"You pervert!"
"Pervert???"
The stranger's storm gray eyes darkened as he looked at Lira.
She walked closer to him. She was sure it was him, the aura was identical. Her energy had returned a bit, if it came down to a fight she could blast him away.
He smiled and said, "Alright, alright. You got me," he threw his hands up.
"Why?" Lira said through gritted teeth.
"I wanted to steal from you." He shrugged. "That cloak would have been really useful to me. Plus I'm running out of clothes."
"But stealing is wrong!" Lira retorted.
The stranger blinked and cocked his head, confusion painted all over his beautiful face.
"What are you? Five?" he asked.
"Stealing is wrong regardless of age."
"Are you serious?"
"At least tell me your name."
"You really are stupid aren't you?" He laughed. "Sorry, not stupid, just naïve. You must have left your pack for the first time."
He sniffed her audibly. "You don't smell like a rogue, or a regular werewolf. Must be an imperial bloodline. Tell me, is your daddy the Alpha?"
Lira decided it would be wiser not to tell him anything about her and averted her eyes. She didn't run away to make friends. She left to fix the moonstone.
"He must be. It explains your fancy cloak and sentry rations. Did you run away? Is that why you didn't have a travelling seal?"
Lira pressed her lips together and stared into the fire.
"Well, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to." He got up and removed the meat from above the fire. "It's not wise to talk too much."
He brought out a large knife, cut the meat in two unequal pieces, and placed them on two wooden plates.
He passed her the bigger piece and she muttered a word of genuine thanks. They didn't speak a word to each other until the next day.
In the morning, Lira packed her things and brought out her map. She went outside and tried to decipher where she was.
"What are you doing?" the dark-haired stranger asked from behind her.
Lira jumped and turned to him. He moved very silently.
"You said it wasn't wise to talk too much." She retorted.
"It might be wise in this case. You're lost."
Lira didn't deny it. "And?"
He laughed. "Let me take you back to the clearing then we'll go our separate ways."
She nodded and they started to walk into the forest.
"So how are you feeling?"
The question surprised her. " A bit better. The injury on my leg still hurts."
"Sorry about that. Make sure to change your bandages often."
That statement reminded her that he would leave as soon as he brought her to the clearing.
The thought made her feel a bit lonely. As much as he was annoying, she would miss having someone to talk to. She had walked by herself for far too long.
While they were walking, the stranger suddenly stopped and looked around.
"What?" Lira asked.
"I'm hungry. Give me some of your rations."
"What will I eat later?"
"You'll hunt." He replied and gently turned her around to open her backpack. Lira noticed that he was carrying one too but it was worn and a hand was missing.
When Lira didn't reply he said, "You do know how to hunt don't you?"
"Probably." She looked away.
Lira had lived a very sheltered life in the temple. When she first got her wolf she didn't go on a hunt, instead, she was probed to see how it affected her powers.
Going on hunts wasn't necessary too, every meal was given to her without her having to ask.
"Can you sense creatures?" He asked.
"Do you mean smell them?" Lira asked.
There was no way he knew about sensing auras.
A dark look crossed the strangers face and he told her, "Wait here" then disappeared into the trees.
Lira wanted to call out to him and ask where he was going but she realized that she didn't even know his name.
She hoped that he didn't abandon her.
After a few minutes he came back and said, "Let's go."
Lira didn't ask where he went and he didn't tell.
The stranger had labelled Lira as a weak girl who couldn't even notice that they were being tracked by a zombie wolf.
Maybe she was a runaway daughter of all alpha, or perhaps a temple. He saw the robes of a priestess in her bag. He wasn't going to think about it too much.
It didn't concern him.
Maybe it should've. But that also didn't concern him.
Once they reached the clearing Lira thanked him and brought out her map. She placed it back on the stump and looked at it. It would take a few days to get to Silverstone.
"Cool map." The stranger was standing behind her again.
Lira rolled her eyes and said, "Aren't you supposed to be leaving?"
"Aren't you supposed to be in your pack?" He retorted with a chuckle. "Where are you going, Red?"
"Red?" She questioned.
He patted her head in reply.
"You're too weak to travel on your own. Forget the zombie wolves, the rogues would eat you alive. You can't hunt, you can't fight. You'll starve before you get to where you're going."
Lira glared up at him in reply but she didn't say anything.
"So, out of the goodness of my heart, I will escort you to your destination." He said with a smile.
Lira stared at him warily. "What's in it for you?"
"Tell your Alpha dad to give me food and supplies."
Of course, how self-serving. Lira didn't correct him on the notion that her dad was an alpha.
It was currently working to her advantage and it wasn't technically lying. He assumed it on his own.
She started walking westward and said, "We're going to Silverstone."
"We're going the wrong way."
Lira stopped in her tracks. "Excuse me?"
"You're walking towards Crystal Creek, after that is Silverfang not Silverstone."
"Huh?"
"Aww. I guess our princess can't read a map." He cooed.
"Princess?!" Lira asked in anger.
"Sorry, Red."
Lira couldn't believe that she was going the wrong way.
What would she have done if this strange man wasn't here. The familiar voice in her head calling her useless began to creep up.
She shook her head and decided to follow him. If he couldn't be trusted, at least she could blast him away.