Chapter 10 The ambush of Elsie

Eventually, Madriod stumbled upon a clearing where he found Elsie, sitting on a moss-covered rock, her eyes reflecting a mixture of fear and confusion. She had sensed the tension in the air and awaited Madriod's arrival.

"Elsie," Madriod spoke softly, kneeling beside her. "We need to leave now. Dewin knows your secret, and he won't hesitate to use it against us."

Tears welled up in Elsie's eyes as she realized the gravity of the situation. "Madriod, I never wanted this for us. I never wanted to endanger your life or mine. I should have been more careful or never gone out of the camp into the woods."

"Werewolves are meant to shift form into their wolf side every three weeks to let their growth occur, and I have been delaying mine for a while. Since I am in the human pack, I thought I could do it in the woods without being noticed, not knowing someone had seen me," Elsie muttered faintly.

Madriod cupped her face gently, his eyes conveying both determination and love. "We'll face this together, Elsie. I won't let anything happen to you. But we need to be smart about it. We can't stay here. Tomorrow, first thing at dawn, we will get you to safety before they arrive looking for you."

"Let's go to sleep. It has been a hard day, and we will have a long day tomorrow," Madriod offered while taking her hands.

They both walked into the small hut with troubled minds that seemed to convey the weight of their heart matters without words. Laying down on their raffia bed, Elsie's mind was clogged with uncertainty about the incident happening now. She felt miserable about leaving Madriod and venturing into a new start. She turned uneasily and knew that sleep would come only after a long while.

Madriod lay with his back against Elsie, his thoughts racing through the impending challenges. The moon cast a silvery glow into the hut, highlighting the edges of their intertwined hands. In the stillness of the night, Madriod's voice cut through the darkness.

"Elsie, we'll find a way out of this. I promise you, we'll find a place where we can live freely without the fear of judgment."

Elsie turned to him, her eyes searching his face for reassurance. "Madriod, I never meant for any of this to happen. I never wanted to put you in danger."

Madriod gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "We can't change the past, Elsie. What matters now is how we face the challenges ahead. I won't abandon you, no matter what."

As the night wore on, they shared whispered promises and quiet moments of solace, clinging to each other in the face of uncertainty. The soft rustling of leaves outside seemed to echo the turbulence within their hearts.

Earlier...

Meanwhile, back in the village, Dewin was plotting his next move. He knew Madriod wouldn't go down without a fight, and the revelation of Elsie's secret would cause ripples through the community.

Dewin, one of the senior wolf hunters, gathered the rest of the group around him as they sat around a campfire in the woods. He cleared his throat and looked each of them in the eye, his expression serious and determined.

"Friends," he began, his voice low and menacing. "I have something to tell you. Something that will change the way you see our community forever."

The other hunters looked at him warily, sensing that something was amiss. They had all heard rumors about Elsie, the mysterious woman who had been seen with Mario on several occasions. But they had dismissed these rumors as nothing more than gossip and hearsay.

"Elsie," Dewin continued, his voice growing louder and more insistent. "The woman who has been seen with Mario on several occasions... She's not just any ordinary wolf. She's a werewolf."

The other hunters gasped in surprise at Dewin's words, their eyes widening in shock and disbelief. They had never heard of a werewolf before, let alone seen one in person.

"A werewolf?" one of the hunters repeated, his voice filled with fear and uncertainty. "What does that mean?"

Dewin leaned in closer, his eyes filled with malice and greed. "It means that she's not just a wolf," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "It means that she's a danger to our community, a creature that poses a threat to our very existence."

The other hunters looked at each other warily, sensing that something was amiss. They had always believed that wolves were dangerous creatures, ones that posed a threat to human society. But they had never imagined that there was something more sinister lurking in their midst.

"What should we do?" another hunter asked, his voice trembling with fear and uncertainty. "Should we hunt her down like any other wolf?"

Dewin smiled at them, his lips curling into a cruel smile. "That's exactly what we should do," he said, his voice low and menacing. "We should hunt her down like any other wolf and put an end to this madness once and for all. Tomorrow morning before dawn, we will march to her camp and ambush her, we can't let her get away."

The other hunters nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with fear and uncertainty as they prepared to embark on a dangerous mission early morning before dawn to hunt down Elsie and put an end to her reign of terror once and for all. Little did they know that their actions would have devastating consequences for all.

The first light of dawn painted the sky in hues of pink and orange. Madriod, true to his word, woke Elsie gently. "It's time. We need to go before anyone realizes you're missing."

Elsie nodded, a mixture of gratitude and sorrow in her eyes. They moved quietly, slipping away from the hut like shadows in the early morning light.

As Madriod and Elsie navigated the dense forest, Madriod couldn't shake the worry for what awaited them. "We need a plan, Elsie. We can't wander; they'll catch up to us."