“That was not a request.” He said and moved to reach for her injured foot to pull it closer to him.
Alarmed and anxious, Mara felt the urgency to defend herself and moved away from his outstretched hand.
Though she was wounded, which meant that whatever she planned would not make much impact, the beast-man was much stronger than she was and at a more extraordinary advantage form.
Compared to him, she was merely nothing.
But that did nothing to dampen her morale.
It gave it a push.
“Neither was mine.” She said spitefully and slapped away his hand.
He smirked before shooting her a warning glance to tell her that should she make the same move again, he would tear her into bits.
However, she was confident that it was an empty threat since they had destroyed an entire village to get their hands on her, which all but meant one thing: she was even more valuable to them alive than dead.
They wouldn’t go through all that, only to kill her at the end.
Whoever sent them needed her for an important reason, giving her a little hope that they would not kill her, at least not now.
The only thing to fear was the possibility of them having someone to replace her with, and eventually, if she weren’t careful, she would get herself killed.
He tried to reach again, but with the swiftness of a venomous snake, Mara spat on his face directly and drew away.
In doing so, she knew within her that she had awoken the beast within, for when he looked up at her, his face was a horrible mask of anger.
She had never seen so much anger embedded in just one person before.
Without prior notice, he grabbed her by the throat with so much impact that she could feel her bones underneath his suffocating hand.
He looked into her eyes and started speaking.
“You know, girl, when Grimshaw said he wanted you alive, he never decided how you should look.”
He said hatefully and raised his free hand into view.
Mara’s eyes widened in fear as she saw his fingernails start taking another form.
It was as though another pointy end kept hidden within his nails started gradually coming out to the surface.
Once it achieved its full claw length, Mara almost fainted that instant out of fear at the sight of it.
The light from the moonlight seemed to be illuminating the tip and telling Mara how done for she was.
She slowly turned to look at him and perhaps be nicer this time, but what she saw horrified her.
Blazing yellow eyes stared right back at her.
At the same time, Mara could see his claws approaching her steadily from the corner of her eyes.
Despite that, it was not as horrifying as the fact that she was staring at eyes that were so terrifying to the extent that if stared at for too long, it would be like they were devouring your soul from within you.
To think that this morning had started as usual as every other day.
Her family spent the day as any other day without worries or fear and just lived as a happy, peaceful family despite her mother’s occasional episodes.
As the deadly claws drew closer to her face, all she could hear and see was that point where she was in the garden with her mother, tending to the plants in a peaceful mood.
Flashback
The winds were blowing colder, and the sun set faster, with day giving way to an evening that much easier.
Winter was, indeed, approaching.
Mara was helping her mother out in the gardens, surprised that her plants were still alive. Most of the leaves in their garden had turned brown and orange when autumn came, but their herbs, vegetables, and flowers always seemed to flourish under her mother’s touch.
Lucinda Hastings was humming to herself as she picked all the ingredients she wanted from the growing pile of snow.
Mara was sure that the ground would be covered entirely in white by nightfall.
Her father had also gone into the woods to collect lumber for their fire, leaving the two women to themselves.
It was eerily silent as their cottage was situated in the middle of a clearing deep within the mountains. Mara wasn’t sure where the nearest village was, but ever since she was young, they’d always lived far away from everyone else. They also moved around a lot.
Mara had gotten used to the quiet and enjoyed the peace and tranquility it brought to her family.
She also enjoyed the sound of her mother’s soft humming, but her song stopped when the cold breeze blew past them again.
Mara looked up to see that her mother had dropped the basket of herbs she had been harvesting, and her gaze was directed toward the trees. Mara didn’t like the furrow that appeared between her mother’s eyebrows.
It was scarce of her to see Lucinda in such distress. “Mother, what is it?” she asked, lowering her basket.
Suddenly, Mara was aware of just how alone they indeed were. Without her father present, there was no way for her or her mother to defend themselves. A shiver ran down her spine as her mother finally replied.
