MTMLF CH 05

Chapter 5

Taming the Wolf

After they finished eating the deer meat, Jania and Alex’s daily routine changed a little.

Every morning, Jania would take Alex outside for a walk. With Alex by her side, guarding her like a loyal bodyguard, she gathered berries and roots from the forest.

When they returned to the front gate, Jania would go back into the house, while Alex went out hunting alone.

“Be careful, Alex.”

“Woof!”

Jania stroked his head and opened the heavy front gate. The large doors creaked slowly as they swung open.

“Phew…”

She let out a long breath, finally relaxing after being tense the whole walk. Still, with Alex by her side, she felt much safer than when she used to go out alone.

Thanks to him, she had even been able to explore parts of the forest she never dared to before. Because of that, she was now bringing home more berries than usual.

Looking down at the basket full of bright fruit, Jania smiled proudly.

“But that forest still gives me a bad feeling…” she muttered.

The forest was full of tall trees that blocked most of the sunlight, making it dark even during the day. It wasn’t cold, yet for some reason, she always felt a chill there—like someone was watching her.

It was probably just her imagination. Living alone in the woods for so long had made her overly sensitive.

“Alex might take a while hunting.”

After setting the berries aside and eating her own meal, Jania sat near the front gate, waiting for Alex to return.

Alex was clever. Whenever he came back from hunting, he would bark at the gate until Jania opened it for him.

Usually, she just waited idly for him to return, but today she decided to make something for him—a toy.

“Not sure if wolves like toys like dogs do… but it’s better than him sitting around bored in the yard all day.”

She tried making a stuffed toy with some cotton and cloth, but the shape came out weird. It looked more like a lumpy stick than a toy.

Back in Korea, the puppy she wanted to adopt had loved carrot-shaped toys. She tried making something like that for Alex… but this one was just sad-looking.

She pulled out the stuffing and rolled it into a ball instead. Then she wrapped it in cloth and stitched it shut.

“There. At least this looks kind of like a ball.”

It wasn’t very sturdy—Alex’s strong jaws would probably tear it apart quickly—but it would last for a few throws.

Jania looked down at her work with satisfaction. Dogs loved playing fetch so much that it usually wore her out trying to keep up.

“Alex will like this too, right?”

Her heart pounded with excitement as she waited for him to return.

Finally, she heard scratching and whining at the gate. Jania rushed to open it.

“Alex, you’re back?”

“Woof!”

Alex proudly carried a large bird in his jaws.

“…You even caught that?” Jania blinked in surprise.

She bowed her head briefly in respect to the dead bird, then took it to the storage shed. She planned to eat half the next day and give the other half to Alex.

When she returned, Alex was sitting calmly in the yard, soaking in the sun.

“Look what I made for you, Alex.”

She held up the ball. His golden eyes followed it.

“Fetch!”

She tossed the ball into the air. It flew surprisingly well.

This was the moment—Alex would go chasing after it and bring it back, just like a dog.

The ball landed on the ground… and rolled away.

Alex didn’t move an inch. He just stared at her silently. His cold, golden eyes almost looked… disappointed.

“Haha… don’t like fetch, huh?”

“Grr…”

Jania forced a laugh and walked over to pick up the ball. Somehow, it felt depressing.

“Strange. All dogs love playing fetch…”

Maybe it was because Alex was a wolf, not a dog. Dogs were used to living with people, but wolves were wild animals.

“Alex, really? You don’t want to play? Not even a little?”

“Grrr.”

Alex snorted and turned his head away.

Jania’s pride was hurt, but she couldn’t force him.

“Well… I guess we’ll try again another time.”

She gave up on fetch for now.

Instead, she decided to work on training him. She wanted to set up a clear hierarchy—she as the master, and Alex as the follower.

“Sit, Alex!”

“…”

But it didn’t go well. Alex had no interest in food rewards or treats, unlike dogs. He simply looked at her blankly whenever she gave a command.

Wild animals don’t move if they’re already full, she remembered.

Alex ate fresh meat every day and went hunting every morning. He had no reason to move just for fun or food.

At this rate, he might start looking down on her completely.

“Sit!”

“Woof!”

No matter how many times she tried, Alex either ignored her or barked back in annoyance.

“Haah… this isn’t working…”

Jania sighed in defeat. Maybe taming a wolf really was impossible.

Still, Alex was calm and obedient most of the time. He seemed to think of her as the person who saved his life. That alone was something to be thankful for.

‘For now, I’ll settle with that much,’ she thought, clenching her fist with determination.

Alex looked at her with cold, pitying eyes, as if saying, Pathetic.

***

The next day, Jania waited for Alex as usual. But this time, he didn’t come back.

The sun was already setting behind the mountains. Jania grew restless.

“Why is he so late…?”

Alex was smart—so smart that he could understand her words, even if he ignored her games and training.

If he wasn’t back yet, something serious must have happened.

“What if he’s hurt again…?”

Her mind flashed back to the day they first met—when Alex had been lying wounded on the ground.

The thought of him being out there again, bleeding and unable to move, filled her with panic.

“…I have to go find him.”

She stood up quickly. Somewhere along the way, she had grown deeply attached to him.

Jania went inside and changed into comfortable clothes for searching the forest—dark robe, loose pants.

“Alex, wait for me. I’m coming.”

Her heart pounded. She was worried for him, but also afraid—she had never gone into the forest at night before.

She looked up at the sky. The sun was gone, and the moon had already risen. Tonight was a full moon.

“…This feels ominous.”

Biting her lip, Jania pulled her hood low over her face, grabbed a torch, and opened the front gate.

The sound of the creaking doors felt strangely eerie, but she didn’t stop.

The pitch-black forest swallowed her whole as she stepped inside.

And soon, Jania’s figure disappeared into the darkness of the woods.