Chapter 11 Saved

• The brightness and the cold cause Gil to open her eyes. She remains unclothed, amidst nothingness, surrounded by snow and greenery. Everything around her is cloaked in white; it must have snowed heavily during the night. If not for the wolf, she surely would have frozen—where is it now? Was it even real? She looks around and sees no sign of the wolf's presence, not a single footprint. She slept next to a mound of earth that shielded her from the wind, rain, and snow, preventing further harm.
• Alpha Aren has rushed to see her upon sensing her awakening; he spent the entire night strengthening the link to feel her presence at every moment. He sees her looking around incredulously, covered in wounds and still frightened. Gil turns her head, searching for him, so he walks until he is in a place where she can see him without being scared.
• Gil almost convinces herself that she dreamed of the wolf. Then, noises from the forest startle her, directing her gaze towards the sound. And there he is—the great black wolf with red eyes watching her from a distance. He is immense! For a moment, they lock eyes. She thinks he might be one of her pursuers, but the way he wags his tail tells her otherwise. She doesn't know why, but she doesn't feel threatened by him.