Chapter 26
They been ing Ste another forty minutes.
Eliana kished at the top of a small hit wanting to the distance & fag perked through the trees ahead
Reint wasbed over her as she recognized the fishe
Finally” Stella groaned into the ground and rubbing her sore calves
sinking
mix beade them beard a faint, high–pitched bowl from behind
Shearound and raped spora fly creature peeking out from the brush
Linsa’s eyes sparkled “A poppy”
Unbeknownst to be the small creature wasn’t a playl
was a wolf cub. curiously observing her from the
Without besitation, she reached out offering crumbs and some and within seconds, the small creature trotted into
be on
Asher, anxious bark drew las amen “What’s that sound she called out.
Stells glanced over her shoulder sared to see Livia attempting to tuck the linle animal into her backpack “Livia‘ What are you doing?
Lieva looked up a bit sheepish There was this abandoned pup back there. Poor thing must’ve been left behind. I figured Id
Elna famed her patience visibly thinning. Are you out of your mind: That’s no puppy! That’s a wolf pup! I told you guys already–here are wild wolves in this forest
Elana had been cautious the entire trek scanning for any signs of wolves
Mouse Saber was known for its occasional wolf sightings, though such encounters were rare since the area was regularly
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But it was now clear that Eliana hadn’t accounted for Livia unpredictability.
She had actually mistaken a wolf cut for a puppy
Any dog catching the scent of a wolf, would never dare to step into wolf territory
“What Livia’s ep faltered, and the wolf pup slipped from her arms, hitting the ground with a soft whine.
Elank snatched up her bag her urgency unmistakable. “We need to move. Now.”
mother wolf would catch their scent and be there in no time.
The theme of them sprang to their feet, falling in line behind Eliana
Peland them the little wolf pup howled twice, its short legs working to catch up with the group.
“Stella panted, glancing back in alarm. It’s following us What do we do
Chapter 26
Elana’s brow furrowed a distant howl shattered the forest’s silence. Her heart dropped. “Faster. Go, now!” she snapped, her voice laced with urgency.
As they picked up speed, Selene let out a loud grumble. “Seriously. Livia, what were you thinking? You’ve put us all at risk!”
It’s not my fault Livia protested, wringing her hands. “It looked like a dog, okay? And besides, Eliana led us down this path! If she hadn’t, we wouldn’t have even rum into it!”
Stella threw Livia a steely glare. “You can’t tell the difference been a wolf and a dog, and you’re blaming Eliana?”
Livia continued, “L”
“Alright, that’s enough” Eliana interjected sharply, not breaking stride. Just keep moving. We’re almost at the finish line. Once we’re there, we’ll be safe”
Being surrounded by a wolf pack was dangerous.
Eliana might be able to ensure her own safety, but there was no way she could guarantee the safety of the three burdens tagging along.
The three of them fell silent, fear etched on their faces, and hurried to keep up with Eliana, adrenaline pushing them
forward
What should’ve been a twenty–minute sprint took them barely ten, each heartbeat pounding louder than the last.
At last, they stumbled into the finish area, collapsing onto nearby benches in exhaustion
An instructor waiting at the che
-a new record”
at the checkpoint clicked his stopwatch in amazement. “Incredible! Two hours and seventeen minutes
“What were you doing coming from that direction?” he asked, offering them water.
Selene and Livia were about to launch into a story and blame Elana when they realized they were the winner. “We are the Winner?” they said, stunned.
The instructor explained, “Not only did you place first, but you broke the record!”
Selene and Livia’s eyes widened. “We did? We broke the record? They spoke in unison, their voices bursting with excitement as they jumped up and down in place.
Oh my gosh! If I remember right, breaking the record comes with extra rewards, doesn’t it? They’ll add more money to the original prize! Selene exclaimed
The instructor nodded. “That’s right. You’ll receive 20 thousand dollars and a single–room dorm for each of you.”
“Oh my gosh!” Livia and Selene screamed, their joy echoing in the air.
Stella, more restrained but equally thrilled, turned to Eliana. “all thanks to you, Eliana. We wouldn’t have made it this fast without you
Eliana managed a small smile, settling down to catch her breath
Achill crept down her spine, thinking of the wolves. If they’d been caught, no prize would’ve mattered.
Just as she allowed herself to relax, she felt a tug at her foot
Looking down, she froze
There, looking up with gleaming eyes, was the very woll pup they’d been running from.
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Chapter 26
It had somehow managed to keep up, trailing her scent the whole way.
“Oh, ta….” she muttered.
The wolf pup let out a howl.
“What’s that noise?” one of the instructors asked, glancing over.
Thinking quickly. Stella interrupted. Just a sound effect on my phone, sir!”
The instructor chuckled, seemingly convinced. “For a moment there, I thought it was a real wolf. But no need to worry; the trails are regularly patrolled
Wolves avoided human contact–unless, of course, they were provoked or hungry.
Tonight, with so many people crossing the mountains at once, the wild wolves would be even less likely to provoke a group.
Unless of course, someone as reckless as Livia were to draw attention to herself and antagonize them.
Distracted by the prize, Selene and Livia were oblivious to the wolf pup.
Eliana, however, shot it a stern look, lifting it by the scruff of its neck. She had one hand gently squeezing its muzzle. preventing it from making a sound.
“Listen here.” she whispered, “no more howling, got it? Or I’ll be forced to kill you.”
The wolf pup let out a soft whimper, its eyes wide and pleading
Eliana couldn’t tell if it was lost or abandoned, but one thing was clear. It couldn’t be discovered by the instructor.
Moving quietly. Eliana slipped to the side and dropped the wolf pup into the tall grass. “Go on. Back to the wild“”
But the pup, determined and persistent, latched onto her shoe, gnawing at the fabric.
At that moment, the instructor turned and began walking toward Eliana.
“Eliana,” he said, eyes narrowing, “what are you doing over there?
Quickly, she slid the wolf pup behind her back. “Just catching my breath, sir.
Stella seized the chance to distract him. “Sir, can I see the stopwatch? What was our exact time?”
“Oh, of course,” he replied, turning away.
For a moment, Stella’s eyes met Eliana’s, and they shared a knowing look. It was as if Stella had already guessed what Eliana was trying to hide.
Eliana had tried several times to get rid of the wolf pup, but it was as persistent as a stubborn burr. No matter how far she tossed it into the undergrowth, the little creature would trail back, following her scent like a loyal puppy.
Frustrated and out of options, Eliana finally gave in. With a resigned sigh, she unzipped her backpack, tucked the wolf pup inside, and handed it a chunk of canned luncheon meat. At least for now, she’d have to keep it hidden–and hope it didn’t cause more trouble.
