Back to the day in the woods.
Caleb intentionally walked three steps behind Eliza, and had a million expectations for this first meeting which wasn't decided by chance.
Perhaps she would let him lose himself in the honey brown depths of her vivid irises.
…or he would find a way to do that without creeping her out.
Her eyes were the most curious elements of her face, almost hypnotic if you stare too long.
Others loved her luxuriant, fine hair, that billowed like a cloud, to her waist. It now lifted this way and that in the breeze, like the fingers of a ghost played with the silver strands.
He didn't care about the hunt, he wanted to see her again.
They had just walked into the clearing, in a few minutes they would be among civilization.
Eliza, who seemed to be enjoying her wordless conversation with the wind, stopped suddenly. Thank God he wasn't directly behind her, or he would have rammed straight into her back.
She slowly turned in a full 360, her eyes narrowed to slits in suspicion, stepping cautiously among the moist shrubbery. He could see that she was sniffing.
A little confused, he also turned around in search of the tiniest sign of danger.
Her piercing scream sliced through the air and he turned around in alarm to ask what happened when he saw her on the ground, groaning and barely moving.
He rushed to her side, inspecting her body for any injuries.
His hands found the left leg clasped cruelly at the mercy of a claw trap, just above her right ankle where he felt something moist, thick and the scent of her blood filled his senses almost immediately.
It was then that he perceived it, ever so faintly - aconite. Or wolfsbane.
He broke the trap with a snap. The metal teeth was sunken into her flesh, touching bone. An ordinary human would have been amputated.
He could feel her heart rate slowing from the poison and he needed to act fast, like two minutes ago.
He moved in a blur and was in the cabin within seconds.
As far as he was concerned, she was going to either be dead or undead.
He picked the latter.
"Don't panic." Germaine said cautiously.
It was way too late for that.
Eliza having regained the use of her limbs was sitting up calmly, too calmly in the dark interior of her brother's one room hideaway close to his farm.
"Leave." She looked up at Germaine. And kept looking at his bewildered face till he left.
She watched Caleb search her face for something, anything to pin to a particular emotion.
She knew he would find nothing, because she felt nothing.
She stared blankly for a few seconds and directed her gaze to the bloodied handkerchief beside her and then it hit her.
It hit her so hard, she almost physically reeled from the impact of what had just happened to her.
Caleb saw that realization had begun to set in and took long strides across the room to pour some water to drink for her.
"Caleb." Her voice barely a whisper but audible all the same called out.
He walked slowly or perhaps time slowed down, she wasn't sure but watching him move, cat-like, each step seeming premeditated before the next, as if calculating the seconds to a magnitude-7.6 earthquake reminded her of a little quote by Heeglde she never quite understood until now.
"Time is a great dance that doesn't stop when we stop. But like a moment's breath on a feathered wing, it does."
With a clear, strong voice that betrayed the exact opposite of the shaky mess she was on the inside, she said.
"You should have killed me instead."
Peanut.
Meanwhile, Alpha Richardson allowed himself to believe his son concerning Eliza's well-being and followed Alpha Marcus to the Gathering of The Furries.
How he loathed the name.
In fact, everything about this event in particular greatly upset him.
As usual, everywhere looked ethereal. If you ventured deeper into the heart of the forest, the first thing you would notice is the thick fog that blankets the ground, casting an eerie glow on everything it touches. The air is heavy with the scent of wildflowers and damp earth, and the sound of rustling leaves and distant whispers fills your ears.
And as you move forward, you would begin to see glimpses of movement in the shadows, fleeting shapes that disappear as soon as you try to focus on them.
The familiar strange lights dance between the trees, flickering like distant stars in the night sky, and the air is alive with a natural otherworldly energy that prickles at your skin.
As you move deeper still, the forest would begin to reveal its secrets. Ethereal beings flitting through the trees, their translucent wings beating softly as they dart and weave through the foliage.
Some of these beings are tiny, no bigger than your thumb, while others tower above you, their furry bodies wreathed in shimmering mist.
Some are humanoid, with delicate features and flowing hair, while others resemble animals, with fur and fangs and eyes that gleam with an unnatural intelligence.
Werewolves are in that category.
As you watch, you would realize that these creatures are not alone. In the distance, you would almost always hear the sound of music, and the faint glow of a bonfire flicker through the trees.
It's been so long. He thought to himself.
His feet, with a mind of their own, moved towards the source of the sound, drawn by an inexplicable longing fed by his sense of wonder and properly concealed excitement.
He turned around to search for the one person he only cared to see.
There she was.
Her eyes sparkled with intelligence and warmth, and her laughter rang out pleasantly like music.
Her hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall of spun gold, glinting in the soft light.
Each strand seemed to have a life of its own, as they dance and sway with her movements, framing her face in a way that highlights the rich chocolate hue of her irises that seem to dance and flicker with every emotion that she feels.
He is entranced by the way they sparkle in the light, like precious gems, pulling him in and holding him captivated, like a sailor caught in a powerful undertow.
Yana.