Chapter 2 Saved The Wolf

• The moon hung high in the sky, a silver sphere casting a faint light over the landscape. The silence of the night was shattered by the metallic clang of the cage being thrown to the ground, a noise that echoed in the air, lingering, heavy and cruel. Inside the cage, the wolf growled, a low, guttural sound, but the impact of the fall caused a gasp of pain that made Ellie furrow her brow. Her heart beat strongly, fear and anger reverberating in her chest.
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• One of the hunters smirked mockingly, his eyes gleaming with a malice that seemed to shine even brighter under the moonlight.
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• "If you're still alive by morning, it’ll be a miracle."
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• Another man clicked his tongue, feigning sympathy.
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• "Women shouldn't be involved in things like this. You're just a girl playing at being a heroine."
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• Laughter echoed in the air like daggers, but it didn't reach Ellie, who remained there, still, staring at the cage with a mix of pain and determination. The hunters walked away, leaving her alone, and the wind whispered through the trees, as if the night itself held its secret.
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• Ellie's gaze stayed fixed on the wolf, who lay there, wounded and trapped. For a moment, everything around her disappeared. The cold of the night, the laughter of the hunters, even the pain she felt inside—all vanished. Her mind was filled with one question: What am I doing?
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• The wolf breathed laboriously, his chest rising and falling erratically. His dark, filthy fur, covered in dried blood, gave him an even more harrowing appearance. The wounds on his body weren't just physical; one could see the internal struggle in his eyes. He wasn’t just a trapped animal, but a creature on the verge of death. And now, his fate depended on her.
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• Ellie took a step toward the cage, then another, each one more hesitant than the last. Could she really save him? Should she take the risk?
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• "I think my plan would be to set you free," she murmured, as if her own words could be a solution, but she knew they sounded empty.
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• She looked at the wolf's wounds and realized the harsh reality: if she freed him now, he wouldn’t get far. Some of his wounds were still bleeding, others already showing signs of infection. The swollen, red skin bore witness to how long he had suffered, and Ellie couldn’t ignore it.
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• She pursed her lips and swallowed. She couldn’t just open the cage and wish him good luck. If she did, he would die. And that thought, that burden of guilt, crushed her.
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• "First, we’ll need to heal you," she whispered, more to convince herself than to him.
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• The wolf barely lifted his head, his dark eyes meeting hers. There was no anger in his gaze, nor pleading. Just a deep sadness and cold resignation, as if he no longer believed anyone could help him.
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• "Your gaze is very deep," Ellie said, trying to ease the tension in the air.
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• With a sigh, she reached her hand out, not touching the bars, but bringing it close to him. Her voice trembled when she asked, hoping he would understand.
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• "Would you let me heal you?"
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• She knew the wolf couldn’t respond. But it wasn’t just about the words. It was a silent plea, a call for trust, to not be hurt by a being that, though wild, seemed to share her pain.
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• The wolf didn’t move. He neither approached nor backed away. He just stared at her in silence, his heavy breathing and eyes reflecting all the suffering he had endured. Ellie felt as though time had stopped.
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• With one last glance at the wolf, Ellie returned to her house. She knew she couldn’t leave him like this, she couldn’t just give up.
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• She took what she could improvise: some bandages, a piece of fresh meat. With restless hands, she went back outside and knelt before the cage, gently placing the meat near the bars.
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• "You must be hungry, I didn’t know what to bring you, so I brought this," she said, her voice soft, trying to calm herself.
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• The wolf sniffed the air but didn’t move. He stared at her with a kind of judgment in his eyes.
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• Ellie tilted her head, a nervous smile forming.
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• "It’s fresh, I swear," she said, trying to get him to accept it.
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• Nothing. Not a movement.
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• Frustrated, Ellie took a clean cloth and dipped it in water. She cautiously approached again.
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• "Alright, but at least let me clean you up a bit… don’t hurt me, okay?" she murmured.
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• The wolf growled low, a clear warning. Ellie stopped, fear running down her spine.
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• "Easy…" she whispered. "I just want to help."
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• She tried again, moving more slowly. But when the cloth touched his injured skin, the growl grew louder, this time stronger, his fangs gleaming with danger in the darkness.
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• Ellie jumped, her heart leaping in her chest.
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• "After all, you are a wild animal…" she thought, feeling the fear creeping in.
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• The wolf moved sharply, and Ellie immediately pulled her hand back. Her breath quickened, but she didn’t give up. She took a deep breath and tried again. This time, the wolf seemed more uncomfortable than aggressive, but he didn’t stop resisting.
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• Ellie frowned, a mix of tenderness and stubbornness on her face.
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• "Come on… you need to be treated."
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• She insisted once more. But the wolf resisted, each of Ellie’s attempts ending the same way: him fighting, her backing away.
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• Finally, she exploded.
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• "Hey!" she shouted in frustration. "I’m trying to help you!"
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• The wolf stared at her, his ears twitching slightly, and for a moment Ellie thought she had achieved something.
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• "What? Don’t you want to be free?" she asked challengingly.
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• To her surprise, the wolf didn’t growl this time.
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• Ellie blinked, confused.
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• "Oh, you changed your mind, didn’t you?" she said, as if she understood him. Her eyes sparkled with a playful glint, although the uncertainty still lingered.
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• With renewed determination, Ellie went back to work. This time, the wolf’s movements were less hostile, and little by little, she managed to clean him more carefully. With each step, the wolf seemed to give in, albeit minimally.
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• When she finished, she sat down in front of the cage, watching him silently. A sigh escaped her lips.
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• "I should set you free now… right?" she whispered, looking at the wolf’s wounds. But in her chest, something kept her from taking that step.
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• She looked at the wounds, then at the forest, knowing that if she let him go, the hunters might find him again. Something inside her told her that it wasn’t the right time.
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• "If I let you go like this, you could get worse. But if I don’t… the hunters could find you again."
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• Anguish filled her chest. She hugged herself and served a little more meat. Despite everything, something in her heart urged her to keep going.
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• Finally, with a tender smile, she said:
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• "Before we part, I should give you a name."
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• The wolf looked at her, visibly annoyed.
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• "Hmm… Chocolate," Ellie said, amused.
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• The wolf growled again.
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• "Don’t like it?" she teased. Then, seeing the lack of response, she added, "Alright, then… Bitter Chocolate."
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• The wolf snorted, and Ellie took it as an acceptance.
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• "If you stay with me, you’ll never go hungry again," she promised sweetly.
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• After hesitating a little, she crouched down toward the cage. With a knot in her stomach, she took a deep breath, and with trembling hands, unlocked the door.
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• As soon as the lock was released, the wolf bolted out. Ellie screamed, instinctively stepping back, but fell sitting down, watching as the wolf ran toward the forest without looking back. Her heart pounded, but she didn’t stay there for long.
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• However, something strange happened. The wolf stopped.
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• In the moonlight, his silhouette stood out against the darkness. Then, he turned his head and looked at her.
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• For a moment, Ellie held her breath.
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• With a slow, deliberate motion, the wolf bowed his head to her. The world seemed to freeze.
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• Ellie couldn’t help but be surprised.
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• What did she just see?
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• The wolf gave one last glance, then, without another word, disappeared into the trees. Ellie remained there, staring at the open cage and the cold night air surrounding everything.
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• A strange feeling enveloped her. She wasn’t sure if it was sadness or confusion, but she felt
• that something had changed.
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• With a wistful smile, she whispered, looking toward the forest:
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• "Bye bye, Bitter Chocolate. Take care."