

I pull back my fingers from me, and he looks at me in confusion. "The pot. I need to take it down so we can cook the meat. Can I borrow your kerchief?"

He looks at me, as if my behaviour is strange, but makes no comment. He stretches his arm out and hands me the kerchief. I take it from him and go to the fite, holding the pot by the kerchief. I remove the pot.

"Are you able to link yet?" I ask. The quicker we are out of here, the better it is for him.

"No. Not yet. A few more hours, I think," he says, then walks towards the deer and starts skinning it with his now extended claws. Well, we have no other option.

The sun is now down. Darkness spreads over the land; the light from the fire is the only source. I look up at the sky. There is no moon visible. not even stars. Clouds cover it, I think.

Aiden, who was earlier skinning, is now washing and breaking the deer into small chunks. We do not have anything to hang the meet from so that we can cook it.

"I will be right back," I say to Aiden and set out into the jungle. Wait, the parachute. If we tear down the ropes, we can use them to hang the meat.

I am thankful that I am a were and could see clearly in the dark. I try to gather more strength and speed from my beast, but she is still dormant. I shift as much as I can, not raising Aiden's suspicion. I run towards where we crashed, and I see the parachute still lying on the ground.

I quickly gather the chute and push it back into the backpack. I then rush back to the lake, and as soon as I am in close proximity, I slow down again.

Aiden stands at the edge of the forest, waiting for me, most probably. He looks at my hands and asks, "Backpack?"

"Yes, we need something to hang the meat from so that we can cook it, or we are going hungry. Well, I am at least. You can always shift and eat the raw meat."

His mouth forms an o in understanding. "Here, give it to me. It is my turn at cooking. well, burning." He tries to joke and succeeds.

A small chuckle escapes my lips as I remember his attempt at cooking in our kitchen.

I shrugged at him and let him take over. I am currently very tired, even after all the naps I had. So I sit down, leaning against the trunk of a nearby tree.

Well, he did say it was his turn and I can relax. I close my eyes for a moment and drift off to sleep.

............

Aiden is waking me up again for the second time in the day. "Meat is cooked and water has cooled down. You should have some."

I look behind him to see that he has set out the parachute as a mat on which he has placed the now-cooked meat. I nod at him, wash my hands, and join him, squatting, my legs crossed in Indian style.

We start eating the meat. It is bland and barely edible. But what other choice do we have? I look up to see Aiden making faces at it.

Such a childish response. His expression makes me laugh and I fall to the floor laughing.

He looks confused yet a small smile graces his lips." What?"

"Your face," I say, in between my chuckles. "It is so childish."

He now pouts at me and my laughter increases. This man is a king and he is pouting.

"Umm Aurelia?"

I look at him and see his expression; it's serious, yet his eyes are expectant. I scrunch my brows in confusion and ask, "Yes. Is something wrong?"

Why is he serious all of a sudden? I feel vibes of nervousness coming off of him as he scratches his nape in a gesture of awkwardness.

"No. I just wanted to ask you something, but I am not sure how you would react." He is now scratching the back of his neck, a nervous act.

I sit up straight and give my full attention. He looks serious yet nervous and expectant. A strange combination of feelings reflects in his eyes.

He gulps something in his throat and then walks towards me and stands beside me. He stretches his palm out in a gesture as to hold it. I am confused yet comply with him and give my hand in his. He pulls me to my feet and looks at me.

"Look," he says, pointing towards something. I glance at the direction he is pointing in and see a beautiful sight.

There are two wolves on the opposite bank of the river. They are lapping up water. After drinking water, they brush up against each other. One licks the head of the other and lets out a bark. The other wolf then goes inside the forest and when it is back, the pups follow it, clinging to it's legs.

It's a wolf family. The parent wolves help the pups drink water, then gently nudge the pups towards the water. The pups enter the water completely now; the water level is up to their necks.

The parent wolves slightly dunk the pups heads inside, no doubt trying to wash them. Then they pick each of the pups up by their necks, their jaws gentle on the pups necks, and stand straight.

Suddenly their heads jerk up and for a moment, it looks like they are staring straight at us. What they have is a dream many earn for.

A small family full of love. Their actions reflect their emotions. They keep looking at us for some more moments before turning back and going into the cover of the trees.

A smile graces my face upon seeing the wolves. They say nature is harsh. I suppose, in a way, it is. but, Isn't that a part of life? And these simple moments in those hardships make life worth living for.

I turn my face to look at him and find him already staring at me. A smile graces his lips too. We are facing each other. I realise that he has not let go of me yet. All this while we were holding hands

I do not realise that somewhere between looking at the wolves, I had placed my other hand in his. His gaze is intense. It looks as if it will pierce straight to my shoulder.

I see my reflection in his eyes. He runs soothing circles on the back of my hands. A weird sensation starts in the pit of my stomach. Suddenly I am lost in him.

"Aurelia. I do not have many friends or family, for that matter. Only Abigail and Adrian. Then I met Nana. You were her granddaughter, a person close to one whom I loved. Infact, adored. But then we kept meeting, and I started getting to know you. I do not know you entirely yet, but all our meetings have always reflected your bravery, your love for Nana, and your empathy. I feel this strong pull towards you. Now, I have come to realise that..."

He is trying to say something but only some of his words register in my mind. The trance has broken and I feel nauseous suddenly and sweat breaks out on my forehead. I try to wipe it with the back of my hand but i feel my skin heating. Suddenly I feel hot and a sense of fear overcomes me.

I feel my beast stir but relief is not the feeling that overcomes me. It is a familiar feeling yet the timing and the company I have make me nervous now.

Word Count: 1826

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