Augenringe

"Augenringe" - SANNA

🎵 Wo soll ich hin? / Hab' wider ein' Menschen verlor'n den ich so krass geliebt hab' / Sie sagen wir war'n wie Geschwister und deshalb vergibt man / Ich vergebe doch kann nicht hast / Nein 🎵

This whole ass week had flown by in a muddled haze.

I'd spent the past seven days packing up my entire life so that I could move to a totally different country. Despite having visited Germany a handful of times as a child, I hadn't been there in seven years— so much could've changed within that large span of time. I remembered that Dad had moved in with, *eye roll, Alaric right before I'd returned to Canada for the final time. And I remembered that I'd had my own room there in the new (to me) house. Therefore, I didn't pack up a majority of my belongings to take with me since I wouldn't need much.

I'd made sure to buy three big suitcases so that I could take the more expensive and brand name items in my wardrobe. I'd even tossed in a few trinkets and collectibles that I'd gathered throughout the years, such as my knockoff Pikachu plush from Chinatown, my big Canadian flag that I'd hung on my wall, and my precious Mariah Carey poster that someone had mysteriously purchased for me. And of course I'd held onto my laptop so that I would have something to bide my time whenever I'm all alone in Germany. It's gonna happen, let's be real. I'd even held onto that odd wolf stuffed animal that Dominik had gotten me.

Other than that, everything else had to go. I donated the rest of my meager possessions to charity shops and then had said my good-byes to Mom and Kyle. Emilia had even shown up to see me off to the airport, and before I'd gone through the security gate, she'd pulled me into a tight hug.

"Be careful," she'd whispered to me, "and if Dominik gives you any trouble, call me."

I'd had no clue why she'd want to bring Dominik up of all people. Regardless, I'd agreed and then had gone through security to get on my plane.

The plane ride to Germany was long and boring. I'd tried to sleep through most of it, but every time I'd been close, we'd hit an air pocket and the whole machine would shake like crazy. Yeah... suffice to say, it'd been a horrific plane ride.

Plus, the entire time I'd been flying (including my layover in New York, USA), my thoughts were on my Dad, Alaric, and that stupid guy who lives with them. It would be tortuous living with them without my sister to help me out; well, even when she was there, she hadn't been much help. Damn. Either way, I knew that I'd be left to my own devices— fending for myself and being my own friend, just like I had been doing for the past seven years in Canada. However, it would be far worse now because I didn't know the language of the land. Sure, English is widely spoken in Europe; that being said, there exists a very hefty handful of people who do not like to speak English. Memories of trying to communicate with people back when I'd visited Dad in the past, only to be shunned because I couldn't speak German well were burned into my mind. Shoot, I really should've purchased a Duolingo subscription before moving. Oops.

Well, I suppose that the good news is that I'm already a junior in high school back home. I knew that German high schools were structured differently, with them sort of geared more towards whether or not the student wanted to attend university... or at least that's what Wikipedia had said when I'd attempted to research it. Anyways, since I was sixteen and a junior and my birthday is next week, that means that I only really have to spend about a year living with Dad and Alaric. Then I can move out and go... wherever.

My heart had sunken to my butt when I'd thought about that. I mean, I had dual-citizenship with Germany and Canada. I was born in Vancouver, yet my father had passed along his German citizenship to me; and my mother had moved back to Argentina, of which I would need to apply for citizenship to go to (and my Spanish was significantly worse than my German). But whenever I'd considered everything laid out on the proverbial table before me, I'd realized that I'd had no choice but to remain in Germany for the time being. Canada (especially British Columbia) is notoriously expensive, so there was no way I could survive there on my own. Hence, if I wanted to live semi-comfortably and without any unnecessary worries, Germany was my best bet.

Scheiße! At least I remembered that word.

After the plane had landed and I'd made my way through customs, I met up with Dad and Alaric in the baggage claim area. As soon as I hopped off the escalator exiting the terminal, I'd spotted the two standing near one of the carousels.

Alaric looked the same, albeit with a few more grey hairs in his beard. Dad looked a little more happier than usual. I mean, the last time I'd seen him in Germany, he'd just married Alaric (and when he'd visited Canada for Emilia's graduation, he'd been solo); hence, he'd been single for quite some time beforehand. I hadn't realized just how much color he'd been missing his face, or how much more pep in his step he could possess all thanks to that annoying mountain man by his side.

