15. Pretty Doggy

Laura - Sohodol Canyon

We strolled silently down the mountain route. Silence followed as soon as he admitted I was an abomination. I'm not sure why hearing it from his lips stung so much. I still felt more pain from his words than from the stake I once drilled into my heart. The astonishment I felt at not dying is only surpassed by this one today. Why should I care what he thinks of me?

Without my consent, dreams and hopes keep seeping back into my heart. For a little while, I allowed myself to imagine Paul is unlike any other I'd ever met. In my foolishness, I become enchanted by this little spark filled with possibilities, believing that maybe, just maybe, I have discovered something destined for me.

­In fact, this is exactly what I need. His harsh words have to change the way I'm starting to see him. He's no chivalrous knight in shining armor coming to save me from a bleak existence. He's my way out, the key to what I truly need: death.

Disappointment fills my heart like a sack of stones. There's no point in dreaming when reality always dashes my hopes. Groaning, I increase the length of my strides.

First and foremost, I must rescue those girls. It must be just as terrifying for them as it was for me when the strigois took me. Their parents sob in their homes because they haven't heard anything about their girls and don't know whether they'll ever see them again.

I march down the empty road. The wolves closed it, so there’s no chance someone will drive by. It’s great to have an entire natural reservation and let people in only when you want to.

As I watch the sun disappear behind the mountains, the tent appears in front of me. I stroll by it without stopping at our campsite.

“Where are you going?” Paul yells from behind me. Echoes dash from one rocky wall to another, further and further away until it becomes nothing more than a whisper.

My determination is strong, and my steps are resolute. "I'm heading to the village to meet people. Someone must be aware of something."

“I’ll turn soon, and it’s not safe for my wolf to be near humans.”

I don’t look back because he might convince me. “Then stay put, doggy.”

Pessimism looms as I wander down the empty lane, nighttime shadows blending into the dark. I pay little attention to which direction I wander since I know the road leads right into Runcu village.

Nowadays, even the most remote locations have asphalt roads and street lights. The mere fact that I remember carts with horses going through the dirt shows my age better than the way I look.

Good-looking houses with freshly painted fences rise one next to another on either side of the street. The river hums on its path beyond the row of dwellings on the left. I distinguish another sound, a rhythmic click on the pavement behind me.

I come to a halt and glance back. Likewise, the sound stops when the stalker's paw freezes in mid-air. A magnificent, massive wolf stands behind me, his silver mane highlighted by the street lights. I'm sure if he stood on his back limbs, he'd be taller than me.

His eyes resemble Paul’s, but they are darker, wilder. He snarls, showing off his perfect white teeth.

“You’re most welcome to bite me after I save those girls. Agreed?”

A combination of a howl and a bark comes from his throat.

I bring a finger to my lips. “Shhh! You’ll wake everyone up. Can’t you see how silent everything around us is?”

He looks down.

“Perfect idea! Look up for yes, and down for no.”

The wolf growls in displeasure.

I shake my head. “That’s not how we agreed.”

His eyes dart to the other side of the street. A little girl no older than ten stares at him. “Look, daddy, what a pretty doggy!”

A man rushes to her side and grabs her hand while I barely hold back a peal of laughter. That’s the second person calling him "doggy" today. This will hurt his ego. Good!

"I'm sorry," the guy adds, still clutching his daughter's hand. "Does it belong to you?"

"Yeah." I grin. "I know he looks like a wild wolf, but he's been trained and is quite well-behaved." I get a glimpse of Paul out of the corner of my eye and whisper, "Right?"

The little girl frees herself from her father’s grasp and runs toward the wolf. His ears drop when she starts petting him with great enthusiasm.

“Elena! Come back here this instant!” the man yells, scampering toward us.

"It’s safe. Don’t worry." Truly, I don’t know that for sure, but even if I can’t read Paul’s or the wolf’s thoughts, I somehow know they won’t harm a child.

"This is the first time I've seen her smiling since her sister disappeared." The man brings a hand to his face, covering his eyes. He doesn’t want his daughter to see him cry.

“I don’t want to pry, but how long ago was that?”

“A week ago. The police haven’t found anything yet.”

“I’m sorry. Where did it happen?”

He exhales heavily. "She went to the store down the street and never returned."

"Can I ask one more thing of you? Can you give me something of hers? Something that would have her scent? Just in case my dog can find anything during our walks."

The man takes out a scarf from his pocket. “I take it with me everywhere I go to feel her closer. You can have it.”

"Thank you," I respond as I return my attention to the child. She hasn't stopped patting the wolf.

I remember the dogs I had when I was a human girl myself. There was this spot they couldn’t help themselves but whimper in ecstasy.

“Oh, you might try to scratch him at the joint of his front limbs and torso.”

The wolf growls, but the girl does it anyway. His left foot starts rocking in the air as he lets out a frenzied yap of delight. I giggle along with the girl.