Rosalily Dreams (Shifter Chronicles #2)

Chapter One

Chapter One

The sun blazed high in the sky, sparkling rays of bright yellow sunlight glittered down onto the tops of the huge elm trees of Rosalily Woods. The forest floor was hard, sharp rocks and prickly weeds littered the thin layer of grass. The heat was harsh, not even a breeze was offered as comfort as the intense warmth zapped all of your energy. There were few clouds in the light blue sky to offer shade, but the gaze of the sun followed you where ever you went. Golden beams of light streaked through the elm trees with an otherworldly grace, captivating you with the sheer beauty of nature.

Little yellow paws glided over the prickles, rocks and other forest debris, not once slowing or stopping. A bushy tale swayed from side to side, narrowly missing the trunks of the elms that were so large you could barely wrap your arms around them. Light blue eyes the colour of ice shone in the wolf’s face as they darted around eagerly, glancing at everything excitedly.

It had been a week since Genevieve had left her sister behind. Greenwood Forest was her home and it always would be, but Eve needed to get away from it all. Her sister, Tabatha, didn’t understand why she had needed to leave, why she needed to get away. Recalling the worry that swirled through Tabatha’s moss green eyes, Genevieve felt a pang of homesickness. It wasn’t permanent, she’d return home soon...just not now, not yet.

It had been years since Eve had stepped foot outside of Greenwood Forest. She had loved the comforting cold of the snow underneath her feet and the life she’d created for herself there. Even so, that was a hard life as a Shifter, Genevieve could change into a wolf at will and the wolf inside her was craving to run, to feel free of responsibility, to be one with nature. For years Eve had to protect Tabatha, her sister was her responsibility, but now she was old enough to stay out of trouble by herself...hopefully. So Eve left home.  She ran, and kept running until the snow and ice gave way to a lingering heat she was not used to. It was her turn to be a little girl again.

The heat was a refreshing change from the cold. At first it’d been hard for her to adapt since she was used to frigid temperatures, but her long golden layers of fur shed until she only had the one short, fluffy undercoat.

It was late afternoon and Eve trod through Rosalily Wood, searching for a lake to drink from. Faintly, Eve could hear the splash of water against rocks in the distance. Sometimes it was cool having altered senses. With them you could see what wanted to remain unseen, hear what did not want to be heard.

The water was the only thing her mind could focus on. It had been hours since her last drink and her small wolf body craved to feel the delicious wetness slide down her throat and settle in her stomach, cooling her insides. Ignoring the other sounds of the forest, Eve pushed herself towards the water, her need consuming her, her thirst overriding her senses. Eve was so focused on the sound of the running water that she didn’t notice the young man holding the bow.

 Shick! An arrow flew just over Eve’s shoulder, narrowly missing her, making her fur sway from the speed of the arrow. Jumping in surprise, Eve’s thoughts about water melted away just as another arrow flew out of the elm trees. Shick! Instead of missing her though, the arrow pierced her skin and lodged itself firmly into Eve’s side just below her ribs.

Pain erupted and spread across her torso, scarlet blood begin dribbling out of the wound, staining her golden fur around the arrow crimson. Eve stumbled a few paces first, then she tumbled to the ground. She could feel her body begin to rapidly change back to her human form. The pain from the arrow hurt so much that she barely even felt her bones realign, shifting back into a human skeleton.

Grasping at the arrow embedded in her flesh Eve gave it a hard jerk, pulling it from her side, groaning loudly in pain. Rivulets of blood seeped out of her wound, flowing faster and faster with every passing second. Her limbs began to feel weak and her movements sloppy as she moved her hands across her body, trying to press down on the hole left by the arrow. It was useless though and Eve could see dark shadows begin to flutter across her vision. Just before everything went black, she saw something running towards her. Then darkness enveloped her.

Flickers of light flashed behind Genevieve’s closed eyes as she started to regain consciousness. The potent scent of Jasmine assaulted her nose, filling her lungs with the distinctive scent. She made the mistake of moving and a small moan escaped from her lips as she felt a sharp stabbing pain under her ribs. Her hands grabbed the sheets around her, whatever she was on, it was soft. It felt like she was lying on a bed of rose petals. Slowly, Eve pried her eyelids open. The bright, harsh sunlight felt like it was burning through her icy blue irises. Blinking rapidly, Eve’s eyes adjusted so she could take in the scene before her.

It wasn’t rose petals that she was lying on, but a small bed. A jelly roll quilt lay underneath her and piled beneath her head were a ton of fluffy, sunflower yellow pillows. Beside her was bedside table with a vase filled with Jasmine. That explained the overwhelming scent that made her want to sneeze her brains out.

Examining the rest of the room, Eve could see a small kitchen up the other end of the little cottage and a door that led to another room. There was a single window in front of her with the shutters left open. A gentle breeze blew through; it was nice to feel the wind in her hair once again. The little cottage looked as if was made of crumbling stone and appeared to be very old, an antique house. The front door was only a few metres in front of her.  She eyed it warily.

‘How did I get here?’  Eve wondered to herself. Then she remembered the arrow. Peering down at her side, there was a clean bandage wrapped firmly around her ribs, constricting her chest, making her short of breath. ‘Ugh, what am I wearing?’  Nausea rolled through her stomach as she examined the ensemble.  She wore a bright yellow singlet which showed some skin along the hemline and a dark purple skirt that flowed to her knees.

 The skirt seemed to fit reasonably well, but the singlet was too small. ‘Who dressed me?’ That feeling of nausea rose inside her again, creeping up her throat. When she changes back into her human form, clothes didn’t magically appear. Whoever had found had found her naked. Fear wrapped its tendrils around her thoughts, capturing them in an iron grip as she considered everything that could’ve happened to her, everything that could’ve been done to her.

‘Don’t be silly!’ She chastised herself. ‘If someone had hurt you then they wouldn’t have helped your injuries or left you unbound.’  After listening to her own reasoning, Eve felt somewhat better, until she heard the clump of footsteps on wood and the front door being opened. A man stepped into the room.

**~~** Do you think that the man means her harm? Does he know she's a Shifter? Remember to vote and comment! **~~**