The second my eyes and Dad's met, his smile grew and rushed through the crowd to give me a big hug. "Welcome home, Maxie!" he cheered, tightening his grip around me as strongly as he could. He was still slightly taller than me, mainly due to the fact that I'd begrudgingly inherited Mom's height genes, meaning that I'll most likely never grow over 157 centimeters, darn it.

"...thanks," I mumbled, unsure of what to say to that. I didn't want to be back in Germany, and I obstinately considered Canada my forever home. Still, I gave my father a brief hug back before gesturing towards the rumbling carousel that had an array of bags loaded up onto it. "I gotta get my things."

"Oh, yeah," Dad said, frowning a bit when he pulled back. He could pick up on my both hesitation and irritation, I know it.

Alaric cleared his throat, shooting my father a concerned look. He could pick up on it too.

Despite the couple being married for seven long years, I still couldn't squash that irked little boy inside of me who still marked the day Dad met Alaric as the day my loneliness began. Sure, everything is not about me. But damn!

"Hi," I curtly said to Alaric, quickly brushing past him and ignoring his offer to hug me as I hurried to grab my bags.

I tried to relax my shoulders and unclench my jaw, but I really did not want to be here. All my brain seemed to be able to focus on was the horrendous fact that I'd be ignored even more than usual now that I'll be living in Bedburg year round. Sure, things in Vancouver weren't peachy, but they were leagues better than feeling like a nobody in house with people loving everyone besides me in a country where I didn't speak the language. God, why me?

That annoying pit in the center of my chest grew in tandem with my racing heart beat, swallowing up more and more of my insides per second. I bet my whole ass bank account that the exact millisecond that I step foot inside Alaric's house, he and Dad will go off to do some idiotic lovey-dovey B.S. with one another. And I'll be alone. Again.

I sighed as I grabbed my bags off the carousel, grunting a little bit due to their weight since I'd packed a bulk of my winter clothes into them. It was the beginning of October, so I was willing to bet that it'd be pretty cold in Germany; yet, I'd only visited in the summer, so I cannot say for certain.

"Here," Alaric offered, grabbing the heaviest one for me. I know that he's trying to be nice, but I also know that he's only doing that to earn extra brownie points from my father... not that he needs them. Even I caught the cringey way he over-flexed his bicep for my father as he grabbed my bag, making me feel nauseas.

"...thanks," I muttered again, my voice sounding dry and raspy due to my annoyance and how tired I was from the flight. It was already pitch black outside as nighttime took over, yet I was exhausted from the flight but not tired enough to fall asleep since it was still 1:00 PM back home.

We exited the airport, and sure enough, a blistering cold immediately assaulted me. My teeth began to chatter and I was happy that I'd at least had the good sense to wear my peacoat on the plane. I'd initially done it because it was too big and bulky for my suitcase, but now it kept me warm... and fashionable. Two for one! We approached Alaric's familiar-looking van, and the big guy tossed all three of my bags into the back as I got in.

"Maxie, really, I am very happy that you're here," Dad said as he settled into the passenger seat. He looked over his shoulder to shoot me a sincere smile.

For a brief second, I almost cracked and smiled back, but then I bit down hard onto my cheek. "...thanks," I mumbled.

Dad frowned again.

Alaric got into the driver's seat and pulled out of the parking spot, speeding past a few of the other passengers at the airport. My eyes scanned over the crowd, noting that there was one really tall blond guy who seemed to stick out like a sore thumb— and then we were gone.

For the awkward hour long drive to Alaric's house, Dad tried his best to fill the space with conversation. Yes, I am well aware of the fact that I was being a brat by having a foul attitude. However, I couldn't help it! I didn't want to move all the way to Germany where I'd feel like a nobody and like I had no one to rely on. Sure, I had Dad— but he'd immediately throw me under a light rail if meant that he and Alaric could have a measly thirty-one seconds alone! And then I knew that I'd have to try my best to get along with Dad's husband, whom I still blamed for taking him away from me and ruining our friendship. Bitter? Yes. Wrong? No. And then there's, *gag, Dominik.

I scowled as I glared out the window, seeing nothing but the water droplets that formed on the glass from the light drizzle. Beyond that, it was too dark to make anything else out on the Autobahn.

"...so I got you enrolled at Gymnasium thanks to your impressive grades, Maxie," Dad droned on, talking over the radio. "They even have a special class to teach German as a second language that I got you placed into. So that should help you out."

