The touch of her finger on the trigger sent a shiver down her spine. The darkness was her only companion, and the light of the moon only served to obscure the shadows that lurked in the corners of the street.
She gripped the gun in her hand, her fingers shaking ever so slightly. She could feel the sweat beading on her forehead, racing towards her cleavage.
A noise from the shadows startled her, and she ducked behind a corner to hide. She peered out from her hiding spot and saw a figure walking down the street. Cautiously, she followed it, keeping to the shadows as she trailed behind.
She couldn't make out much of the person's features, but she could tell they were wearing a long, dark coat. The person's gait was hurried, as if they were trying to get away from something Or someone.
As the figure turned down a dark alley, she knew she had to follow. She tiptoed after them, keeping as quiet as she could. She had to see where it was going, what it was doing. But the closer she got, the more her unease grew. Something was wrong, she could feel it in her bones.
Suddenly, the figure stopped. She froze, her heart pounding in her chest. She held her breath, hoping they hadn't heard her. Then, without warning, the figure spun around.
She scrambled to hide behind a nearby trash can, her heart racing. She watched as the figure pulled out a phone and dialed a number. Her stomach dropped as she recognized the voice that answered the call.
"Hello, boss," the figure said. "I'm in position and ready to attack."
It was Lowell's voice. Eden felt like she had been punched in the gut. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was the love of her life really a killer? Had she been so blind to the truth? She struggled to wrap her head around it, feeling lightheaded and nauseous.
As she watched from her hiding place, she saw Lowell slip into the shadows. She waited, dreading what might happen next. Then, a little girl and her mother turned the corner, walking down the street. As they passed by, Lowell emerged from the shadows, a dagger in his hand. He grabbed the woman, slitting her throat with a single, swift movement. The little girl screamed and tried to run, but Lowell caught up to her, and the sound of her cries was soon replaced by silence.
Eden couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. She felt sick to her stomach.
She took a deep breath, trying to process the horror of what she had just seen. It felt like a nightmare, something too terrible to be real. But it was real. Lowell was a murderer, and he had just killed two people right in front of her. She couldn't wrap her head around it.
After a few moments, she felt her breathing return to normal. She had to focus. She had to act.
In a sudden burst of courage, she stood up and pointed her gun at Lowell, trying to sound as confident as possible.
"Hands in the air!" she shouted, her voice shaking.
The figure stood still for a moment, then turned slowly to face her. There was something different about him now, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. And then, he started laughing. A deep, chilling laugh that sent a shiver down her spine.
"Cooper," he said, his voice dripping with malice.
"Cooper, you're not as tough as you think you are," he continued, his laughter growing louder. "You're just a scared little girl with a gun. What are you going to do, shoot me?"
She felt her resolve begin to crumble. Lowell had never spoken to her like this. He had always been kind and gentle, even when they were arguing. But this person in front of her was cruel and mocking. They were not the same person.
"What's going on?" she asked, her voice quivering. "Why are you doing this?"
"You broke the curse, what use are you to me?" the figure said, the laughter gone from their voice. "You're useless now."
He snapped his fingers, and suddenly she felt something hard strike the back of her head. The world went dark and she felt herself falling to the ground. When she opened her eyes, she was in a small, dark room, with only a single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. She was trapped.
In the dim light, she spotted her backpack hanging on the wall. It looked like it had been searched through. She struggled against the restraints, but they were too tight, and she couldn't seem to find any give in them.
All the while, Lowell remained in the shadows, his face hidden. But she could feel his cold, watchful gaze upon her.
"Struggle all you want," he said, his voice flat and emotionless. "You'll never escape."
Then, from the outside of the room, she heard a noise.
Lowell walked out of the room, leaving Eden alone. But she could still hear his footsteps, and then she heard a commotion outside. There was the sound of a scuffle, and then gunshots. She could tell that Lowell was involved, but she couldn't tell who else was there.
Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she was terrified for whoever was on the other side of the door. But there was nothing she could do but wait.
The silence that followed was deafening. Eden held her breath, straining her ears to hear anything from the other side of the door. But there was nothing.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and Peter rushed in, a few police officers following close behind him. He rushed to her side, his eyes wide with concern.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice full of worry. "I'm so sorry I didn't get here sooner. I just -" He trailed off, not knowing how to finish the sentence.
"It's okay," she said, her voice trembling.
Peter's fingers worked deftly as he cut through the ropes, freeing her. She slumped against him, still weak from her ordeal.
"How did you know I was here?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Peter paused for a moment, then shook his head. "I'll tell you later," he said. "For now, let's get you to the hospital. You need some rest."
She didn't argue, and allowed him to help her out of the room. The police officers followed close behind them, guarding their exit.
The car ride was silent, and Eden's mind raced with questions. Where was Lowell? And why had the police shown up when they did?
She tried to remember what had happened before she had been abducted, but her mind was a jumble of images and sounds. She couldn't piece it all together. And then, a thought struck her like a bolt of lightning.
What if Lowell hadn't been the one to take her? What if it had been someone else?
Her heart started to race again, and she tried to calm herself down.
The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Lowell was a werewolf, and he would never risk being caught by the police. And he wouldn't have needed to engage in a gunfight to get what he wanted. There was something else going on here, something she couldn't quite put her finger on.
She lifted her head, meeting Peter's eyes. He gave her a reassuring smile, his hand gently resting on her shoulder.
"Everything's going to be okay," he said, his voice calm and steady. "We're going to get to the bottom of this, and we're going to find out who did this."
She wasn't sure how he could be so sure, but she took comfort in his words. She knew that he would do everything he could to help her. She just hoped it would be enough.
She nodded slowly, trying to take in his words and believe them. But a part of her still felt like this was all too much to process. She felt numb, like she was still in a daze.
The car pulled up to the hospital, and Peter helped her out of the backseat. She felt dizzy as they walked through the doors, and everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. But she kept going, one foot in front of the other, knowing that she had to keep going, no matter how hard it was.
As soon as they walked through the doors, a team of doctors rushed over to them. They surrounded her, gently guiding her to a nearby bed.
One of the doctors turned to Peter. "You'll need to wait here," he said, his voice reassuring. "We'll take care of her. Just relax."
Peter nodded, and Eden could see the worry in his eyes. But he stepped back, giving the doctors room to work.
With a feeling of calm resignation, she felt herself slipping into the darkness. She was so tired, and her body ached all over. She just wanted to close her eyes and drift away, to escape from the pain and the fear and the confusion.
As she sank deeper and deeper into the darkness, she felt her mind start to clear. For the first time since this whole ordeal began, she felt like she could think clearly. And as she did, a thought came to her, a question that had been bothering her since the beginning.
How could Lowell do this?