“There is a bad moon rising,” she murmured, her gaze then turning to the skies. “Bad moon rising,” her mother repeated, her brown eyes looking like they were a thousand miles away.
Specks of snow settled against Lucinda’s olive skin as she gazed at the sky and repeated the words that didn’t make any sense to Mara. Growing more worried by the second, Mara approached her mother, hoping to snap her out of her trance.
“Mother,” she repeated tentatively, reaching out a hand. When her fingers came into contact with her mother’s shoulder, Lucinda finally snapped her attention to Mara.
Mara jumped in shock when she saw the intensity in her mother’s gaze. Her concern morphed into fear when her mother scrambled to her feet and gripped Mara by the shoulders, making the young woman cry. “We must leave,” Lucinda hissed, looking lost and somewhat crazed. “We must leave before they come for us.”
“Mother, you’re not making any sense,” Mara whispered, grabbing hold of her mother’s hands that were gripping her shoulder tightly and breaking free from Lucinda’s hold. She looked deeply into her mother’s eyes, hoping to reach her. “Who is coming? Why do we have to leave?”
And just like a switch being flipped, her mother suddenly relaxed in front of her.
The fog, which had been clouding her eyes, seemed to dissipate as she blinked a few times. The crazed look on her face was replaced by confusion as she looked around them. Then her eyes landed on Mara, who stood wide-eyed in front of her.
“Mara, are you alright, sweetheart?” her mother asked her voice as soft and caring as always.
Am I alright? Am I alright? Mara wanted to ask incredulously as she stared up at her mother. She couldn’t have imagined the whole thing, could she? The woman mumbling crazy things just a few minutes ago was so far from the woman that was now talking to her that she wondered if perhaps she was the one who was losing her mind. Shaking her head to clear them of the terrifying image of her hysterical mother, Mara plastered a small smile onto her face. “I’m fine, mother,” she replied with a sigh before gesturing to the basket that had fallen to the snow. “I was coming over to suggest that we head inside. I think we’ve gotten enough supplies from the garden. Why don’t we get out of the cold, and I’ll make you a hot cup of tea?” Lucinda still looked confused and unsure, but she nodded and picked up her basket. “Yes,” she murmured, her fingers lightly touching her forehead. “That sounds like a lovely idea.” Mara put a hand on her mother’s back, lightly guiding her toward the direction
Mara scrambled back into bed, terrified that they would find out about her eavesdropping. She had no idea there were far worse things to be terrified of than she could imagine. She’d just gotten back under the covers when her mother barged into the room, nearly sending the door flying off the handles. Lucinda was no longer concerned if she woke up Mara. The door hit the wall, creating a loud bang that made Mara sit up in bed. She saw her mother standing by the threshold, her face gaunt and eyes wide. Lucinda looked like she’d seen a ghost, and blood had completely drained from her face. “Mara,” she hissed in a low voice. “Come with me quickly!” Still paralyzed by surprise, all Mara could do was stare at her mother, wondering if she was having another breakdown. She nearly dove under the bed when her mother marched into the room and grabbed her by the arm. Despite her mother’s petite frame, she had enough strength to haul Mara out of bed. “Mother, where are you taking me? What
Something snapped within her; she turned to one of the men and bit into his hand, which held her with all her might. It had been unexpected, so he let go of her with a howl. Next, she turned to the other one trying to hold her in place, and kicked him right in the bullocks as she dashed away towards the forest.“Well, after her!!!” was the command she heard, and she looked behind her to see them running after her.Mara continued sprinting away as all she felt was the wind in her ears till they eventually caught up with her.That was how her once-perfect morning had taken a downturn to the horror-filled night. Her mother and father had just been slain right before her eyes, and her brother, whom she was uncertain of his whereabouts, was nowhere to be found.Right now, from how she sat, her wounded leg hurt badly but not as hurtful as the thoughts of what would occur here.The man with his claws still held her, and she could feel the rest of his part sneering as his hand squeezed her th