I vaguely recalled that Gymnasium was the kind of secondary school in Germany in which the students were geared more towards university as opposed to a trade school. I guess that it was a good placement and that Dad really had put some thought into this decision. Since I was a little kid, I'd been spouting on and on about how I'd wanted to grow up to be a veterinarian who specializes in rabbits. I suppose university is necessary for that career path.

As much as I don't want to admit it: Kudos, Dad.

"...thanks," I mumbled, feeling like it was my catchphrase now.

Alaric made a weird throaty noise, like he was clearing it mixed with like he was trying to imitate a car engine. This earned him a glare from my father, making the bigger man sink into his seat sheepishly. "'Tschuldigung," he said, blushing.

Dad placed a reassuring hand on his broad shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. He looked back into the rearview mirror at me. "Alaric was nice enough to pay for some classes for you to get your Führerschein," he told me.

"My what?" I wondered aloud, annoyed that I'd forgotten almost all of my German. A second language definitely is a use-it-or-lose-it skill.

"Driver's license," Dad translated. "If you pass, we'll get you a car."

Well shit, there goes my bad mood!

"Really?!" I asked, sitting up a little bit in my seat. "You mean it?"

Finally, Dad seemed to smile again and even Alaric perked up at this. Dad happily continued. "Of course," he grinned. "if you pass your test and get your license, I'll take you pick one out. A used one, mind you, but still your very own car."

"Th-thank you," I stuttered, honestly this time.

"Dominik even volunteered to help teach you how to drive."

Well, there goes my smile...

"Dominik?" I couldn't help but snort, eliciting a wince from Alaric for some reason. The dude had to have been in his early twenties by now, therefore, why on God's green earth would he want to waste his time teaching me how to drive? I mean, I thought that he didn't like me! After all, I don't like him. (Whoa, how embarrassing would it be if my dislike of him was all one-sided?) Meh, I'm sure he's only volunteering to get something from Alaric and Dad— what it is, I don't know. That, or he'd just blankly offered while having zero intention to help me out whatsoever. That's probably it.

Dad, oblivious to the grimace on my flawless and acne-free face, carried on. "Yeah," he happily announced in a sunshiny voice, "Dominik's really been looking forward to having you move back home. He's even put his house hunt on pause to help you get settled in."

"He still lives with you?" I whined, horrified that that horrible thought was now confirmed. It was bad enough that we'd be in the same country, let alone under the same roof!

"Yeah, he's been focusing on taking over— um, the family business," Alaric injected. Even in the darkness of his van, his blush was easily visible. I knew that Alaric owned some sort of security company, so I guess it was only natural that Dominik would take over it. Shoot, the dude is scary looking without even trying, so he'd be the perfect guard dog.

"Oh, that's so... interesting?" I muttered, really having no idea how to respond to that. Truth be told, I don't give two shits about Dominik. Yet, he seemed to be brought into the conversation like he was meant to be involved in it.

"He's a nice guy," Dad added. "He's even said he'd drive you to school. Cool, right?"

No! That's not cool at all!

The angsty teenager in me wanted to argue that Dominik and I didn't like each other, and that he'd more than likely drop me off at some random location instead of taking me to school... and then I'd be lost in Europe, never to be heard from again unless I get kidnapped by that gang in Hostel; and then I'll be chopped up by an ugly rich guy! Damn it, Dominik!

"That's so... nice of him...?" I murmured, unsure of what else to say. I'm sure there's school buses in Germany, right? I can just ride that. I honestly have no problem riding the bus! In fact, I'd much rather do that than get a ride from Dominik, who would no doubt look all scary when he drops me off, which would thereby cause a domino effect in which the students at my brand new school would be afraid of me in turn because they'd seen me with him.

Then again, maybe I'm overreacting. One can only hope.

Eventually we pulled up in front of Alaric's house. It looked exactly the same as it had seven years ago, aside from the large, black motorcycle that was parking in front of the garage in the middle of the driveway. The grass was still neatly trimmed and the lack of a fence offered me an uninterrupted view of the massive backyard. Beyond that, the yellowing autumn forest had a creepy darkness shrouding it, making me gulp.

Alaric parked in the driveway, right in front of the closed garage door before rushing out at a near inhuman speed. He sprinted to the passenger side door and opened it for my dad. He even undid the grown man's seatbelt and helped him to his feet, as if they were ripped straight out of some cheesy made-for-TV rom-com. Yuck.

