Chapter 4: Flirtation

Contemplating the fire, which crackled in the pit before her, Tilla listened for any other sound within the cave. Sitting for a while in this attitude, but distinguishing none else but the distant dripping of water, she decided that now was the time to leave. Awaiting her chance to move from his lair as soon as the wolf had departed on his hunt, Tilla did not know whether it was the correct decision to flee the shelter offered to her. However, she was aware that to not leave now would be to guarantee she would remain subject to the lycanthrope’s whims for the foreseeable future.    

The irksome fact of her partially towards the werewolf still evident by the aching thrum within her chest, Tilla reminded herself that it was a dangerous flirtation not worth being captured over as she took a knife from beside the fire. The weapon, used to skin the prizes of his hunts, Tilla fastened it to her thigh with a long piece of fabric she had ripped from the hem from her skirt. Glancing one last time at the nest of pelts in the opposite corner of the den, she thought back to only a few moments earlier when she had awoken comfortably amongst them. 

No daylight penetrating the cave by which to disturb her slumber, Tilla nestled further into the soft fur that surrounded her. Their encompassing warmth, diminishing the dampness and inhospitable nature of the chasm she had fallen into. Tilla had nearly managed to escape from the glaring severity of her situation during her sleep, only to be greeted by it as a more stark revelation upon awakening. The thought inspiring her to stir, Tilla had found that her movements were restricted greatly by the muscular limbs of the man that laid beside her. His arms encircling her waist and one of his legs draped across her languidly as he still slept, there was a sharp intake of breath as Tilla observed the drastic change from beast to man that had been made during the night.

The cut from the rock she had thrown at him, healing to form a little scar on the brow above his left eye, Tilla knew that this was undeniably the wolf who had dragged her into his lair. However, the gravity of his fierce allure seemed more pronounced to her now as Tilla gazed closely upon his handsome features. His square jaw, clenched even as he slept, fitting nicely with the angular ridges of his cheekbones. Tilla had been too distracted with inspecting their pleasant lines to notice that the man was completely bare beneath the pelts. Blushing as she became conscious of the muscles of his abdomen and the aroused twitch below them that served to threaten her innocence, brushing up against her. Tilla squirmed, attempting to wiggle free from his hold. Her effort only provoked an irritated growl from the rogue lycanthrope beside her. 

“Careful Witch, lest you desire to find yourself in more trouble than you already are.” he cautioned. The reverberations of his deep voice felt with Tilla’s chest, she ceased in her movements. Her heart becoming unsettled by him once more, Tilla felt its heat rise to her cheeks as she grumbled a stern, “Unhand me.” Although regrettably finding her attraction toward the Lycan to be irrefutable, she was both vexed and embarrassed by the promiscuity he displayed in his continued defiance of her demands. His strong arms, pulling her body closer to him, so that every inch of his physique was clearly defined to her through the fabric of her clothing. Tilla hissed as her fidgeting reinvigorated the pained throbbing in her ankle. 

Growing still again as she felt the Lycan’s hot breath on the back of her neck. His mouth encroached nearer to her as he replied, “Finders keepers.” Frustrated that she was made to endure his teasing, amidst her other steadily increasing issues, Tilla protested, “You did not find me, nor am I yours to keep.” The wolf, becoming silent at the obvious opposition to his claim, slid his arms away from her waist. Rolling onto his back as Tilla was released from his grip, the man flopped on to the other side of the pile of pelts. The motion, causing some of the coverings to fall away from his muscular chest. Tilla noted the vicious looking scars that had been slashed across his torso as she sat up slowly from her position beside him. Her eyes, wandering deviously down to where the marks dipped below the fur that remained over his pelvis, Tilla did not need to investigate further to know of the dangers that lay beneath.

Turning away from him as the thought of reckless temptation again caused a quiver of excitement to arise from her chest, Tilla could still feel the intensity of his azure blue eyes boring into her whilst he responded, “Even if I may not keep you, it’s best you don’t leave.” Occupying herself with untangling the knots from her long red locks, Tilla resisted the call of her treasonous heart as she replied with intentionally frosty indifference, “And why is that?” Suspicious of his reasons towards enticing her to stay and moderately confident that her heart was a particularly poor judge of character, Tilla could not justify any reason for her to remain. However, she still chose to listen to the excuse he provided.

