Savior of the Wolves

Jess’s POV

My last encounter with Aiden had me convinced that I just needed to get out of here.

He seemed so angry with me, and I didn’t understand why. Maybe it was that he didn’t trust me or maybe it had something to do with the girl that was always stalking him. She was oblivious to how obvious she was. She watched him…watched me…gave deadly looks to anyway who looked at Aiden and gave the same looks to me for the pure hell of it. And I purposely avoided him.

I felt like I was caught up in some love triangle that I had zero intention of stepping into. I only knew that he made me feel reckless. He made me feel things that didn’t feel natural. Like I was in shock, and I had some transference syndrome because he saved me from my father. Nothing else could explain it. I couldn’t be feeling this for someone I hardly knew.

I can’t just want this place to be my home because they saved me. I can’t be that naïve.

I had never let myself want like that before. This place gave me hope and then Aiden looked at me or got close to me and ran away rudely all the time. I felt like he was playing with me.

Was he just trying to confirm that every girl here was into him? Was I the only one who didn’t stalk him, so I had suddenly become a challenge for him? He clearly didn’t like me…he looked at me like I caused him pain…or disgust.

I had to get my head on straight.

But I kept looking forward to seeing his parents. I had quickly begun to care for them both deeply. They had been more kind to me than I had ever experienced since my mom died. They had seen to a stranger’s every need. I couldn’t be more thankful for what they had done for me.

But I’m stronger now. My bruising isn’t that bad anymore. I could always say that I was in a car wreck if any strangers asked. My vision was still a bit fuzzy, but I could manage. I could resume my original plan. Emma explained to me that my father was dead. I think I already knew that. We fought. An animal attacked him in the woods and her family found me after I yelled. They are the reason I was alive. The reason I wasn’t killed too.

I did nothing wrong. I could tell the police what happened. I would get my personal belongings, my ID out of his house and move on with my life...just the way I had planned...before all of this happened.

I almost felt bad about not telling Josh though. He had been my constant here. He was kind and mature and didn’t make me feel like I was some ticking time bomb. Everyone else seemed to think I was this alien object with a looming countdown. I heard the whispers. I noticed they quit talking around me. They seemed scared of me...or something of the sort. I couldn’t. I didn’t want to care but I did.

Except for Josh. He was funny and kind and he’d be the one I worry about when I left. I didn’t want to hurt him.

So, for him, I’d leave a note. An apology. I just hoped he’d forgive me.

So when do I do this? The last time I waited it blew up in my face. I was taken in the middle of the night and nearly killed by my own father. Or whatever he was. I think if that taught me anything, it was now or never.

I would go to the dining hall and chat with Josh. I’d see what his plans were and while he was away, I’d slip out a side door, place the note to Josh in their mailbox by the house, and run for it. I’d just follow the road out. It would obviously lead to another road.

Solid plan.

***

I hinted to Josh earlier that I would be going closer to eight o’clock to eat. He said they’d still be open, and he’d probably find me there.

No surprise to find him sitting, quiet, against a window. Looking out. Thinking. He looked lost and didn’t even turn when I came in.

I apologized to the kitchen manager for coming so late and as always, she made me feel like it was never an imposition to help me. I grabbed a salad and asked for two bacon wraps to go. It seemed like the kind of food that a teen would snack on after hours and I thought it would get me through tomorrow. I had some bags of chips I’d stashed for my road trip too. I couldn’t be more than an hour or two from home. I just needed to hitch a ride after I got to the main road.

A few other young people were chatting loudly and looked up at me as I turned with my food. One, in particular, stretched the furthest to get a better look at me.

My biggest fan.

She hated me. I got it. But I didn’t do anything…not one thing to provoke her wrath. She wanted Aiden. She could have him. I hadn’t laid my claim to him...but she sure didn’t keep it a secret that she believed he belonged with her.

No worries, I wasn’t her fan either. I’d stayed as far from her as possible, yet I still saw her staring or glaring at me every single time I turned around. She made multiple attempts to spend time with me almost immediately after she had whispered behind my back. She was not as discreet as she thought she was. And I saw the way she put her hands on Aiden. It made her look desperate if you asked me. He may not encourage her in public, but who is that touchy-feely if they aren’t encouraged while in the privacy of one of their rooms. Why else would she be so clingy? They had to have something going on and it only pissed me off more when he got so close to me. Like I was this toy to satisfy his boredom. His actions were intense, and I’ve never experienced any feeling like that in my life, and he played with my naivety. He thought I was one of these girls...falling over his every move. He would be shocked when I was gone. I was not one of his groupies.

This late in the evening, it seemed like a lot of the younger crowd used the dining hall as a hang-out. If I had known that I would’ve picked a better time to eat my last meal here.

I tried to pay attention and understand how things functioned around here and I had slowly figured out a few things like...it was clear that this was a reservation. They all lived here as this close-knit community. There were hundreds of them, if not a thousand. But they seemed to have intense connections with each other. Like they’d fall on a bomb for each other. I thought it was beautiful...but not so much as an outsider.

It felt like moving to a new school where every single person was best friends...with everyone...except you.

I didn’t fit in. So I kind of get it. It hurt...but I get it. I got drug into the woods, I crashed their reservation, res as they called it, and I had the attention of the leader’s two sons.

I didn’t ask for it and it was not what anyone thought. Aiden was just Aiden and Josh was too kind to not be nice to an injured guest. He was like his mom in that way.

So, the biggest pain in my ass here had found another moment to cement my discomfort. She was glaring from around her friends, smirking as though I was a clown entering the room. She seemed to enjoy my discomfort. I had met my quota of discomfort. I would be out of her hair soon enough and someone else could deal with her instability.

I walked the long way around and headed toward Josh. He finally turned to greet me with the biggest smile on his face. I sat and ate my salad as he casually talked with such interest in me. We talked about everything...and nothing.

His company was easy. He was gentle and considerate. I knew for certain, if things were different and I could stay, we would become even closer than I already felt with him.

“You seem a little quieter. Do you feel okay?” He asked sincerely after I hadn’t noticed how long I was staring out the window.

“Yeah, just tired. I think I will go ahead and turn in for the night,” I lied and hated myself for it.

He insisted on walking me to my room and I should’ve just closed the door behind me, but I hugged him. His arms folded around me, and I had to hold back tears.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he leaned back from me and asked again, staring at me deeply.

“Yes,” I answered, breaking our hold and putting my hand on the doorknob while looking back with a smile.

“Okay,” he conceded, less than convinced. “See you in the morning. Sleep well.”

“You too.”

I closed the door behind me and took several breaths to persuade the tears not to rush down my cheeks.

How can you meet some people and almost immediately feel a connection with them? I’d never felt this before. I almost wanted to try one more day and see what happened. But who was I fooling? Like I was just going to be placed into some job around the “res” and suddenly have a place like this to call home. This romantic village tucked into the mountains was dreamlike. A main mansion surrounded by smaller mansions and homes all around. It felt like a college campus at times.

And I had never seen anything more beautiful...but it wasn’t mine.

So, I waited. I gave him enough time to get to his dad’s office and I left my room with my few items of food and my most recent birthday present. My sole possessions.