"Meine Liebe, würdest du bitte etwas Kaffee machen?" Alaric asked my dad, his large hand on the small of his back as he already pushed him towards the house.

"So spät?" Dad responded, looking over his shoulder at his husband as he was pushed towards the house... rather eagerly might I say.

"Bitte?" Alaric asked, a large smile forming on his gruff face. However, I could see the nervous way his bushy eyebrows knitted together and the way his left legs seemed to bounce in place.

Dad melted and nodded. "Natürlich," he breathed, leaning down to press a chaste kiss to Alaric's lips.

Ugh, I wish I'd taken some German language classes back home in Canada. Unfortunately, I'd decided to take ASL because I wouldn't have to speak to random strangers for a good grade. Man, if I had a time machine, I'd sign up for German. Come to think about it, if I had a time machine, I'd do a lot of things differently.

Dad hurried inside the house to do whatever the hell Alaric had asked him to do, leaving me all alone with the mountain man who'd ruined my life.

I scowled to myself in the darkness, getting out of the van and stomping my feet to the back so that I could grab my things. I just wanted to hide away in my bedroom as soon as possible, so that I could just be alone due to my own devices before I could be shunned.

The crunching of dead leaves sounded out, and Alaric was by my side in a flash, once again grabbing the heaviest bag I owned. It was the one with my winter sweater which would definitely come in handy in the Northern European wintertime. "Um, Max?" Alaric asked, clearing his throat. "I just... uh, I wanted to talk to you about something."

Was it my attitude? Damn, I've been in the country for less than an hour and already I was getting called out on my crap. I'm not good at being a brat. If only Emilia were here. She'd teach me what to do.

"What is it?" I questioned.

The larger man scratched at the back of his neck, his large bicep popping out of his t-shirt sleeve. "Well... it's, uh, it's just that Dominik..." he trailed off, his yellow eyes darting left and right as he struggled to formulate his words in his head.

Now why the hell would he want to talk about Dominik to me? The young man and I had little to nothing to do with one another. Sure, we'd spent the day together in Nordwestmecklenburg seven years ago, but that had been a horrendous accident! And then he'd shown me his true colors by calling me a nobody, letting me know that he was just a big jerk who doesn't give a shit about anyone but himself. I don't care about Dominik, so I really wished that Alaric wouldn't talk to me about him.

Still, I didn't want to piss off the guy who was letting me stay at his house rent-free. "What about him?"

The porch light barely illuminated Alaric's face, but I could see how it resembled a tomato due to how red it'd gotten. "Well, Paul doesn't know— um, I mean, when you were gone Dominik took it really hard— *cough, just um..." The man struggled to string together a single sentence, further deepening my confusion.

"Huh?" I blurted.

The front door burst open and a tall, thin woman with fire red hair ran outside towards us. She trotted over to where we stood, and when she reached us, she placed a small hand onto Alaric's broad shoulder.

"Leitwolf, Ich werde die Dinge von hier aus erklären," she told him, her voice smooth yet commanding.

Alaric's shoulders tensed down by the smallest percentage. "Danke, Sibylle," he breathed before turning to me. "Max, this Sibylle, Dominik's beta—"

"Best friend!" Sibylle, apparently, interrupted, narrowing her yellow eyes at the older man. "I'm Dominik's best friend."

Again, Alaric's red face had its color deepen and the older man shuffled his feet awkwardly. "Yeah... I'll, uh, I'll go help Paul with the coffee." The dude literally ran into the house before anything else could be said.

I have no idea what on earth is going on around here on this day! I was left outside with Sibylle and a million questions in my fried brain:

Why was Alaric acting weird around me, as if he was hiding something?

Why did Alaric and Sibylle have the same colored eyes almost as if they were long-lost family members? *Gasp! Was Sibylle his daughter?

Why did Dad think that it was a good idea for Dominik to teach me how to drive, and to also drive me to school?

Why did Dominik want to teach me how to drive and drive me to school? What could he possibly gain from it? Was it some sort of court-mandated community service?

And most importantly: Dominik has friends?

I had no clue what was going on around here, but in this short amount of time that I've been in Germany, I could sense that something was afoot. And Dominik, of course, seemed to be at the square root of it.

