Chapter 3 "Still Alive"

• Yuri’s Point of View
• “Ugh!” a rough coughed caught my throat, and I grimaced at the sharp pain that followed. My eyelids felt like they were dragging me down, heavy as lead, and when I finally managed to open them, everything was just a swirling blur of darkness. I blinked a couple of times, but it didn’t help clear the fog in my head. My head throbbed, almost as if my skull would split into two.
• ‘Where am I?’
• I tried to shake off the dizziness, but my thoughts were listless. Then suddenly, there were flashes of memories. The cliff. The fall. And my determination to end my life. My stomach twisted at the memory.
• I should be dead. Just the height alone... I should have crashed onto the sharp rocks below. But... here I was. Alive.
• I was shaking as I tried to sit up. A sharp pain shot up my spine, making me gasp for breath while I took in my surroundings. The wind had died down, and the rain had finally stopped, leaving behind a chilly, wet mess. The ground was soaked, and it was seeping into my clothes while my body ached from head to toe.
• “Ouch,” I winced as I reached down to my side and felt the rough cuts and bruises spreading across my skin, but thankfully, nothing felt life-threatening. How could that be?
• I steadied myself on the wet ground, groaning as I pushed up. Each little movement was painful, but somehow, I managed to stand although I had struggled to keep my footing.
• The rain had begun again and the coldness dug into my bones, testing my willpower.
• ‘I had to keep going. I had no other option. If I stayed out here... I wasn’t sure I’d make it through another night.’
• It was funny, really. Didn’t I just gave up on my life? Why am I walking like this, trying to survive?
• As I thought of my pathetic situation, I saw a tree with a huge root, big enough to snuggle me up in. Therefore, I hurried over and nestled into the roots of a giant tree.
• The cold burned into my flesh as I pulled my knees to my chest, my clothes still damp and I felt so tired. I closed my eyes for a second, and once again, I fell asleep.
• ** **
• "I don’t want to lose you, Yuri. Stay by my side—be my mistress. I might marry another woman, but you’ll always belong to me."
• My eyes widened, tormented by memories of Regis' voice inviting me to be his mistress. What a nightmare. Anyway, where am I now?
• 'No more pain or cold,' I realized.
• Didn't I fall asleep under the tree, wounded and bruised? But why did the surface below me feel so soft? Even more surprisingly, I felt a warmth through my body. My thoughts was still sluggish and blurry from sleep, but I felt a strange, almost electric sensation seething in my chest.
• More than that, there was this sweetness, akin to a honey, that was hanging in the air. The aroma was tempting, deep, and enough to bring out my wolf, White.
• 'I love that scent, Yuri,' White said. Her claws scraped at my insides, as if searching for something. She was hungry and thrilled, but wasn't for a piece of food. It was a deeper desire that made my heart race and my breath accelerate.
• Regis, my ex-boyfriend, made me feel that kind of emotion before. But I must admit that this feeling had made me so alive that in the past! It was then, I took a quick look in my surrounding and found out that I wasn't in the forest anymore.
• Now, I was lying on comfortable blankets instead of the chilly. I was in a cozy small cabin, warm and welcoming, with a fire burning in the corner. The walls were covered in shelves brimming with trinkets and antique books.
• 'Damn. How did I get here?'
• As I sat up, my muscles rebelled. But my body had been wrapped in bandages that fit snugly against my skin.
• "Who did all of this?" My mind raced, trying to recover the last shreds of memory. But there was nothing. Just a blank space where memories should be.
• I wrapped the blankets closer about me as my eyes were drawn to the flickering shadows cast by the fireplace. And then...
• "You're awake."
• As the voice resonated around the cabin, the air thickened, and I found myself unable to breathe for a second. My heart pounded in my chest, and the warmth of the atmosphere was no longer enough to soothe me.
• I took a leisurely spin, scanning the shadows for the source of the deep, resonant voice. “Who are you?” I forced the words out, but my breath came in thin gasps.
• Silence followed. Just as when the awkward quietness had stretched, the person moved into the light and showed his face.
• When I finally saw him, I held my breath. He stood at the room's edge, a towering and beautiful figure with broad shoulders. He was shirtless, his well-defined muscles reflecting the dim light and looked almost sculptured. His skin was a darker shade, a warm bronze that glowed gently in the firelight.
• But it wasn't only his figure that drew my interest. It was those piercing, red eyes. The rich crimson was unlike anything I'd seen before, both stunning and terrifying. His heavy brows arched above his eyes, giving him a magnificent look, as if he were a king surveying his domain. His broad, aristocratic nose brought out the stunning perfection of his face.
• He remained there as still as a statue, his gaze sweeping over me, it was more than assessing. It was... possessive. Something about the way he looked at me made me feel like prey, but not in the usual way. No, this felt different. This felt like destiny, like I had been waiting for this moment all my life.
• My mouth felt dry as I felt the pull. A hunger. A desire so profound it felt like it was trying to break free from my chest. This was beyond simple attraction.
• It was instinct.
• And so, my lips detached and I began to ask him, “Are you…my wolf-mate?”