Eleanor inhaled sharply as she sat up abruptly, her heart pounding. Sweat soaked her forehead. She swallowed the lump in her throat, still panting.
The horror of that night haunted her every night for the past 13 years. She could still visualize blood streaks on the evil woman's cheek.
"Mamma," she muttered as she clutched the blue gemstone pendant around her neck. It was all she had of her mother.
"I miss you." Eleanor sobbed as she stroked the gemstone with her thumb.
She had no notion of who that awful lady was. She had asked Valeria several times but had received no response. Her aunt had only told her that the evil woman was after her. Valeria's caution not to use her power to keep that woman from finding her lingered in her mind. The woman might bring calamity to her loved ones if she ever tracked her down. This notion prevented her from using her power. It was better to be treated as a weakling than to bring calamity to her aunt's family.
Eleanor clambered down from the bed and went to the window. She looked out in a trance, still holding the blue pendant. Although she was concerned for the safety of her loved ones, she desired to find that evil woman. She wanted to kill her for murdering her parents.
"We will meet someday," she hissed, tightening her grip on the pendant, her eyes growing steely.
Birdsong echoed in the air as the first rays of daybreak dispelled the darkness. Eleanor went to the bathroom to freshen up. She needed to go get some more herbs for her aunt before heading to the packhouse.
At the packhouse…
Knock-Knock-Knock…
The urgent knocks on the door disrupted Zane's sleep. He groaned and rolled out of bed.
"Who is it?" he asked as he walked up to the door.
"It's me," Lucas's voice rang out from the other side of the door.
Zane opened the door and regarded him with a squint. "What is the matter?" he asked.
"The rogues attacked at the border," Lucas reported. "Several guards were injured, and one was killed."
"They have infiltrated the border once more," Zane growled, wrinkling his nose. "I am going to kill them all." He rushed out in his pajamas, Lucas trailing behind him.
They stripped naked as soon as they entered the forest. They swiftly transformed into wolves and rushed towards the border.
"Ah…"
Their ears perked up when they heard a shrill cry of a woman. They exchanged glances before speeding up.
Zane saw a woman running, a rogue chasing after her. He grew infuriated when he noticed that the woman was the new cook of the packhouse.
'What the hell is she doing in the woods at this hour?' He raced towards her.
Eleanor clenched her fists tight and ran faster. Her palms were on fire as the magical light was about to burst out. She could have killed that rogue in seconds, but Valeria's warning kept her from doing so. All she wanted was to rush to a safe place.
She tripped on a tree root snaking through the undergrowth and fell on her face. She immediately turned to look back and saw the brown wolf lunge at her. Before the wolf could land on her, a massive black wolf caught it in the air and plummeted with a loud thud to the ground.
Eleanor was so shocked that she couldn't even scream. She remained frozen in place, watching the two wolves roll onto the ground.
The black wolf seemed far stronger and nimbler than the brown one. It ripped the opponent's throat in no time.
A group of rogues charged toward them. Another black wolf, which was more or less equal in size to the first one, blocked their way.
Eleanor sprang to her feet and attempted to flee, but she stumbled back as she felt excruciating pain in her left leg. She winced and looked down at her leg, only to find a deep cut on her ankle. The wound bled profusely. She ripped the bottom of her gown and wrapped it around her wound.
Growling and bone-crushing still reverberated in the air. When she looked up, she saw the two black wolves still fighting with the rogues while some dead bodies piled up on the ground. The throats of the corpses sliced open, thick blood dripping from their wounds.
The scene was enough to make Eleanor's blood run cold. Some horrible memories from her childhood flashed in the back of her mind. She wanted to get up and flee. But she remained glued to the place, watching the wolves gashing each other.
The black wolves killed the remaining rogues in no time. One of the black wolves rushed towards her, growling ferociously and scrunching up its muzzle.
"Ah…" Eleanor let out a shrill cry. She shielded her face with her arm.
The anticipated pain did not come to her even after a few seconds. Besides, the surrounding grew strangely silent. Eleanor trembled in dread, not daring to lower her arm and take a look.
"Are you okay?"
Eleanor slowly drew her arm down and looked up, only to meet Lucas's limpid black eyes filled with concern. She looked at him up and down, wondering when he came here. She gradually realized that one of the black wolves was undoubtedly Lucas.
Who was the other one?
'Zane…' This was the first name that emerged in her mind. She looked around and found him dressing up a little away from her.
Eleanor blushed furiously, thinking Zane was fully naked a while ago. She withdrew her eyes instantly.
"You got hurt," Lucas said as he crouched down beside her. "Did it bite you?" He held her shoulders and inspected her from head to toe carefully.
"No…" Eleanor shook her head. "I tripped upon a rootstalk."
Zane's eyes grew cold when he noticed Lucas sitting so closely beside Eleanor. He wondered why Lucas took such good care of her.
'Does he have feelings for her?'
His face turned gloomy as soon as this question crossed his mind. He didn't like the thought of Lucas having feelings for Eleanor. When he saw his hands on her shoulders, his doubt intensified.
'What the fuck? Why is he holding her?'
Zane scowled, his eyes digging holes in Lucas's hands. He wished he could rip his hands off.
'Wait… Why am I thinking this way? Humph…' He snorted and looked aside. "I don't mind if she has an affair with Lucas," he muttered.
However, he couldn't stop looking back at them. This time, he noticed Lucas checking Eleanor's wound on her ankle. His heart twinged when he saw her blood-stained foot. His legs moved towards her unwittingly.
"The cut is deep," Lucas said with concern as he bandaged her wound. "You will need more time to recover."
Zane came to a halt on the track, his eyes turning cold. Lucas's meaningful remark reminded him that Eleanor was wolf-less. Undoubtedly, she would not have the regenerative ability to heal her wounds faster, like the other werewolves.
"Ask her why she was roaming around in the woods so early in the morning," he grumbled fiercely, looking at the distance. "Does she not know how dangerous the woods can be for someone like her?"