Clutching the necklace tightly in her hands, Mara took off running. Her feet sank into the snow with every step she took, slowing her progress. When she heard the snarls coming from behind her, she made the mistake of looking back. Whatever was happening to Anias was over. Standing in the little patch of moonlight that reflected off the white snow, he looked different but also the same. She recognized some of his features, but they were distorted under a thick smattering of fur that had grown in certain parts of his body. His nose had also merged with his mouth, forming a snout that looked like a dog's. Long, pointed ears peeked from his hair, which had also grown longer.A scream built up inside Mara, but when Anias lunged toward her, she turned and ran instead. It seemed that the monsters who’d come for her family were, in fact, real monsters and not just the worst of humanity. No wonder she heard growls, and that howling noise she’d heard from her hiding spot underneath the floor
Mara gasped, awake, and slowly sat up to her banging head as she suffered from aches. Her befuddled brain couldn’t seem to make sense of what was happening. As she came to her senses, the lines between dreams and reality were still a little blurry. She was sure she’d had a bad dream, but she couldn’t recall much of it. There was a lot of screaming and running and… things in the night. With a sigh, she tried to shake away the nightmare and focus on getting started for the day. That’s when she noticed that she wasn’t in her room. She wasn’t even in her bed. No, the mattress was far too large, soft, and comfier to be hers. Looking around, she didn’t recognize any of her surroundings. With the fear mounting inside her and hoping that her dreams just a while ago were not reality, Mara scrambled from under the sheets and dashed towards the substantial mahogany doors that stood sentry in front of the bed. But the minute she did, pain surged through her bones, and she released
The woman stared intently at her out of curiosity."You must be the one he brought home. Strange. He never brings anyone home." She said, and Mara began to feel scared "Him? Who is he?" she asked the woman looking frightened now.Her gray and silver locks were pulled into a tight bun, and dark glasses were perched on her nose, making it impossible to see her eyes. There were wrinkles on her cheeks and hands, belying her advanced age. Despite her shaking fingers, she somehow managed to sew whatever she was repairing. "Well, don't just stand and gawk over there, child. Come and sit." The woman gestured to a vacant chair opposite her. Mara looked between her and the gates, wondering if she should run for it. She was surprised when the woman spoke up again, seeming to read her thoughts. "Would you rather be trekking through that awful garden and climbing past those gates rather than sitting comfortably here with me?"Mara felt her fears and plan sounded stupid when she put it like that.
It had been a dark story all along, yet somehow she could not make anything out of it. It was all a story about curses and how they were being passed on for many generations.According to Sonya, although most believed it to have steamed from the gods, there was every possibility that the less popular and silent story of a sorceress putting up a curse on a lover who had betrayed her was also confirmed.It was pretty confusing, but Mara did not mind.Only a few parts interested her, and that was when the older woman was differentiating between Lycaons and Berserkers. It was a fascinating thing to hear, sending shivers down her spine.The woman had also mentioned the name of her savior to her. It was Sebastian, and that name echoed in her eardrums. It had this unique ring that she could not explain, yet she knew that she had to be afraid of him very much.Sebastian had been explained to her as a berserker who does his things out of code. He has been known by many names and descriptio
As if taking her sight was not enough, he had his men take her into a forest to murder her.That had been when a much younger Sebastian and certainly more carefree had seen them. He butted in instantly(just as he had with her, Mara thought), and then he fought them off to save her.That day he made an enemy of the alpha who called himself the alpha of all alphas. He took her back to this place, where he nursed her into health.Since then, he let her stay with him and would ensure she had what to eat.The more she learned about these beasts, the more gruesome and cruel their stories turned out.She instantly because curious as to who this dangerous alpha was.“Do you remember his name?” she asked the woman“His name? Who child?” the woman asked“The alpha who took your sight,” Mara said“Like the feel of my skin, I do, child. His name is…” she began saying...“And what is she doing out here, Sonya?” a voice demanded angrily.Blast him and his timing, Mara thought.“Sebastian, so nice o