When Aenwyn woke up, she was lying on a barren desert. The cold night wind was piercing, and the rough sand scratched her face. Some sticky liquid dripped onto her forehead.
Her long eyelashes trembled slightly as she struggled to wake up.
Under the moonlight, she opened her eyes and met a pair of cold green eyes. They were so close she could smell the foul stench from its mouth and see its sharp white teeth.
She instantly broke into a cold sweat and rolled away. With a quick move, she dodged the gaping jaws and backed up several steps before managing to stand up.
Where did that wolf come from?
Having missed its first strike, the wolf panted and stared at Aenwyn, drooling thick saliva onto the sand.
It really was a wolf. A wild one too. Its fur was mottled, messy and filthy, with bloodstains on its body. It looked like an injured lone wolf.
She had never heard of wolves in this area. It was not some remote wilderness. Even without city buildings, this was still the outskirts. She was sure she had not gone far.
But this was not the time to think about that. The heavy panting from the wolf reminded her that she might not make it out safely today.
She took a small step back and winced in pain. Looking down, she saw her pale, delicate ankle exposed, scratched with deep red marks that made her eyes sting.
Damn it, that really hurts. Those bastards.
The wind and sand made Aenwyn's eyes burn. She blinked her bright eyes and forced back her tears.
She slowly bent down and reached into her boot. The cold touch at her fingertips gave her a bit of relief. The dagger was still there.
Aenwyn was a rich second-generation heiress, her family so wealthy they could not spend all the money in several lifetimes. She had a capable older brother who took care of the family business. Since the age of sixteen, she had been traveling around the world. She was a natural-born artist, gifted by the heavens. Her paintings were filled with energy and vitality.
People who traveled frequently were always extra cautious. In sparsely populated or unsafe countries, she would be accompanied by more than twenty bodyguards.
After all, she had more than enough money. But now, she had fallen behind and was being chased by a wolf.
"Hey cutie, don't come near. My meat doesn't taste good," Aenwyn said while turning to run.
She ran fast, but two legs could not outrun four. Not only was she caught up with, but they also clashed several times along the way. Relying on her agility, Aenwyn dodged each attack. Over time, neither gained the upper hand, and the chase turned into a standoff.
Aenwyn was in a terrible state, the wound on her calf had started bleeding again.
Hungry, tired, and desperate.
But the wolf was hungry too. The way it looked at her, it clearly wanted to devour her whole. Was she going to die today?
She wanted to cry.
She had ended up alone today because she had rushed to see the aurora in Country Y. She arrived a day early, and the security team she booked was scheduled for the next day.
Just one day, and everything went wrong.
Country Y was in constant warfare, with political factions and armed groups fighting everywhere. But the aurora was beautiful, famous worldwide and well known. Aenwyn had dreamed of seeing it for a long time. Plus, her 32nd boyfriend had just proposed, which made her flee thousands of miles away.
After safely arriving at the hotel, with the bodyguards still en route, she could not stay idle and wandered out of the well-secured international hotel.
She had left the hotel fully prepared, dressed in camouflage like the local factions. Her hair was tightly tied under a cap, with a windproof mask and self-defense gear. It was not like she lacked safety awareness. Usually, she could handle three or five grown men. As someone who traveled often in war zones, she never relied solely on bodyguards and had gone out alone in dangerous areas before.
As long as she did not wander too far, there should not have been any trouble.
But luck was not on her side. Right after leaving, she ran into a gunfight between rebel groups. In the chaos, their leader caught a glimpse of her. Somehow, even with the mask and hat, he recognized she was a beauty.
She was chased relentlessly. After injuring her leg, she was forced to jump into a river. It happened to be during the most stunning moment of the aurora.
Now, Aenwyn had no time to wonder why she was completely dry, even her hair, after jumping into the river. She had dodged the wolf's jaws several times, but the lone wolf had run out of patience.
This was a fight for survival. One of them had to die. The wolf panted, launching its final attack.
Aenwyn had no strength left. She gripped her dagger, ready for one last fight.
In the whistling night wind, the wolf leapt. She had never known wolves could jump so high or move so fast. Its sharp claws tore her arm. The smell of blood made the wolf even fiercer.
At that exact moment, Aenwyn's dagger stabbed swiftly into the wolf's waist as it pounced on her. Unfortunately, the force wasn't enough to kill it right away.
The wolf's jaws were already near her neck.
Just then, the sharp sound of an arrow cut through the air. A few strands of her hair fell, followed by the wolf's agonizing howl.
Oh, she was saved. But there was too much blood, the wolf's blood splattered all over her face and hair.
So bloody, Aenwyn thought.
Under the moonlight, the fallen woman looked up at the young man who appeared like a savior. Long hair, tight clothes, sharp eyes, holding a bow with broad arms. The last thing she saw before losing consciousness were his eyes, dark as ink.
Aenwyn completely passed out. At least it wasn't those rebel fighters, she thought.
When she woke up again, she was still on that patch of desert. The pool of wolf blood beneath her showed she hadn't moved. The wolf's body was gone though.
