When I opened my eyes, the first thought that crossed my mind was simple and terrifying—
Am I dead?
I jerked upright, my gaze darting everywhere as I tried to remember where I was.
But the place I woke up in wasn't where I had last lost consciousness.
"You're awake," a voice said from my side.
Instinct instantly shot through me—sharp, alert, defensive.
After everything that had happened, vigilance had become second nature.
But when I turned, I froze.
A werewolf sat beside me… but not like any I had ever seen.
She was larger than a human—larger even than a typical werewolf.
Her fur was mostly gray, but streaks of crimson bled through it, as if the red was slowly consuming the pale color.
I stared, stunned.
This was the first time I had ever encountered a red wolf.
Most red wolves were born with predominantly scarlet fur—so I called her the Red Wolf.
Her voice—a woman's voice—was gentle, yet carried an unmistakable power.
"Don't be afraid. I'm harmless," she said.
"What were you doing in this forest?"
She didn't even bother to stand.
She sat calmly, relaxed, as if she already knew I posed no threat.
Or perhaps she was simply too strong to fear anyone.
I sat down slowly, and the reality of everything I'd been through crashed back into me.
My eyes burned.
Tears welled up.
She remained silent, giving me space.
"I was betrayed. And… and…"
My voice broke. The rest refused to come out.
The Red Wolf stood, padded toward me, and lay down at my side.
"Say no more," she whispered. "Let your heart cry."
And there—beside a stranger, a creature I had every reason to fear—I cried like a child confessing to a mother.
For reasons I couldn't understand, her presence soothed me.
Calmed me.
Held me together.
I didn't know who she was or what her purpose might be, but that moment… she was comfort itself.
Eventually, exhaustion pulled me back into sleep.
---
When I awoke again, a pile of fruit lay beside me.
The Red Wolf was nowhere to be seen.
Fear jolted through me.
Had she abandoned me?
The sudden thought made loneliness claw at my chest.
I scrambled to my feet, looking around.
She appeared just in time, climbing up the slope toward me.
Relief washed over me.
"Eat," she said simply.
I glanced at the fruits.
Hunger hit me all at once.
I grabbed them eagerly and began to eat—but disappointment struck immediately.
There was no taste.
None at all.
I tried every fruit, one by one.
Still nothing.
Confused, I looked at the Red Wolf.
She was watching me.
Her expression told me she had expected this.
"Why?" I asked. "I can't taste anything."
"You drank Hyena's blood, didn't you?"
"Y-yes…" I whispered, the memory flashing in my mind.
She stood.
"You wonder why Hyenas aren't as strong as Lycans or werewolves, yet neither dares bare their fangs against them? This is one reason. Hyena blood dulls your taste—your hunger, too."
My stomach tightened.
"I… I didn't have a choice."
"I know," she replied softly. "But never drink their blood again. Your taste will eventually return, but fruits won't satisfy you. You must hunt."
She motioned for me to follow.
I tried—truly tried—to hunt a rabbit.
But the animals in the Forbidden Forest were far too alert, faster than anything in my home forest. Maybe they evolved to survive in this Forbidden forest.
Not a single one came close to my grasp.
Shame burned in me as I glanced at the Red Wolf watching from afar.
She rose gracefully and began to hunt.
I was mesmerized by her movements.
So fast.
So precise.
Every leap and strike was fluid, refined—perfect.
No prey escaped her.
She returned with several animals and laid them before me.
I didn't hesitate.
Hunger consumed me.
I tore into the flesh—but again, disappointment struck.
The blood tasted… dull.
Flat.
Wrong.
Even so, it eased the hunger.
Still confused, I asked, "Why does it still taste so different?"
"That is what happens when you drink Hyena blood," she replied.
"It changes us… temporarily."
I sighed heavily.
"There is no need to blame yourself," she said gently.
"What's done is done. But remember this—never let hatred consume you."
With that, she turned and walked back to the place she had brought me.
I followed.
---
Days passed with the Red Wolf by my side.
She never asked me to leave.
She never pushed me away.
Some nights, nightmares shook me awake—the memory of what happened replaying endlessly.
But what could I do?
I didn't know what path to take.
I didn't know what my next step should be.
I only knew this:
For now… her presence was the only thing keeping me from breaking completely.