Winter Wolf - Chapter 7. Part 1

Chapter 7. Part 1

She woke up early in the morning.

“Mmmmm….”

Lysithea stretched and turned in her cozy blanket. The bed was quite cramped, and his body was closely against her n*k*d form.

“Are you awake?”

Terrence’s breath and lips brushed against the back of her neck. When Lysithea attempted to move away, feeling ticklish, his hand circled her bare waist, pulling her back closer and preventing her escape.

“Terrence, not again?”

He pressed his hard c*ck against her as$ and pulled her closer to his body. This had become a daily occurrence, but Lysithea always felt a strange satisfaction whenever he desired her.

“Take it easy; I’m giving you the day off.”

“You mentioned that yesterday.”

“Did I? I can’t recall.”

He smiled and grabbed her br**sts and waist.

Since that night in the hot tub, they had not spent a week apart. They made love repeatedly.

The snowstorm had been raging for hours, the cold freezing through the cracks in the windows. The roads were blocked by heavy snow, making it impossible to leave. Endless excuses were preventing the two people from being together.

He gently massaged her br**sts, rubbing her n*ppl*s with his fingertips. When Lysithea let out a small gasp, he lifted himself slightly and moved over her body.

“Terrence, I’m going to let you rest.”

He didn’t respond, but instead kissed her slowly. The kiss was sweet, with their lips lightly brushing against each other. Lysithea reached out and caressed the warmth of his body pressing against hers. His back and shoulders felt as hard as a barbell.

In response to her touch, Terrence slowly moved down to kiss her collarbone and chest. As his body brushed against her n*ppl*s, which had become sensitive overnight, Lysithea felt a rush of exhilarating pleasure.

Terrence kissed every inch of her body before pulling her up to her full height. He smiled as he looked down at her body, now covered in kisses.

“You have a beautiful body, too beautiful to waste.”

“What do you mean, wasteful?”

Terrence wouldn’t provide more details, despite Lysithea’s insistence.

“Mmm…!”

He gently caressed the nape of her neck and held her close. This caused her to relive the previous night in a dizzying replay.

She could forget all her worries and lose herself in physical pleasure while cradled in his toned body. The best part was that she hadn’t heard a scream since she started spending the night with him.

“There aren’t any ghosts; I won the bet,” Lysithea said, savoring the tender kisses he bestowed upon her.

As he pulled away, Terrence gazed down at her in his embrace.

“Tomorrow, I’ll be away for a day.”

“What? Where are you headed?”

“I’m going to fetch the horses; the blizzard is finally subsiding.”

Lysithea stared at him, taken aback.

She had completely overlooked it. They planned to wait here until the blizzard passed.

“Well, yes, because it hasn’t snowed since last night.”

“I can’t predict the weather in a couple of days, but it should be clear by tomorrow.”

Terrence lifted himself off the bed. Every morning, he was the first to rise and bring her breakfast, but this particular morning felt different.

Lysithea sat up and observed him as he gathered his clothes, the nail marks on his back vanishing beneath his white shirt.

“I know it’s just for a day, but I need to prepare for the journey. So, let’s get some good rest tonight in our rooms.”

She should have agreed, but Lysithea hesitated. If she slept alone, wouldn’t she hear the haunting screams again?

“Terrence, I can’t simply sleep next to you, can I?”

Terrence turned to exit the room but paused and glanced back. His brass-colored eyes conveyed the usual blend of kindness and indifference as he spoke.

“I can’t, Lysithea. I can’t bear it when you’re around.”

“But….”

“Don’t be scared.”

Terrence whispered as he opened the door.

“You’ll be alright now.”

With that, the door closed behind him. Lysithea curled back into her blanket, thinking about his words.

The thought of spending the night alone made her stomach ache and her nerves tense. It reminded her of the first time she slept alone in the mansion. She still remembered the uncomfortable and frightening night she had spent in this place.

Lysithea curled up in Terrence’s warm bed. The security of their agreement comforted her.

She needed him.

***

It was evening, a rare day with a clear sky.

With a firm and resonating click, Lysithea aimed her long hunting rifle at an empty bottle and pulled the trigger. A loud bang echoed through the air, the sound of a gunshot breaking the silence.

However, the bottle remained standing.

“You’re eager. Practice,” he advised.

She turned around and saw him standing under a tree, just three or four steps away, watching her.

Lysithea muttered to herself, wondering how long he had been watching her as he came closer without warning.

“Time is running out; I need to learn to shoot properly soon.”

“Do you regret taking all this time away from enjoying yourself with me?”

“Of course, I don’t regret it.”

Lysithea’s face flushed red. She would never forget the week she’d spent with him.

Terrence looked into her eyes, which were cast downward. Then, he looked away.

The aiming process can be simplified. Currently, it is difficult to concentrate on the target due to the bushes behind us.

Terrence moved the table with the bottles to the open snowfield. He positioned a bottle at Lysithea’s eye level in the distance.

Terrence positioned himself behind her and casually took her hand. They raised the gun together. “Shoot again,” he said.

Lysithea nestled into his arms, recalling the shooting tips Terrence had taught her. She remembered to place her hands properly, adjust the muzzle height, and adopt a stance that minimized recoil. Throughout the process, she kept her eyes open and on the target.

“Hold your breath.”

Terrence kept his finger on the trigger as he whispered.

Lysithea bit her lip and held her breath. Her heart raced, distracting her. His husky voice tickled her ear, and his strong arms wrapped around her.

“Now.”

Before his words could register, Lysithea pulled the trigger, shattering the black bottle with a sharp gunshot.

Terrence was surprised as Lysithea lowered her gun, realizing the perfect hit she had made.

After the bottle disappeared, a figure resembling a large dot fell to the ground in the distance. The figure was too small to be a deer and too large to be a wolf. Lysithea’s face turned pale as she noticed something like the hem of a robe fluttering behind the falling figure.

“Oh no, I hit a person!”

Lysithea dropped the gun and ran out of Terrence’s arms. He called after her, but she kept running. Accidentally shooting someone was unacceptable, no matter how much she practiced.

She walked through the snow, hoping the man was okay. The man was lying on the ground.

She called out, rushing towards him, but he didn’t move. Lysithea kneeled beside him, her face pale with concern, assessing his condition.

The young man had golden hair that reached his neckline and was tied back. His lips were blue from the cold, and his cheeks were puffy from the frost.

“Hey, open your eyes!”

Lysithea shook him by the shoulders, but he didn’t wake up. She looked around, but there was no blood.

“What, I didn’t get shot…?” She looked puzzled.

“Lysithea.”

Terrence’s voice, low and muffled, came from behind her, accompanied by the sound of crunching snow.

“Terrence, you’ve come to the right place. Hurry up and get this man to the mansion.” She turned around in surprise.

She faced the muzzle of a black gun that still smelled of gunpowder. Terrence gave Lysithea a short command, and she froze.

“Get out of the way.”

“What…?”

She asked abruptly, “What are you doing?” Her voice was calm but cold.

“My job is to keep secrets,” he snapped.  Terrence unloaded in one short, terse motion.

“No!”

The moment Terrence put his finger on the trigger, Lysithea threw her whole body around the man lying in the snow. Terrence’s brow furrowed as he watched her cradle the man’s head, protecting it.

“What a waste…”

“Terrence, you don’t have to do this! This man is dying helplessly already!”

“Then let him die and get over here; don’t bother trying to save him.”

“How can you do that? We already found him suffering.”

“Have you forgotten what happened last time? What guarantee do you have that this man is not an enemy?”