Therefore, I made sure to keep a careful eye on Sibylle as we grabbed the last two bags of mine. She offered me a kind smile that actually seemed genuine, but my walls were built high and they were secured with industrial-grade cement. If she was Dominik's best friend, then that meant that I couldn't trust her either. Clearly she surrounded herself with deviants and angsty men.

"How was your flight?" Sibylle asked, attempting the typical conversation whenever meeting someone new.

"Good," I grunted. I mean, I made it here, so obviously it was good.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her clenching her jaw. Once my remaining two suitcases were out of the van, she slammed the back door closed rather roughly, making me wince in place. She turned to face me head on, narrowing her yellow eyes at me which sent a shiver down my spine.

"Max," she growled, a rough demeanor in her voice that made me want to run and hide, "look, I don't know what happened between you and Dominik. He wouldn't tell me. And frankly, I don't care."

She leaned closer, making me take a cautious step backward. My breath was caught in my throat as my gaze refused to leave the terrifying glowing yellow orbs that were this young woman's eyes.

"But, it's my job to ensure that Dominik doesn't fuck everything up," she snarled. "So do me a favor and don't be too hard on him, okay?"

Wait, what?

She waited impatiently for my response, even crossing her arms in front of her. Her bright red hair was in a crazy mess, and the porch light behind her illuminated it in a way that made her head appear as if it were on fire.

"Um... okay?" I barely whispered.

In a snap, Sibylle switched from angry woman about to tear my head off and kick it across the field, to happy-go-lucky new neighbor who was eager to meet me. "Great," she smiled widely, all traces of anger instantly gone from her porcelain face. "Oh, and let me know if Dominik gets to be too much. I know how to reign him in."

Without another word, Sibylle turned around and rolled my suitcase that she had in her manicured claws up the entryway and into the house, leaving me all confused in the driveway.

I had no idea how to react to all that been thrusted my way all in the span of such a little amount of time. Not only was I being forced to move to a different country, having my life uprooted, but I was being threatened by some crazy chick with red hair! Of course she and Dominik would be best friends. Come on, they're both terrifying!

Shaking my head, I tightened my grip on my last suitcase and began to walk towards the house—

"Grrr..."

What the hell?

I froze in place and looked over my shoulder, seeing nothing but the nighttime darkness. I could've sworn that I'd heard something resembling an animal's growl as I was about to head inside. However, I couldn't see any animal whatsoever. Plus, I was in a cul-de-sac neighborhood in some sort of obscure community that Alaric owned. I was safe... right?

I'm sure someone left their dachshund off leash and it was just growling at me. Those little things are pretty territorial.

I shook my head and took another step towards the house—

*Whimper. "Woof!"

Oh shit. Again, I froze in place, a shiver of fear piercing right through my very own soul as I braced for the worst. Bedburg was known for its werewolf folklore— but that's silly, I hope. I gulped loudly and trembled in place, my limbs too scared to move as I feared pissing off whatever animal was within the vicinity. I could see the opened front door, figuring that it wasn't more than ten to fifteen meters away. I could totally make it inside if I broke out into a sprint.

"Wo ist Dominik?" I could hear Sibylle's voice ring out from inside the house.

Very carefully, I began to shuffle my feet closer to the front door. In my panicked brain, I figured that I'd gotten growled at whenever I'd taken a large noticeable step; therefore, if I tip-toed ever so slightly inside, then I wouldn't piss off the animal. It made sense in my adrenaline-soaked mind. And I couldn't cry out for help because my throat was parch dry with nerves. Seriously, it felt as if I'd just deep throated a sand monster!

There was another animalistic whimper, which reminded me of a dog begging for food. However, instead of sounding tiny and cute like a chihuahua, this dog sounded like it must've been as large as a Clydesdale horse. Seriously, whenever it made a noise, its over exaggerated baritone sent shockwaves throughout my core, making my terror grow all the more.

My heart raced in my chest, beating crazily against my ribcage. My breathing grew ragged and wheezy—

There was another whine, almost as if in response to my heightened anxiety. I was horrified when I could hear the clacking of claws against cement this time, letting me know that whatever was near me was getting closer.

Now, it might be due to my extremely high levels of terror or maybe I was dead and just envisioning things, but I could've sworn that the animal spoke to me.

"...Mine..." a deep, growly voice rumbled.

