Book 1 Chapter 29


    Book 1 Chapter 29


    | sit up and leave Aria to it, I walk along the water‘s edge. I don‘t go very far; I just want to look around.


    I take my phone out of my pocket and take some photos of theke, I can‘t believe how beautiful it is.


    I‘m so d we came here.


    I watch Aria from a distance as takes selfies of her in the water, a smile forms on my face as I think


    about how I am so d we did this, despite my reservations. I continue on my walk round, stepping


    over moss–covered rocks and pushing overhanging branches out of my way. I nce up as a


    movement catch es my eye.


    About 500 yards away, something ck moves behind some trees, hidden by the waist–high ferns. I


    frown and take a few steps to the right, trying to get a clearer view. The shrubbery no longer blocks my


    view, and my breath catches in my throat as I see a huge ck wolf standing near the edge of the


    water on the other side of theke. Its eyes are trained on Aria, watching her pose. I freeze in fear, and


    I feel like I can do nothing but watch the wolf watch Aria.


    Alena! Come back let‘s get going!‘ She shouts, my eyes snap over to her as she waves and grins at


    me. Thurriedly look back at the wolf to see its eyes are now on me. It stands, watching me for a


    moment, whilst I remain motionless. I gasp as it turns on its heels and disappears into the trees.


    Did I imagine it? No, I can‘t have.


    Thurry back over to her and put my shoes back on, she is already dressed and waiting for me.


    ‘You won‘t believe this, I just saw a wolf, I tell her as I slide my bag onto my back. She looks at me with


    wide eyes.


    ‘What? What was it like?‘ Aria asks, and I frown at her question.


    ‘It was huge, it was watching you, then it disappeared when you called me over, I exin to her, and


    we head back into the cover of the trees with uncertainty.


    ‘Are you sure we should continue? Maybe we should go back, She suggests, and we consider it.


    ‘We‘vee all this way, we should still camp out,‘ I tell her, and she looks at me with indecision.


    “Let‘s camp somewhere far away from thiske, I don‘t want to be anywhere near it, Ariaments


    and I nod in agreement.


    I don‘t want to bump into any more of them, that‘s for sure, I mutter and take another look at the sur


    rounding trees for any ck shapes.


    ‘There, this is perfect!‘ Aria announces as the trees part in an oval shape, creating a sheltered, little


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    de.


    ‘We have three hours till sunset, let‘s set up camp! She says and fist pumps the air.


    We take off our heavy bags and begin clearing leaves and debris in certain areas so we cany down


    our groundsheets for the tents. I clear arge area and tten down the earth so there are fewer


    bumps, then spread out my sheet. It takes us half an hour to get my tent up with Aria‘s help, but to be


    honest, I thought it would take much longer than that. Aria, who brought a pop–up tent, simply unclips


    the straps and it literally pops up in front of our eyes. I‘m not going to lie; I am slightly envious.


    I collect firewood whilst Aria decides to make the camp more ‘homely‘. I wasn‘t entirely sure what she


    meant by that, but when I return with arms full of a variety of dry logs, I am stunned by how lovely the


    ce


    looks. She has picked up any leaves or pinecones, so the de contains only grass and flowers. She‘s


    posi tioned fallen logs around a designated fire pit area to act as benches andrge logs around the


    perimeter as a makeshift fence. She has even hung bunting between our tents.


    ‘This looks like something off Tumblr, I love it, Ipliment her, and I ce my logs by the fire space.


    ‘Seriously, this is amazing, well done,‘ I tell her, and she has a smug look, obviously proud of her work.


    We start the fire and begin to make our dinner, which consists of chicken fajitas, my favorite. Aria


    serves up our food and the two of us huddle around the fire, wrapped up in our sleeping bags despite


    the warm night air and burning mes in front of us. The full moon provides a beautiful silver glow that


    mixes with the golden glow of the mes.


    ‘No wonder you saw a wolf, it‘s a full moon, they‘ve alle out to y, Aria teases and I roll my eyes


    at her.


    Thear leaves crunching in the trees behind me and I quickly snap my head round to see what is there.


    The sunset a long time ago and I can‘t see anything in the inky ck shadows of the trees. I frown and


    turn back to my food. We‘re in the middle of the woods, there‘s bound to be wildlife, we‘re fine just as


    long as that wildlife doesn‘t have ck fur and huge teeth.


    Around midnight, we decide to call it a night and we retire to our respective tents. I snuggle down into


    my sleeping bag and getfortable. Within five minutes, I‘ve unzipped the side and I have to stick my


    leg out to try and cool down.


    I‘m boiling


    Tunzip the firstyer of my tent opening, leaving just the mesh zipped up to keep bugs out. I survey the


    trees again, but I can‘t see much due to the dying embers of the fire and the full moon providing the


    only light sources. I slide off my leggings, so I‘m left in my thong and bra. Iy back down and sigh


    happily as the cool breeze slips through the mesh and circtes around my tent, the temperature


    drops enough to let me sleep.


    What seems like only minutes, but could be hourster, I start to wake up. At first, I‘m semi–conscious


    and confused as to what has awakened me. But I feel the soft fur on my fingertips, and I smile. s