VICTORIA’S POV

Sipping on my milkshake monotonously I gazed outside the window at the forest, silently. The trees were waving around with the wind that has picked its pace, with the now forming clouds. ​​

They looked like they were travelling, with how the crescent-shaped moon was hiding behind them occasionally, making it dark around everywhere.

We both (me and Daniel) had been sitting in silence since Alexander stormed out of the room. It was a comfortable silence none the less.

That’s what I had been telling my mind from the past 10 minutes. It was turning more of consoling self now. That it didn’t affect me, how Alexander said those words or how he stormed out.

I don’t know why, but from the moment Alexander left looking all angry, I had been feeling this strange kind of emotion swirling in my heart, like an emotion of sorrow or loss.

I don’t know how to describe it, but I was feeling a strange sense of hollowness as if there was something wrong. Like I was doing something wrong being here. Apart from Alexander affecting me, was I forgetting something else too?

Am I missing something? But what could it be? If I missed my parents, I would’ve known about it. I mean, I do miss my parents but this time, it wasn’t about them.

It was something different.

I don’t want to bother Daniel with it, nor do I want to call Alexander over this, given he himself was angry, and when I don’t even know what it’s all about. Besides, the guys had already done too much for me.

If not for them, then I probably would’ve been lying in some sickly hospital room, which would’ve made me sicker because of its smell.

Gazing at the sky, I looked at the clouds that had appeared out of nowhere.

‘Looks like even the weather is sharing my emotions.’ I thought, smiling at my imagination.

Even Carla was silent from the moment I yelled at her.

Soon, the clouds were accompanied by lightening with a rumble of deafening thunder, making me shudder at the sound.

It really resonated the turmoil inside my heart.

Looking at the lightening, something struck me, and it was then, when I realised, why I was feeling like this.

I forgot to meet him! My daily dose of happiness. I had made it a point and also promised him, to meet him, no matter what, till I am here.

I forgot to meet my cuddly wolf-bear thunder!

As soon as I remember not meeting him, it was as if someone triggered my mind and I started feeling this strong desire of seeing him.

It might sound weird but I felt like he needed me right now. Like he was in some kind of trouble.

What if he is waiting for me in the same place, where we meet daily?

It’s lightning and probably would rain soon, where will he go in this weather?

Does he even have a cave to hide in?

What if he decides to wait for me at our usual place even in this weather?

And if he doesn’t have a cave, where will he hide if it pours?

Shouldn’t I arrange for him to hide, given how I boldly declared that day, I that I would take care of him?

Is he waiting for me to take care of him?

What if he misses me? What if he is scared in this weather? Was he feeling lonely?

Doesn’t animals have a strange sense of loyalty with people who they befriend?

All sort of questions started popping inside my head, sending my mind into a jiffy.

Placing my cup on the table, I looked towards Daniel with urgency,

“I need to go back, like right now. Can you please take me home?”

“What’s the matter, Vic? As far as I know, you live alone, don’t you? Do you have to tell someone that you are staying here? You can use my phone if your battery is dead. It’s not a bother to us. You can sleep here. Don’t worry about me, I can sleep in Alexander’s room.” He said as he put down his phone while sitting straight.

“No, it’s not about that. It’s just, I can’t explain, but I need to go back. Someone is waiting for me. I need to feed him, he might be feeling lonely without me.” I said, as I took my clothes that had been given placed on the table by Alexander, when he came earlier, before dashing inside the bathroom to change.

“It’s one in the morning, Vic. Who do you want to feed this early? If it’s a pet then it can wait till the sun rises. Besides, you can see the weather, no animal would be out in this weather.” Daniel reasoned, and probably whatever he was saying was right, but I couldn’t lift this desire of seeing him at the moment.

I wanted, no, I needed to see him. I knew he needed me somehow. And even if he didn’t need me, I needed him, because I missed him.

“Uhh…you are right. It’s okay. This mansion is not that far from my place. Raining hasn’t started yet. If I go now, I might reach before it starts pouring.” I reasoned before coming out of the bathroom, dressed in my clothes.

Wearing my jacket, I left the room, having a gist of where to go for the exit, when Daniel was taking me down to his room.

“Wait, Vic,” Daniel said behind me, but I didn’t want to listen to him.

He is right with all of his reasons, however, it won’t be the first time someone might think, that I act too irrationally. This is my nature I guess.

Looking in the sky time to time, shuddering at the echoing sound of the thunder, I went straight to the forest, without even watching which way to go.

“Thunder!!” I shouted, which was obviously a bad move when I already knew there were many other wolves apart from the thunder in this forest.

Running in a particular direction in which I had gone earlier, on the day of that party, when I had met him for the first time, I switched on the torch of my mobile to see clearly, since the light of the moon was blocked by these heavy clouds.

After around 30 minutes of constant searching, I sat on a nearby branch that had fallen from the tree, to catch my breath.

Opening my cellphone, I decided to call Daniel, to see if that dropping home option was still available or not.

Maybe thunder was waiting on the side near my home.

He knew where I lived because he had developed this habit of seeing me off till I exit the forest and go towards my house.

However, as I dialled Daniel’s number, it said the number is out of coverage area.

Fumbling around my contacts list, I was about to call Alexander, but was stopped when I heard it.

The sound of a twig breaking not far from behind me. I knew thunder would find me in this forest from anywhere because I’ve heard that dogs have a strong sense of smell.

Smiling happily I turned around to greet thunder and apologize for being late, however, I didn’t know I was in for a big shock this time.

The wolf that I thought was thunder, had yellowish-red eyes and was snarling at me, with some sticky liquid, maybe his saliva dripping off his snout.

Have you ever felt like regretting a decision you made in a hurry, not even listening to others when they had already warned you about not doing it? Well, that’s exactly what I was feeling right now.

This wasn’t my thunder. This was some other wolf. Some other wolf, who was hungry. And the way he was looking at me with those hunger filled eyes, I knew he wanted me.

He wanted to eat me!!

‘And guys this is how you become the food of an angry hungry animal overnight!

Do not ever try this stunt at home!’ I laughed awkwardly at my thoughts before looking back at the hungry wolf.

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Authors Note-

Thank you for your love for this book. I hope you all will continue the journey of this book along with me.

Love you all :-):-)

-Angelina Bhardawaj