3. The Majestic Wolf

[Erica]

The smoky clouds partly hid the slumbering mountains. Erica found herself standing in front of a rivulet whose water was as clear as crystal. It was getting dark, making it difficult for her to fathom the place she was in.

She looked around. The place was deserted except for the forest behind her, which hindered the view of what was beyond it.

Erica started walking along the bank cautiously, trying to get a grasp of where she was.

She wondered why am I here? She was sure she had never visited this place. But then her feet halted. In front of her sat a gigantic and majestic wolf! Her blue eyes met with its obsidian ones and for some reason, she couldn't move.

She stood there mesmerised, not moving, mouth agape, eyes wide. The wolf's midnight black fur seemed smooth and lustrous. His piercing gaze assessed her, every inch of her, unnerved her but at the same time calmed her.

He slowly stood to his full height, almost matching the height of the adjacent tree. She tipped her head back to look at this humongous beast.

She looked at the creature with awe, but then a sudden fear filled her mind and heart.

Who was this animal? How could a wolf be so huge? What if it hurt her? A part of her knew that she was dreaming, but yet this seemed so real. She had to run. Her gaze wandered eagerly, looking for an escape. She had to run, and the forest seemed the only escape route.

She started taking backward steps. The beast seemed to notice this movement. He growled a warning. Erica stopped in her tracks. She gulped.

Then, to her horror and astonishment, she heard the cracking of bones, and horrified, she watched the transformation of the animal- the wolf to a human being!

The darkness had veiled the landscape because of which the person or wolf, or whatever it was, was shrouded in the dark as well.

"Who-who ar-are y-you?" She managed to ask despite feeling anxious and nervous as hell.

"Your mate," a deep male voice rumbled.

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Erica woke up with a start. She felt numb, dazed, and scared. What did she just dream of? She had never had an absurd dream like this before. Her heart was racing and beads of perspiration had formed on her forehead.

She took deep breaths to calm herself. She got out of bed and opened the window. The streetlamps glowed dimly on the deserted road. Her gaze wandered to the forest across the road. She pinned her gaze there, hoping to catch the glimpse of that wolf. But nothing unnatural occurred. No one appeared. Why would they? It was a freaking dream after all!

She shook her head. Maybe because I am stressed, she tried to assure herself. Yet she felt jittery.

She closed the window and closed the curtains. She trudged downstairs to get a glass of water. She was about to enter the kitchen when she heard her dad's voice.

Entering the kitchen, she saw her father standing with his back to her. His phone pressed to his ear, deep in conversation.

"What are you saying? That's wonderful! Thank you, Arnold! I am so relieved. You won't believe how happy I am. So humans are allowed? That means..." he trailed off and turned around. His eyes widened for a second before he asked, "What are you doing here, Erica?"

"I'll call back," he mumbled and ended the call quickly and put the phone in his pocket.

"Uh...I came to drink water. Couldn't' sleep," she explained, lowering her gaze. But several questions swarmed in her mind. Human? Weren't they all humans? What was he talking about? Who was he speaking to?

"Want to talk about it?" He murmured, his gaze softening. Erica shook her head, still not looking at him.

She heard her father sigh.

"Still angry with this old man, eh?" He questioned with a rueful smile.

Erica's eyes welled up. The sadness in his voice had her. She just couldn't stay mad at her dad no matter what. She walked up to him and gave him a tight hug. He rested his chin on the crown of her head.

"You know I can't remain angry with you no matter what," she mumbled into his chest, sniffling. Her dad's chest rumbled with laughter. He stroked her hair affectionately.

"Please forgive me, princess," he murmured. Erica nodded.

Then he pulled back and said, "Drink some water and get some sleep. We're going to Ravenwood University tomorrow. They have accepted your application".

Erica pulled away in surprise. Her dad was grinning. This wasn't a joke, was it? No. her dad would never be that cruel. However, she could only stare at him, unable to utter a word.

This was surreal. She was going to Ravenwood.