"Fuck this shit!" I blurted the very second I broke out into a sprint towards the house. I even tossed my suitcase behind me to act as a barrier as I ran, getting closer to the front door—

Like a freight train, a large figure slammed into my back, knocking the wind out of me and forcing me down onto the rain soaked pavement. The mere moment that my front was pressed against the pavement, I sputtered for oxygen and couldn't scream out for Alaric (I know he's way stronger than Dad). Somehow I managed to turn myself around so that I was on my back, and my eyes nearly exploded at the sight before me.

On either side of me were two large, fuzzy legs that acted as a sort of cage keeping me trapped underneath the gigantic wolf that must've been fed steroids as a puppy! Seriously! Growing up, I hadn't had too much experience with dogs, let alone ones larger than a terrier; but I knew for damn certain that this wolf was way bigger than any average one. Like c'mon, it was so broad and I could even see that it was muscled up like some underground fighting dog! Its black hair blended in with the nighttime sky, yet its eery yellow eyes starkly stuck out to me. Creepy.

Our eyes met.

The wolf's deep yellow eyes were vaguely familiar, like I've seen them somewhere before. For real, as crazy as it sounded, I could've sworn that they conveyed some sort of soul that I've once met. They stared down at me, a deep sadness evident in them— but the second mine connected with his, they lit up.

Even weirder was that the more I stared up at the wolf, that annoying hole in my chest began to shrink. It was probably due to my intense panic though.

As he hovered over me, the wolf looked downwards, staring deeply into my frightened eyes. He slowly opened up his big muzzle, revealing rows of dagger-like fangs that could tear my fine ass up with ease if he wanted to. He lurched at me and I closed my eyes, expecting the worse—

"Woof!" the wolf excitedly barked and I felt something wet on my face.

"Wha—?" I freaked out, opening my eyes to see that the wolf was... licking my face?!

The monster dog was straight up giving me puppy kisses all over my face, his tail wagging behind him the whole time.

I was at a loss of words, having no idea what the hell to do in this sort of situation. I mean, for God's sake, I was being pinned down by an oversized wolf that was licking my face like a lovesick puppy! There was no telling if this dog was a wild animal or if it was the pet of some creepy guy who was all dark and brooding! Hence, my instincts took over.

As quickly as I could, I twisted around and tried my best to crawl away—

My escape was interrupted when the wolf lurched forward once more. But instead of giving me puppy kisses, he latched his sharp fangs into my left shoulder. Given their exaggerated size and sharpness, the wolf's teeth easily tore through my clothes that so that they could pierce straight into my skin. The sickening sensation of my warm blood gushing out of my wounds and soaking my clothes, only to cool off in the autumn nighttime overtook me.

"HELP!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, even trying to thrash my body around to get loose. It was no use though, because this monster wolf was ten times stronger than any normal dog— and any normal dog was at least twenty times stronger than me! That rendered me inert, limp like a stupid rag doll in the wolf's hold, lying helpless in his grip.

The wolf uttered out a low growl, and I swear that he narrowed his eyes at me as if he were telling me to shut up. And his growl was so deep and bellowing that it was practically on par with a car engine, and its resulting baritone sent vibrations through me.

My luck finally didn't suck ass, because Alaric and Sibylle bolted out of the house as soon as I'd screamed out for help, yet neither of them dared to approach the dangerous dog that held me in his grasp.

"Someone do something!" I cried out as the wolf kept its fangs sunken deep within my skin. Of course it hurt, but my adrenaline was also pumping through my veins at lightening speed, so all my frenzied mind could focus on was getting the fuck out of here.

"Dom— um, Dog! Lass ihn gehen!" Sibylle yelled out, coughing a bit in the middle of her command. Still, her voice was deep and conveyed such authority that it even made me shudder, especially at the memory of our recent encounter.

The wolf huffed, actually sounding annoyed; but then it unleashed its hold that it had on my shoulder. It paused to lap at it with its tongue. Even though I was a total mess, I could still register that the wolf's tongue on the wounds that it'd created felt... good. Not like in a nasty way, but in a way that was soothing. The pain slowly started to fade away, leaving just the enormous fear in its wake.

I tried to crawl away, squirming on the pavement away from the wolf at a snail's pace. This only seemed to make things worse as an immense weight was pressed onto my back— the wolf putting one of his enormous front paws on me to hold me in place. The feral dog even leaned down to nip at my neck with its fangs. It wasn't enough to break the skin or anything's but it was firm enough to get me to stop moving.

