Wolf Bound

Chapter 40: The Beast in Disguise

"Yeah. . ." Honestly, it was a bit surprising that we still hadn't spotted an Erebus wolf yet—or much of anything—however, that didn't mean there weren't any lurking in the area. "Amaury, isn't it a little too quiet? I can barely even hear the sounds of nature. You know, bugs and shit. . ."

There was an edge to Amaury's tone as he hesitated, then said, "Frightenedly quiet. . ."

"And is it me or is there something . . . heavy in the air too?"

"No, it's not just you," Amaury spoke, his voice wavering, "something's very strange here. The feeling . . . it's vaguely familiar. I-I can't really pinpoint what it is. But I remember it. A feeling that I felt that very same night. . . Something dark and unsettling."

"Yeah, I—" I stopped when I noticed the trees growing gradually darker the further into this part of the woods I walked. Pitch-black bark covered the once brown wood; as if the trees had rotted overnight. When I looked up again, I saw that a gray sky settled above my head, and the air around me was crisp. Even then, there was no breeze. Just a cool, almost enchanting atmosphere. How could something causing so much unease be so mystical?

"Is that a cottage?" I pointed to the old, dark residence beyond the trees, just a few feet ahead, resembling the size of a shed. "Where the hell are we?" It looked like I'd wandered deep into the parts of a twisted fairy tale waiting to begin—starring me as its main protagonist.

Yeah, screw that.

"A cottage? Wait a minute. Genesis . . . this place. I remember it. Not a whole lot. But I feel like I've been here before. The night I attacked you, Genesis. I think I was here."

I blinked, taken aback. "You were here? At this random cottage in the middle of the woods?"

"I-I think. But dammit. Why was I here?" Amaury growled, frustrated at himself not being able to remember. I'd like to know why he was here too. Was it someone who led him here? But no, he mentioned that he was tailed that night. Maybe something? Sure, if he had a lead that night. Before I could think any further, something caught my attention.

"Amaury, do you hear that?" My ears twitched in response to the soft whispers pooling around me. I could hear them from every angle. Feel them from every angle. Not one voice. Not two voices. But multiple. Exactly how I'd heard the shadow in my head. But I knew this couldn't have been that particular shadow. After all, the voices weren't coming from my head.

"Hear what?"

I frowned. "It sounds like . . . whispering."

"Whispering?" Amaury repeated.

"Shadows whispering," I added, casting a brief glance around me.

There was nothing and no one there—that I could see, at least.

Amaury inhaled. ". . .Genesis, listen to me very carefully. Whatever you do, do not move a muscle. I think you may have just found the location of your sketch and we may be surrounded."

Amaury's warning caused chills to surge to the tips of my fingers. Reluctantly, I tried to move my eyes without moving my body. Still, nothing and no one could be seen. But the thought that they were lurking—watching my every move—and could attack at any moment left me digging my fingers into my palms. Like this was all just some twisted game to them between prey and predator. Maybe that'd explain the strange absence around us.

Now that he'd mentioned it though, this location was awfully similar to what I drew. The trees. The whispers. The cottage, however, was a first.

I gulped; an attempt to force the lump in my throat down. "There wasn't a cottage in my nightmares though. Only the trees a-and the voices."