Chapter Four

Lillian

I quickly put together a meal of some baked chicken and sides that I know she will love and carefully pack those into the basket. My eyes move to the wall where my cloak hangs. I head toward the hook it hangs on before putting it on and covering my head.

With the basket in tow, I take one last look around the room and sigh. “It’s time to go.”

I head outside and shut the door behind me, casting one glance toward the alpha house. There isn’t a single member of that family in sight, so I turn to head around the side of my house, straight for the woods. A wave of nervousness washes over me as I take the route I know so well. The sun may not have set yet, but it will soon, leaving the path in darkness to grandmother’s cottage.

Yet, though the sun is still shining dimly, the path ahead has an atmosphere that causes the woods to feel more eerie than normal.

It’s going to be okay. There are thirty feet of path before I can get to the house. We do this every single day and nothing ever happens to us. My wolf encourages me from somewhere deep within and I feel she is ready for whatever happens, though I don’t know what good she will do if there is an emergency.

Oddly, one question remains in my mind that I know I’ll never get the answer to. Why does the beast kill everyone near the woods, but doesn’t snatch me from the path between the trees to her cottage?

Right before I venture down the narrow path between the trees, I hesitate and almost falter. One breath in, one breath out. I take a moment to adjust myself, righting my posture and straightening the basket on my arm. It is only a rumor, nothing more than that. Nothing is going to get me while I walk down the path.

Sometimes I think Nigel has made it up because no one has seen the beast. It is only heard. Could it be a trick to keep us in line?

I shake my head and dismiss those thoughts. Those kinds of things could put my grandmother in danger and she is the only family I have left.

As I take my first step into the woods, everything appears to be going as it normally does. The birds and squirrels are playing in the path, but move out of my way as I approach. They are loud this evening, which is a good sign.

But then, out of nowhere, a wind picks up, and a chill is in the air. The woods grow dimmer as the sun hides behind the horizon, casting an even dimmer glow than before.

“No, not this again.” My breath catches in my throat as I realize what will come.

The branches will snap, I’ll hear footsteps, and I’ll have this sense of a presence that seems overbearing in the back of my mind.

I pick up speed, and sure enough, twigs snap quickly off to my right. My instincts take over, causing me to run at full speed. The basket becomes entirely too heavy, even though it was fine a moment ago. It slams against my side as I sprint.

Even though I know I will have a sore spot in the morning with a large bruise, I continue on and focus on the cottage door. If only I can make it there. I just have to make it there and I’ll be safe.

I’m five feet away when I notice the cottage door hasn’t opened yet.

“Grandmother, let me in!” I yell as I make it the last few feet.

I fall to my knees at the door with the basket pressed against my side as I reach up to bang on the door with my fist. “Grandmother! Why aren’t you opening the door? Let me inside.”

I can sense the presence behind me, but I refuse to look over my shoulder to face reality. A rush of warm air touching my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

You are mine, little wolf. I can’t wait until you realize it.

A male voice comes into my mind, causing me to instantly melt.

Mine? What does he mean I’m his? Who even is he?

The door finally opens and I’m so distracted by my rushing thoughts that I fall through the open doorway into her cottage. I slowly crawl inside on my hands and knees before she shuts the door behind me.

But not without taking a look outside first to see what the problem is.

“Child, what are you doing banging on my door like that? You were perfectly safe,” she says as she shakes her head in disbelief.

Her eyes meet mine as I slip my arm out of the basket and flip onto my back. “Something was right behind me. It’s that monster in the woods you said doesn’t exist. What took you so long to open the door?”

I reach up and throw the hood of the cloak off my face.

Instead of answering my question, she looks down into the basket and gazes at what I’ve brought. “Oh, you have fixed that chicken dish I like so much.”

She unpacks the basket while it sits on the floor and I’m left huffing as I lie there.

“Are you even listening to me? I felt the monster’s breath on the back of my neck. What do you mean by that? How was I safe? He could have snatched my head off my shoulders.” I can hardly recognize the sound of my voice. It’s too high pitched and scared sounding to be me.

Grandmother cuts her eyes in my direction as she takes the last of the dishes out and carries it to the table. “You run like that every day, but when I open the door, it’s only you that is there. No beast or monster. Only you. Maybe you are letting Nigel’s stories get the better of you.”

My hand fumbles with the knot at my throat to take off the cloak. Then I quickly rise from the floor and hang it on the hook near the door. Her words just don’t match what I’ve heard. “Haven’t you heard the branches breaking in the woods? If it’s nothing, then what is that and who is taking all the wolves? Surely, something in the woods is to blame.”

Her expression changes dramatically as she glances out the window in the kitchen. It’s like she knows something, but she can’t say.

When her gaze shifts to meet mine, it narrows. “I have my thoughts on what is happening to the wolves, but I don’t have any proof, so I’m unable to say anything about that matter. He only has to kill one or two every so often and there will be submission from everyone.”

I slowly walk toward the living room and sink into the soft chair at the edge, close to the dining room. “Oh, not this nonsense again. You think it’s Nigel doing all of this to scare us into submission? Why would he kill the pack he was sworn to protect?”

