Burning!
Screams!
His hands clenched again around the handle of his sword, staring at one more wolf left standing. His growl would have terrified a human, but he was not one.
"You and your pack will die tonight," Adam swore, pointing his blade at the last wolf before him.
Then, the man-turned wolf came at him. But before his fangs could bite him in his neck, he pulled his small knife and slashed at his throat, making his opponent stumbled into the muddy ground.
Without waiting for him to recover, he stood over the injured wolf. Then, his sword pierced into the heart of his sworn enemy, the beast who killed his mother.
Adam stared at his unique amber eyes for a second, just like him, showing no fear, ready to defend his people up to his last breath until darkness took his life.
The Alpha King of the Orsha Pack, Jackson, died in his hand that night.
Adam snapped his eyes open, and suddenly, he was standing at the edge of a cliff, looking over the vast space surrounding him. His eyes were slightly disoriented as he rummaged his mind for some answers.
He shook his head to clear his thought, not wanting his past as a distraction. With a roar, he released his frustration, allowing his voice to echo in the mountains.
Then, he finally remembered what the witches did to him. They had put him under a spell. But what exactly did they do to him? He still could not tell.
He quickly checked himself but could not find any visible changes in his body. He picked up a thick piece of wood and effortlessly snapped it in half. It was obvious he still had his strength.
Nothing seemed out of place, but he could not help thinking about what those witches did as he remembered the painful experience he had at their hands.
Giving up for the meantime, he focused instead on his task ahead. He would deal with the witches later. He started scouting the place.
He could see the river from this vantage point. He sniffed in the cold breeze, enjoying the feeling of fresh air entering his lungs, filling them to their capacity. Somehow, it felt like freedom.
His head turned to the side and found a deer passing by. It stopped when it sensed his presence. Its head turned to him as if assessing him as a possible threat.
He knew he could have killed it without much of an effort. It would have been a nice dinner for tonight, but that was not his intention today. The deer was lucky to live another day as it galloped away.
"Avana Dumont, be ready because I am coming for you." He whispered this time. A promise that he planned to keep, closing his eyes, remembering his mother's eyes, hoping to calm the beast inside him.
His feet continued on its path, down the narrow trail. Instinct told him that he was near as he crossed the river. He had never been to this place before, but he had heard about it.
Then his thoughts wondered about his bride. Did she stay in this village or continue on her journey to run away as far away from him? He could not blame her. Who would want to marry a man like him?
Then, noises alerted him of another presence. Additional voices also echoed in the trees. He could tell it was just on the other side of those timberlands.
"Here!" He heard a small voice shouted not far from where he hid behind a bulky old tree. He peeked around to get a better view without being seen, careful not to make unnecessary noise.
"I saw something moving behind those rocks." Another pretty voice shrilled in excitement.
He suspected those were probably kids playing on the river, trying to catch some small fish. He was ready to move on when he felt something odd, making him stop, leaning on the massive trunk.
"Careful kids. You might hurt yourself." A melodic voice resonated around him. Her heartbeat and scent also seemed familiar. It was calling to him. It was her. He was positive.
"Kiev, you are getting me wet." Another kid complained, but he did not care about that. He was interested to hear her voice again as he moved stealthily closer to the children playing.
"Kiev, try to be more careful." Her voice floated in the air again, straining his eyes through the leaves to get a glimpse of her.
He could not understand his fascination with her. From the first time he had heard her heartbeat, something inside him would not rest until he found her again.
He had been with many women before, but never like her, not like this. She seemed to be an enigma that he had to solve, a puzzle that had a missing piece.
He finally saw a partial glimpse of her as she moved closer to the three little children playing on the water. She seemed fine, with no missing limbs or visible damage in her body from what he could see.
However, he wished to see her face. She was standing near the water, but she had her back facing him. All he saw was her wild red wavy hair flowing with the wind.
"What is wrong with you?" He hissed at himself, running his fingers through his hair out of frustration.
He had never felt like this before, like a lovesick puppy seeing his first crush. It was not like he would know what that felt like, but he had seen it in movies and read about those feelings.
"Kids, don't run too fast. You might slip and hurt yourselves." Her voice penetrated his ears, but he kept hiding, watching her move around gracefully as if she had always belonged in this place, among these people.
He always thought that he would find a spoilt heiress, complaining about the hardship of living in this backward condition.
But it would appear he made a grave mistake as he watched her enjoy herself, her laughter floating in the wind, seemingly music to his ears.
"You should join us, Ava. The water is so cold." The boy named Kiev shouted, inviting her to join them. Then, she finally moved, slightly turning around, giving him a glimpse of her face.
He could see her resemblance to her mother. Their beauty seemed to run in the family. She would have been a perfect bride but a wife, he doubted.
His mind still raged at the thought of those wolves who killed his mother. Would killing the werewolves be his best option? That would certainly satisfy his father's wishes.
Or should he take the high road in dealing with this problem by fulfilling the witches' prophecy?