Marie tried to focus through the haze and exhaustion, pushing her weak grasp to catch hold of the windowsill and pull herself up. That was the hard part, on the other side she crashed to the snow covered ground, shivering and wiping the layer of snow from her face.
This was a bad idea...she should have just stayed, built a fire and warmed herself first. A quick glance back over her shoulder passed in longing now for the decrepit cabin they had stored and tortured her in for the past weeks...months...she lost count. Their last idea of leaving her with all the windows opened broke any last good thoughts she had of them.
She'd rather die on her own terms than theirs. Reaching around her torso, her frozen fingers gripped and pulled the blankets she layered on her back closer around her tiny frame. Before the accident she was healthy looking, fit, by no means overweight, but she wasn't what was referred to as stick and bones either. Her capturers diet made her this way and she felt incredibly weak because of it.
She was certain that she'd die out in the woods, but at least she attempted to save herself. Who knows, she could get lucky and find a road or some indication of civilization. "Hopefully soon..." Her steps were becoming less manageable on the steep upgrade a few feet from the cabin she was in. She slipped a few times, soaking herself with the snow and was already thinking about giving up and going back. Looking behind her again found the cabin still in sight. "Yup...definitely dead."
Only the brave or truly stupid would continue. She contended to think it was the latter.
Her pathless wandering continued for hours before she collapsed to her knees, her body refusing to move another inch. Thankfully the shutdown decided to occur in a convenient clearing free of snow. Shaking digits sought the flint she had taken and the small rolled bundle of kindlng she hooked to her belt, perhaps not entirely stupid.
It was hard to feel the stone through the numbess of her fingers, cursing after several strikes did nothing but make her body scream at her from the movement. It needed to be done or she was surely dead.
"This can't be happening....come on!" The scream that tore from her throat in desperation echoed like a large arrow pointing at her whereabouts, but she didn't care. A hard strike was delivered with the last bit of her strength before she fell forward and rolled to her back staring up at the cloudless sky. Well, at least she would die under a beautiful view.
A single tear escaped each eye and rolled down the sides of her face, soaking into her hair. The further collection and burn was deferred when she closed her eyes. When they opened again the silhouette of a person leaning over her made her jump with a start. Lips parted to relieve the building scream of terror when a gloved hand clamped over her hand.
"Shh...Marie. It's okay. You're okay now." His hand lingered for a moment before he was sure she would not scream. When her breathing became even and a tranquil calmness settled in her gaze he removed his hand with a warm smile.
"Wow...I really must be dead...."
--------------------------------------
Marie gasped and sat up sharply in bed. A quick glance around the dimly lit room reminded her where she was. Being in his home brought about a relief she wouldn't be so honest with if asked. A lift of her hands pushed her fingers through her hair in frustration. What was that dream about? It felt familiar but she couldn't recall the little details. They were blurred as if keeping her away from that locked part in her memories.
"Relax..it was just a dream."
With the need for fresh air driving her, she struggled with the heavy blankets, kicking them away along with the books still piled around her. She had read through them late into the night, hoping to find a way around her fate with no hope. Exhaustion with her search must have knocked her out before she was able to put them away. Several dropped with a loud thud causing her to wince and look towards the door. She did not want to wake him.
A pause was taken to listen for any stirrings within the house. When she heard nothing, she pushed the rest of the covers away from her legs carefully and stood. All of her muscles screamed in protest when she forced them to withstand gravity outside the comfort of her bed. The slight discomfort continued to torment her as she grabbed one of extra blankets at the end of her bed and wrapped it around her.
Tiptoeing through the house was a feat in itself. It gave her an odd creepy feeling that constantly forced her to switch attention between the shadows. A part of her, a very small inner child, expected the shadows to come alive and attack her. The very thought made her hasten her escape from the dancing, dark corners.
The creak of his cabin beneath her steps did not help with the self-induced fear and she was more than happy when she finally reached the front door. A glance was given to the hinges praying that they would be kind and not squeak when she opened it. Before she looked back to the handle a familiar fabric caught her gaze and pulled her attention fully to the hanging cloak beside the door.
He kept it... She didn't know exactly how she felt but the overwhelming warmth that settled inside could not be mistaken. Reaching out, she wrapped her fingers around the soft wool and lifted it from the hook.The fur lining tickled her cheek as she wrapped it back around her shoulders and lifted the hood. Something about it protected and warmed her better than the blanket.
Newly equipped for the weather that would greet her, Marie slowly opened the door, puffing out a relieved breath when the hinges did not squeak. Giving one last glance back at the stairs, glad to find them void of Greyson, she stepped out into the frozen air and shut the door behind her.
Not exactly the kind of weather one would want to sit and think in, but she needed to smell the woods and feel the fresh breeze on her face. Picking one of the rocking chairs that lined his porch, Marie moved towards it and was about to sit when she froze.
Her dark ebony eyes stared forward into a pair of glowing ones staring back at her. She could barely make out the line of its dark snout but could clearly see the white teeth beneath when it snarled and the moon reflected off their slick surface. Okay, she was terrified. She had a right to be..right? So what if she was a fated hunter. She didn't want to be.
A quick turn on her heel started her for a run to the door when she crashed into a hard unmoving chest. Two strong hands caught and held onto her upper arms, pinning her against him to keep her still.