Sibylle... sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose?! What the fuck?!

"Hello?!" I huffed at the frozen douchebags, but shut my mouth when the wolf nipped me once more.

I have no idea what the F is going on around here. Just a few moment ago, I'd arrived in Germany, ready to live my painful and annoying life at Dad's house where I'd be cursed to feel like an outsider. However, I hadn't even made it two hours before I'd gotten mauled by some demonic dog! For real, there was something seriously wrong about this wolf. Granted, I've only seen wolves on Animal Planet, this one seemed to be way too big to be normal. And it had the same creepy yellow eyes that Alaric, Sibylle, and Dominik had!

Oh! And no one seemed to be doing a damn thing to help me!

Alaric stalked closer, scratching at the back of his neck nervously. He straightened his posture, puffing out his chest muscles and even clenched his fists. "Lass ihn gehen!" he ordered, his deep voice full of much more authority than the young woman's. There was some sort of bass-like quality to it which made the wolf's stance break the slightest bit.

The wolf lowered itself closer to me on the ground as he hovered over my puny frame. He bared his teeth menacingly and unleashed a bloodcurdling growl full of fury. It was menacing enough that Alaric took a stumbling step backward and held his hands up in front of him.

Even I whimpered at the scary noise, and the wolf in response paused his growling to lap at my cheek with his tongue real quick before resuming his threatening snarls.

Every time Alaric attempted to get closer to us, the wolf would do one of those fake-out lurches. He'd steel his muscles and jerk his head forward, deepening his growls while his upper lip curled over his razor-like fangs. Worse was that I've seen dogs growl like this over a food bowl with one another, meaning that this wolf most likely viewed me as some discount Scooby Snack!

His hands still held up in front of himself, Alaric shuffled his feet forward. His eyes were locked with the wolf's in some sort of Discovery Channel staring contest. "Denk darüber nach. Er hat Angst," he said calmly to the animal, as if it could understand what he was saying. "Wir können drinnen darüber reden."

The wolf actually stopped growling and he looked down at me. His ears fell flat against his head and his tail went between his legs. Huh?

Alaric smiled and nodded encouragingly. D-does he know this wolf? Like, personally?

"Gut! Jetzt sag deinem Wolf, er soll sich entspannen..." he said, and all I could understand was Wolf, so I suppose he really was speaking to the animal! Does Dad know that his husband is the German Eliza Thornberry? I always knew that there was something off about the Stubbe Family!

The wolf huffed and I could see the way its front legs relaxed the smallest bit. It seemed as if it were about to actually let me go and leave... at least until it unleashed another small growl.

"Warten!" Sibylle cried out right at the exact moment the wolf bent back down to bite me again.

It must've had bad aim because instead of getting a good chunk of my flesh, the wolf accidentally bit on the back collar of my peacoat that I still had buttoned up because it was cold as balls outside. But now I'd wished that I'd had the good idea to keep it unbuttoned because the wolf then started to sprint off... with me dangling in his hold!

A combination of my shortness and the wolf's obscene height made it so that my feet dangled above the ground as the frickin' animal ran off with me.

My heart was beating so damn quickly in my chest that my eyesight became blurry, and my limbs were tingling. This was it: I'm going to die a lonely virgin at the age of sixteen, just a few days shy of seventeen. I'm going to be gobbled up and then digested and then shat out by an overgrown wolf! And all without ever having a man, my first kiss, my first date— none of that! Where's the justice in life?!

The wolf darted into the dark forest surrounding Alaric's house. The trees were so closely grown together that it blocked out the light from the nearly full moon, yet the wolf's immaculate eyesight allowed it to expertly dart between the trees with expert precision.

In my panicked haze, I even tried to reach up and manually pry the wolf's jaws apart with my shaking fingers. Of course I failed because the wolf is hella stronger than me, but to make things worse, the wolf actually gave a throaty noise as if he were laughing at my foolish attempt.

No! This can't be the end of me! I haven't even been in Germany for a whole day— I can't die yet! I at least need to get laid first or something! I cannot be the only loser in the afterlife who's never had anyone!

Thinking quickly, I kicked out one of my legs, aiming directly for one of the wolf's front legs. I'd caught it just in time, causing the animal to grunt as it toppled over... directly onto me.

We both hit the forest floor hard, with the giant wolf landing on me and knocking me out instantly.