Not far off, there was a bonfire. Something was being roasted, and a tall, handsome figure sat alone beside the fire, eating. There were some goods and horses nearby.
The night was silent like water. Aenwyn gritted her teeth and slowly got up. The man heard the sound and looked at her.
It was freezing, her body stiff from the cold. She rubbed her hands and finally regained feeling after a while.
How long had she been lying there? She was almost frozen stiff. If she hadn't woken up in time, she might've just frozen to death. Cold-blooded guy, Aenwyn limped toward him.
She got closer to the fire, but he didn't acknowledge her.
The firelight lit up his face, clear features, narrow eyes, a high nose bridge. His eyelashes were long, almost pretty in the orange glow.
He was tall and lean, with long hair tied back. In the night wind, his dark hair flew softly. But his aura was cold, like he didn't want anyone near.
Not someone easy to mess with, Aenwyn thought. But he was totally her type. She really wanted to draw him. After all, she was great at drawing people, in both color and sketch.
Under her windproof mask, Aenwyn gave a weak smile. She didn't dare to stare too much. She obediently crouched by the fire, watching him eat roasted meat. The meat on the fire sizzled as fat dripped down.
She was starving. Her vision nearly went dark. Who knew how long it had been since she last ate?
Her stomach growled loudly.
The boy glanced at her coldly. His tone was just as icy. His voice sounded nice, but the language was strange. She didn't understand a word, but his tone and expression showed he clearly didn't welcome her.
Aenwyn thought that if he weren't too full to move, he might've just finished her off right there.
Don't be like that, boy. No matter what, I'm still a beauty. She didn't want to mess with someone so unfriendly, but she was starving.
She tried to speak, but her face still had that blood-soaked mask on. She could even smell the foul stench of blood in her mouth.
Ugh, disgusting. She pulled the mask off and gasped for air. Even her saliva tasted like blood.
Just then, a water flask was thrown at her feet. The boy had tossed it over.
Aenwyn was surprised, gave an awkward smile, but quickly picked it up. No matter what, she needed to drink first. If he really meant harm, he would've acted already.
The water in the old flask was sweet. She drank it in big gulps. The droplets traced down her delicate chin and disappeared into her collar, leaving soft pale skin beneath.
After drinking, he even handed her a cloth to wipe her face. So considerate. He actually noticed she needed to clean up. Her hands and face were so sticky.
She must have misjudged him. She didn't notice the boy's deep and astonished gaze.
"Thanks, if not for you, I'd be wolf food by now." Aenwyn was truly grateful. Surviving such danger must mean good luck ahead. And to be saved by such a handsome and thoughtful boy...
She smiled brightly. Her eyes were clear, soft like water. When she smiled, two dimples appeared, sweet enough to warm the heart.
"Aenwyn, nice to meet you." Her fair hand reached out, though a bit dirty.
Even the roaring night wind couldn't drown out her gentle voice. Indigo didn't understand what she was saying, but he could tell this was a girl.
His heart pounded. His eyes were stormy beneath his long lashes, but in the end, it all quieted down.
He took her hand. His was large, with long fingers. Good hands, Aenwyn whistled to herself in secret.
They didn't speak the same language, came from different countries. Shaking hands to show friendliness, and Aenwyn didn't hesitate to grab some meat. She really was starving. Meanwhile, the boy seemed a bit reluctant to let go.
Her soft touch lingered like feathers brushing Indigo's heart. Even after he pulled his hand back, he could still feel that slippery softness. The sensation itched all the way into his chest. He clenched his fingers a few times before calming down.
While he was caught up in his thoughts, Aenwyn was eating happily.
She had never found roasted meat this delicious. It must've been that wolf. She couldn't believe such a beautiful long-haired boy in a foreign land could roast meat so well.
Thinking about how the wolf almost bit her earlier, she devoured a big chunk.
After she was full, he even brought her a medicine bottle to treat her wounds. Ah, what a sweet guy. Her ankle was killing her.
Under the moonlight, the tall boy knelt down on one knee, holding her foot like he was studying art, carefully applying medicine.
His movements were gentle, like a knight tending to his princess. Just too slow. By the time he finished, Aenwyn was almost asleep. When she stood up, her leg was numb and she nearly fell.
"Ah, sorry." Aenwyn blushed. Would he think she did it on purpose?
The boy caught her by the waist and then carried her up in his arms. Aenwyn raised an eyebrow and smiled. So manly. She was 165 cm tall, weighed 92 pounds. Her ex couldn't even hold her steady. Who would've thought this younger guy had such strength? He held her firmly.
She couldn't deny she was moved. But falling for a foreign beauty was not wise. Someone like him, handsome but dangerous, was not someone she could handle. He might be gentle now, but he didn't look like a nice guy.
She clearly remembered his attitude only changed after he saw her face.
Aenwyn snuggled comfortably in his arms. She wanted to take out her phone still no signal. Her bodyguards should be here soon, right?
She had a global GPS chip implanted. If they still couldn't find her after this long, they might as well quit the security business.