She swallows hard and looks down at the table. “It would work, wouldn’t it? Don’t you all submit and believe his stories so he continues to rule?”

Even though her words are logical, neither of us has proof that he is really behind the killings.

She looks over at me and smiles. “Come on, let’s eat before it gets too cold.”

I slowly rise and head to the dining table. Once seated, we fall into a silence as we fill our plates and time seems to pass slowly, but we finish without a single word.

Grandmother rises from the chair first and begins gathering the plates, so I quickly rise to help her.

Suddenly, the distinct howl of the alpha signaling the run fills the air. I quickly put the dishes in the sink and move to the kitchen window to look out. My fingertips gently press against the glass as I peer outside.

Howls of the other pack members join in and I’m left with a sense of longing.

“Your wolf wants to be free, doesn’t she?” Grandmother looks over me and I barely see the tilt of her head in my peripheral vision. “I can tell by the look on your face.”

“More than anything, but there is nothing I can do to change it. She is caged within me and I don’t know that she will ever be free to run. The only freedom I’ll ever have is if we escape here.” I lift my fingers from the glass and notice the prints left behind.

With the sleeve of my shirt, I clean the window.

Grandmother scoffs. “You are even cautious in my house and clean as if you are with the pack. If I could, I would challenge Nigel and see how he does with a round two.”

I notice she is getting worked up, which causes her to cough. Without hesitating, I walk over and pat her on the back. “Grandmother, you can’t challenge him or get worked up like this. He may not be the best alpha, but he tries to keep us safe from whatever is haunting the woods. Nigel isn’t all that bad.”

“Safe is a relative term, dear,” she says as she clears her throat. “If there is truly a monster in the woods, shouldn’t he vanquish him and rid the pack of the issue? No, he takes weird steps to keep you safe, but does it really work? A great alpha takes care of issues, just like your grandfather. Nigel is a coward.”

I take a good look at her and notice the way she straightens her posture. It makes me smile as I think about her leading the pack by my grandfather’s side. She must have given them a run for their power back then. The admiration fades into curiosity as I think about her words.

They seem too planned out, like she’s trying to tell me something without being direct.

“Grandmother, is there a monster in the woods?”

She chuckles as she moves away from me to head to the kitchen sink. “It depends on what your definition of a monster is. If you asked me who I thought was a monster, I’d say he leads this pack.”

Before I can utter another word, a familiar sound of a howl resonates through the air again. This time, I’m surprised by it. I turn and look out the window, only to see a pair of red glowing eyes in the darkness of the woods.

They quickly fade as a second howl sounds.

“Grandmother, why is he howling like that? That means there is trouble, right?”

She turns away from the sink, a dish in her hand. I can tell by the look on her face that she’s about to tell me not to react, but I turn and am already heading for the door.

There’s a thump behind me, causing me to turn as my hand clasps the knob. I make sure she’s okay and then look at the door.

“I have to go. My wolf won’t allow me not to.”

She clutches onto the countertop, panting and nodding. “You really should let the alpha deal with this. You can’t even shift, so you can’t help them.”

“Grandmother, I have to go. You know that I’m secretly stronger than any of them, even like this. If something is truly wrong, I need to be there.” I close the gap between us and gently place a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll return tomorrow evening to bring you dinner. Please be safe while I’m gone.”

I slowly pull away from her and walk to the door to grab my cloak from the hook. As I secure it around my throat, I hear another howl. Something is wrong and I have to get there quickly.

As I open the door, I peer into the woods, but don’t see the pair of red eyes I caught a glimpse of a moment ago. Suddenly, I feel her grip on my arm. My head turns to the right to look over my shoulder.

She has my basket in her other hand, and she gives it to me. “Don’t forget your basket. I’ll clean the dishes up and leave them on the counter. They’ll be ready for tomorrow’s meal.”

“Thank you,” I whisper. “And please remember to be careful, as I’ve asked you.”

She chuckles under her breath and slowly lets go of my arm. “Oh, child. I know I’m old, but I’m always careful.”

I give her a nod and ease out the door, allowing it to close behind me. Dreading what lies ahead, I take a timid step. “It’s only thirty feet to the clearing. Surely, I can do this.”

Normally, I don’t go through the woods after dark because it seems like that is when most of the killings occur. I almost debate turning around and going inside as fear grips my heart, but I hear another howl and have to go.

I slowly make my way toward the woods. With every sound I hear, my breath catches in my throat and my heart pounds in my chest. I pick up my pace as the branches snap and heavy footsteps are heard nearby to my left.

“You are not going to get me.”

I do the only thing I can think of and run down the path with my basket crashing against my side. My eyes are focused on the opening ahead.

Once I’m off the path, I turn and look at the woods, waiting for something to pop out, but nothing ever does.

Instead, I hear that man’s voice again.

You’re mine, little wolf. You can’t run from your destiny forever.

I swallow hard as I try to figure out his words. “What destiny are you talking about?”

He never answers, and I’m left with more questions than before.