11. Evangeline

11

EVANGELINE

I thought being exiled and alone was the worst possible thing that could have happened to me. How dead wrong I was.

The foul man before me, Kraven, should have died a long time ago. Yet somehow, he's found a way to survive, despite his frail build making him look one footstep away from death.

I back away as he extends a hand toward me. The reek of him is stomach-turning, like he bathes in his own excrement.

"I already told you not to come any closer!" I exclaim, hoping he can't sense the fear through my anger-laden voice.

From the looks of it, he can.

"Evangeline, I'm offering you the chance to come with me willingly. "

"Willingly?" I gasp. "What the fuck do you mean by that?"

"I think you know what I mean."

Every word comes out darker than the one before it as if he's slowly peeling off his friendliness. His every footstep is slow and calculated, lurking like he's the predator and I'm his prey.

"When you've been as lonely as I've been for countless years, you come to miss what you can only do with a fellow human," he says, with sinister implications riding each syllable coming from his rotting mouth.

Escape. That's the only option I have. I just need a diversion. Think, Evangeline, think!

"Okay," I say. "I'll come with you."

Kraven stops in his tracks like he didn't expect me to openly agree. His bewildered eyes widen even more as he double-takes.

"You… you will?" he whispers.

"Yeah," I answer, daring to approach him. "After all, we've got to stick together, right?"

I close the distance between us. His shoulders drop as he sighs in relief, dropping his guard.

"Well, I'm certainly glad you're—Agh!"

I pull my knees back from his crotch. He keels over, his light frame collapsing into my arms. I shove him to the ground with all of my might.

I've already spun around and broken away into a full sprint by the time he hits the hard terrain, fueled by the surge of adrenaline.

I run, not caring where I end up, I just need to get away from the violator. There's no way I'm about to let him touch me. Death sounds like a sweeter, more forgiving fate than being Kraven's next victim.

Remembering how he left those poor girls only increases my speed.

But my already pumping heart palpitates when I hear his frenzied pursuit. I glance over my shoulder, spotting my stalker in hot pursuit.

His insane eyes are wide, his teeth baring. Grunts escape with each exhale, the sounds of which engrain themselves into my mind.

A man in his state should not move as fast as he can. It dawns on me that the fact he's been out here for so long gives him an advantage.

He's adapted to this environment. He wears only rags and furs, but his body is adjusted to these conditions. His years of experience thwart my day one position.

And he knows this mountain range better than I do.

"Fuck!" I exclaim, propelling my feet to carry me faster.

My throat is quickly going dry with each breath. My heart threatens to burst from my chest. It feels as though it's about to stop at any moment.

Each beat sends a fresh wave of fear coursing through my veins. My stomach grows heavier, and tears are beginning to fall. The taste as they land in my mouth is a harsh reminder that the settlement has practically killed me.

His footsteps change direction behind me. I glance over my shoulder, watching as he ascends a small hill to gain height over me.

Then, he jumps, brandishing his hands like they're talons waiting to swoop me into his grip. I just barely stay a step ahead of him.

The path ahead narrows to a small slit between two boulders. I throw myself into it and begin slithering as quickly as I can.

Kraven follows suit, only a few meters behind me as I inch forward for my life. The slit grows smaller, inducing a sense of claustrophobia as I can no longer turn my head in any direction.

But nothing's worse than the fate that awaits if Kraven captures me. I don't have to imagine anything, I saw how he left his victims back in the settlement, and I do not wish to join them.

The slit opens back up into a patch of forest. The trees stand tall, thick snow enveloping the trunks and every branch.

Climbing is out of the question. I look behind me and see he is still trying to squeeze through the gap.

I take the chance to throw myself behind a tree. Holding my breath proves difficult as my lungs beg for air.

"Where are you?" he hisses. "Just wait until I get my hands on you, then you'll be in for it, Evangeline."

Fear creases my face with lines of horror as he begins his search, yelping as he checks every hiding spot.

"You think those other whores had it bad? You've seen nothing, do you hear me? Nothing!"

The snow blisters my hands with its bitter coldness as I pinch the powdery white substance. I don't intend on doing it, my body just needs a release from the nerve-wracking tension.

Each crunch of snow beneath Kraven's feet grows louder as he draws nearer to my hiding spot. I can't run without alerting him to my presence, but surely he'll find me sooner or later.

I need a miracle if I'm getting out of here alive and untouched.

But as I think, I feel the tickle of what feels like a million legs inching up my arm. I quietly, carefully pull up my sleeve, horrified at the sight of a prickly insect weaving between the faint hairs on my arm.

Immediately, I brush it off, regretting the whimper of fright that escapes my lips.

"I heard that," Kraven says.

I've just screwed myself. Kraven pops his head around the corner of the trunk just in time for me to shove a handful of snow in his face.

I jump to my feet and run, but his stray hand reaches out and pulls me to the ground. In the blink of an eye, he's on top of me, trying to rip off my clothing like a starved creature tearing into its meal.

Tears sting my eyes as I flail my arms and legs. I see his face, widened with a smile of pure malice. There's nothing human left behind those eyes.

"Kraven, stop!" I yell, my voice breaking and reducing to a shrill whisper.

He dodges my poorly aimed fists, even absorbing the blows that land like they did nothing at all.

"It's been far too long since I touched a woman," he roars, saliva dripping from his mouth. "But you make the wait worth it."

I grab his throat, but he is just far too strong. He grabs my head and slams it down to the ground, dizzying me into a blur. There's no strength left in me. My vision is fuzzy and my hearing is nothing but a constant ringing.

But just as I'm about to be violated, a blur of a black shadow swoops in from seemingly nowhere and knocks Kraven off of me.

I rear my dizzied head up and see the black figure stalking Kraven. I shake my head and clear my vision to see my attacker recoiling in horror.

What the fuck is that?

I look at the newcomer, its back turned to me. Its already towering frame extends as the figure uncurls and stands to full height. My jaw drops as it tenses its body, standing now at least seven feet.

Whatever creature this is, it seems to be a male, for it growls in a deep, gravelly tone, the sound of which shakes the ground beneath me.

"Oh, gods!" Kraven cries as he mutters a prayer.

The monster's jet-black skin is a far cry from the white snow that surrounds him, like ink spilling over parchment paper, darker than midnight. The brightness of the ground around him seems to fade into his figure as though he's absorbing its color.

Snow crunches beneath his curved talons as he advances. I back up against a tree in fear as the creature spreads a magnificent wingspan, his wings cracking and flaring as though they haven't been used in some time.

"What are you?" I mouth, gasping when the monster brandishes claws so sharp that I swear they cut me from simply looking at them.

Between the softness of his wings and the hardness of his claws, I become too shocked to move, frozen like I've been claimed victim by the cold.

Whatever this thing is, he's a living nightmare, but why has he saved me? Or is he just taking out the competition to claim me for himself?

He raises his long claws, flaring as they prepare for attack. I'm too afraid to close my eyes as he swipes at Kraven. My attacker's head falls to the ground, his lifeless body following suit.

"Oh gods," I whimper as the monster turns to face me.

The fear rises, but at the sight of his face, a strange warmth brews inside of me. Eyes as blue as pure ice lock onto mine with an unexpected softness.

His beautifully magnetic gaze compels me to my feet, fear and fascination fighting to topple one another as the monster approaches me.

His eyes pierce mine, and for a moment, it feels as though he's looking deep into my soul.

I don't know whether to crumble in fear, to say thank you, or to reach out and lay a hand on this alluring being.