“They’re still looking for you up there.” the lycanthrope said. The seriousness of his tone, provoking Tilla’s eyes to again veer in the man’s direction. They narrowed on him as she asked, “How do you know?” Evident that his gaze had never left her, there was a corner of the Lycan’s mouth which curled knowingly as he said, “I have incredibly good ears.” His irises reviewing her reaction slowly, he added, 

“I can hear the sound of a deer grazing and the Hunter’s searching for you above, or even the racing of your pulse.” The unrest he had inspired within her apparently not a secret to the Lycan, Tilla swiftly hid her expression. The coloration in her cheeks, noting her humiliation at having allowed him to toy with her so easily, was only to intensify as the man came to stand from the collection of pelts.

Her existing pride, not allowing to supply him with the satisfaction of embarrassing her further, Tilla did not regard him. Standing unabashedly naked as he stretched out languidly in the cave, he said, “Anyway, you can rest here until your ankle heals or those Hunters find you. I don’t care either way, little Witch.” The Lycan’s seeming impartiality towards the outcome of her fate evidenced by his apparent motion to leave, his eyes were still set on her as he added,“In the meantime, I’ll get us something to eat.” Something within the look that he gave, communicating an unspoken expectation for her to remain, the man said nothing else before transforming back into the large wolf she had first encountered. 

Biding her time since the creature had skulked back into the darkness of the tunnel that led away from his lair, Tilla assured herself nothing was owed to him now as she stumbled over a stalagmite. Not wishing to become further beholden to him or to place too much faith in a rogue lycanthrope who had proven himself too unworthy of even his own pack’s trust, Tilla could not muster a reason to stay other than the impediment of her injury. However, the time to weigh up the pros and cons of her decision had passed as she continued to limp along the obscure corridors of the cave. Eventually coming to discover one avenue, which delivered her out into a different thick of the woods than she had been chased through the previous evening. Tilla inspected the trees and surrounding landscape carefully, before emerging from the cave.

Clenching her teeth as she hobbled into the cover of the surrounding brush. Tilla found that her progress was unbearably slow. A subtle reminder of the aggravation she had experienced when first suffering the injury, the pain in her ankle restricted the speed in which Tilla traveled through the forest. The spell she cast only having improved upon her condition moderately, it had taken quite some time before she had placed a considerable distance between herself and the cave. Starting to believe that her escape might actually be a success, despite the obstacles she had encountered thus far, Tilla had begun to settle into the pace of her stunted strides. When, a noise from behind unsettled her.

The rustling of the leaves too substantial to be the stirring of a bird or the caress of wind that moved past, she lengthened her steps. The movement of the foliage growing ever nearer, Tilla could no longer prevent anxiety from inciting a strained jog from her. Branches cracking and leaves heard brushing up against the sizable creature that pursued her closely, it was only a matter of time before she felt a sharp nip on her injured heel. The interference and fresh pain, causing her to stumble forward, Tilla fell onto the ground. Her heart racing, she reached for the knife on her thigh.

Wielding the short blade as she twisted frantically in order to confront her attacker. Tilla’s efforts were soon found to be in vain as her hand was met by a large paw. Crashing down onto her wrist, she released the weapon naturally from her grip due to the weight of the foot which now pinned her to the ground. The wolf’s cold eyes looking down upon the prey that he had caught for a second time, his obvious annoyance towards their tiresome game of cat and mouse was made all the more clear once he had again shifted back into his human form. The man’s hand still securing her wrist to the forest floor, he growled, “I’ll break the other ankle if you’re not careful, Witch.” The Lycan’s lips pressed into a stern line and brow furrowed, Tilla could sense the seriousness in his threat. 

Yet, unable to distinguish the reason for his vexation, she did not hesitate to rail against him as she spat back, “What do you care what is to become of  me?”

“Because, thanks to you, my den is now crawling with Hunters.” The wolf replied. His displeasure at this development, causing some of his teeth to show and his lips to twist into an aggravated snarl. This expression became more muted as he gazed at the fear still evident in Tilla’s wide eyes. Sighing, the Lycan’s hold on her lessened as he began to move away from her. The two growing less tense towards each other’s presence in the silence that followed, it did not last long before the wolf’s attention was detained by something else.

A presence, still too far for Tilla to perceive. She watched in vague interest as the lycanthrope turned his head towards the sound. Both seeming to hold their breaths for a moment, whilst he analyzed the noise, the man finally turned back to her as he confirmed what Tilla had been dreading to hear, “There’s a Hunter coming this way.”