At first, she had only wanted to watch from afar, to know what was happening. It was her curiosity nagging her. Or maybe it was fate. But whatever it was, had pulled her right into the heart of the horror that was fast unfolding in the tiny village of St Yvon.
Screams echoed through the village, as she watched people scramble for their lives helplessly while soldiers wearing the same crescent insignia that she had spotted the night before wreaked havoc in the narrow mud-paved lanes. But they were not the reason for the screams that echoed through the place.
Eve tensed, watching the butcher's boy, desperately pushing his shaking legs to move. The fear in his eyes proclaimed what he was running from, loud and clear. He was barely ten. She remembered the boy and his group of young delinquents calling her names as she passed by the butcher's shop every day. She hated them. Yet, at that moment, her heart shuddered at the thought of what could happen to him.
She watched as a giant beast emerge from the roofs of one of the smaller houses, its huge paws thudding against the tiles, splitting them under its strain. It growled, narrowing its eyes as it scanned the area for the boy- a predator on the hunt for its prey.
A shiver ran down her spine as she contemplated the risks for the last time. Then without hesitation, she darted forward, pulling the boy quickly behind her as she dashed behind the broken cart piled high with now leaking sacks of grain once again.
"Mmmmf!" The butcher's boy protested, his scream muffled by her hand as she barely kept his struggling body from toppling them both to the ground. `
"Keep quiet, boy!" Eve hissed, tightening her grip on his arm in irritation. "I'm doing you a favor."
The boy stopped struggling, his heart thumping against his chest violently. He nodded his head as if in agreement. Eve sighed, her attention momentarily slipping towards the beast on the roof as she relaxed her hold on the kid. Before she realized it, the boy slipped from her hands, pushing her back as he darted back into the panicked crowd.
"Slut!" He called behind him as he glanced back at her with venom in his eyes.
Eve's eyes widened at the stupidity of the boy. She glanced to the side, just in time to see the beast's hungry gaze land on him. It thumped its paw on the tile, emitting a nerve-wracking growl before it shot forward, disappearing from her sight within seconds. With a thud, it landed right in front of the boy.
He screamed at the top of his lungs, taking a sharp turn as he started running towards the opposite side. Eve cursed under her breath as she realized what the boy was trying to do. She had barely gotten up from the ground when he jumped over the cart, landing right beside her.
"What do you think-"
Before she could finish the question, a crash sounded to her right, bringing along with it a gust of wind as the dilapidated cart crashed against a tree. Eve cursed under her breath as she felt a rumble from ahead. The giant wolf growled, its yellow eyes narrowing at the two of them in rage.
Suddenly the boy grabbed her arm. "Here! You can eat her!" He screamed, thrusting her forward. "She's more fleshy than I am!"
Eve stumbled forward, her legs wobbly as she stopped a bare few inches from the creature. A million thoughts swam through her head as she raised her head, only to meet the hungry gaze of the giant wolf. The yellow in its eyes sparkled as the sun dove behind the surrounding mountains, wrapping everything around them in a soft blanket of darkness.
The creature's foul breath slapped against her figure, sending shivers down her spine as it leaned towards her with murderous intent. As she stared at death on its face, a pair of golden eyes flashed in her head, sparkling against the midnight sky as it stood tall against the long blades of grass in the forest clearing, its black mane blending in with the blanket of darkness covering the two of them. Somewhere in her heart, a knot came loose.
Her mother's voice rang in the back of her mind.
'One day you will remember it all, Eve.' Meredith said, her voice full of sorrow. 'Until then, know that they're not your enemies.'
Eve took a deep breath, shuddering as she did. The memory took her by surprise. That was her mother's last words to her- a woman who she now knew was shrouded in secrets that she'd never be able to understand. The beast before her roared, baring its deathly fangs at her in threat.
She closed her eyes, knowing that there was nothing that she could do. There was no running from a wolf. She knew that much. And the creature before her didn't seem like any ordinary beast. She could hear the boy whimpering in fear from behind. The cold wind of the night pushed through the village, bringing with it the metallic scent of blood and something else. Something pleasant.
"Stand down, Mitya." A deep voice boomed from ahead. Eve opened her eyes, startled by the proximity of the sound.
Her gaze immediately fell on a broad back, its muscled contours straining against the white muslin of a silken shirt. Short waves of soft blonde hair fanned the man's shoulders, falling lightly against the material of the cloth. A long black coat hung loosely from his right shoulder, as the man stood between her and the wolf that seemed to have stepped back a few inches in fear.
"Ivan, call back the hounds." The man said, raising an authoritative hand over his head, signaling someone with his pale fingers.
In the blink of an eye, a man appeared to her right, dressed in a well-fitted purple coat much like most of the soldiers out there. Her eyes widened as she recognized the man from last night. Not once did he glance at her. Bowing silently at the man before her, he pushed two fingers into his mouth, blowing a high whistle that almost shattered her eardrums.