"Don't move. Running only entices them to chase you."
Greyson's voice should not calm her after everything that he put her through but she could not help the natural reaction of her body. It molded against him in happy contentment and calmed instantly with his soothing tone. She cursed herself silently and would have pulled away from him but another growl kept her rooted. "I thought you said that your pack wasn't dangerous?"
When he did not answer she lifted her gaze to find him staring ahead at the wolf. He appeared to be concentrating and only when the wolf yipped slightly and walked away did he look down at her. "Why are you out here so late? Trying to run?"
"No," both of her hands lifted to his chest intending to push him away, instead they lingered of their own accord and flexed slightly against the muscle felt beneath them. When she realized what she was doing she snapped her hands back and stepped away from him with a frown. "I came out here to think." Her glare deepened when she noticed the satisfied grin on his face. "You can leave me now."
"Oh no, I think I'll stick around. Seems you need protection." Greyson settled into the rocking chair beside the one she originally picked, watching her expectedly. She should have turned and gone back inside. Instead she sighed with surrender and dropped into the chair next to him.
"I thought you said your pack was safe" Now that she had his attention, perhaps he'd answer her.
"They are. Evan is on patrol. Your scent is still foreign to him so his wolf was naturally on guard." Greyson leaned forward and spread the blanket she had dropped earlier in fear across her lap. He took extra care in tucking it in beneath her legs to try and keep her as warm as possible.
The thank you he deserved stilled on her tongue when his ice blue gaze lifted to hers. There was an unreadable emotion in their depths that increased the drumming of her heart. "Greyson..." She spoke his name only to try and break the spell but her voice came out as more of an airy seduction that deepened the need in his eyes. She cleared her throat quickly and forced more firmness into her pitch.
"Greyson."
That seemed to break the spell. He sat up quickly and licked his lips, forcing his face away from hers to look out over his pack's small village. "Yes, sorry. What did you come out here to think about?"
He still refused to look at her but she was okay with that. It gave her a chance to calm her own reactions and focus on what he was asking her.
"Everything really. I had a nightmare and couldn't sleep. This whole thing," Her hand waved over the cabins spread out in front of them. "It's just a lot to take in. I lived in a world where there were no werewolves. They were a legend. Then I'm brought here and find out that not only are there werewolves, but there are vampires and witches and several other things as well. It's just more than I can handle all at once."
"Would you like me to help you understand a little more? Try to clear the confusions in your head?" With her nod he settled back against the chair and stared up at the moon. "There are many legends on how werewolves began. In truth, no one really knows, we just exist. Records do not date back as far as our existance." He watched her relax against the seat from the corner of his eyes. At least she didn't appear to be readying herself to run.
There was credit to be given. Most mortals would run and want to hide from the possibility that their little world wasn't as they believed. That all the things they told stories about existed. All the scary creatures that went bump in the night truly did creep in the shadows. He reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear before he realized he was doing it. The surprised glance she sent his way had him pulling his hand back.
Instead of apologizing, which would probably make it even more awkward, he cleared his throat and continued. "Each legend told about us holds a bit of truth but not completely. We don't turn only when the moon is full. You have noticed that I'm sure. However, when the moon is full, we are more feral and want to hunt. Our wolves take most of the control."
He looked to her hoping that she would not misunderstand him. "But we are not dangerous. At least most of us are not." She did not look his way but he saw the lifting of her brow in disbelief. There was much he had to prove to her to make up for what she experienced. "Truly. My pack is peaceful, most are. We just are fiercely loyal to each other and are extremely protective of our own. But there are others that have their own agenda. Some have let the power get to them, we call them rogues. They follow no ones rules but their own. It was rogues and young, master-less vampires that caused the hunter movement. They were cruel and killed whenever they wanted. Hunters sought to stop that. And at first we were peaceful with them. But then they started to believe that all supernatural beings were evil and sought to exterminate us all."
By now, Marie turned within the wide seat of the rocking chair, both legs pulled to her chest. She still did not look at him but at least her body language was more accepting and comfortable around him than before. His lips drew up with a smile when he noted this and even leaned a little more towards her.
"The Salem witch hunts were their doing. However, they made the mistake of letting humans take control of that. They started accusing and killing mercilessly. They murdered more innocent people than actual witches."
Marie winced and looked down. She always believed the witch trials of the 1690s were corrupt Christians trying to force their beliefs on people through fear. To believe that they actually stemmed from truth was an odd awakening.
"What about Vampires?"
"Ah, now that one is interesting. You know the author Anna Reece?" With Marie's answering nod he continued, "she was a hunter. The books she wrote were true.The reporter in the interview was actually her. Some of it was changed a little bit to depict killing vampires instead of hunters, but it was the closest printed truth that was ever published for human eyes."
He paused in his story and looked to her, finding her eyes staring out at the moon in deep thought. Then she shivered triggering his protectiveness. He stood up and slipped his arms beneath her knees and shoulders, easily lifting her from the chair. The bridal style hold brought her against the warmth of his chest, allowing her to snuggle closer.
"Let's go inside. I'll tell you more when you're warm."
(There is a part 2 to this chapter. I will be posting it soon. Please vote vote vote and more importantly, I would LOVE to hear what you think.)