Chapter Two
CHAPTER TWO
I woke up to the sound of howling.
It wasn't the distant, lonely cry of a wolf on some faraway ridge. It was close, deep and “early”. The sound echoed through the trees, slipping through the cracks of my cabin like a whispered warning.
I bolted upright in bed, heart hammering. The glow of the moon poured in through the window, lighting the surrounding woods. For a moment, I thought I saw something move, a shadow shifting between the trees.
The howling stopped.
The silence that followed was even worse.
My breath came fast, my skin prickling with the same feeling I had earlier, that unusual sense of being watched.
I squeezed my eyes shut. It's just the wilderness. Just wolves.
But deep down, something inside me knew that it wasn't just an animal. Maybe I was being paranoid.
By morning, I still felt uneasy. I decided to distract myself by heading into town, maybe a busy street and normal people would make me feel less like I was being hunted.
Duskwood was so small that I could walk everywhere.
As I walked into town, I noticed something strange. People watched me, but not in the way they had last night. Their eyes weren’t curious anymore. They were wary.
I stepped into the bookstore where I saw a sign for an available vacancy.
I was surprised to see the woman from the grocery store here. Was she following me or something?
“Did you sleep?*
I frowned. “Not really.”
She smiled and snapped the book she was reading shut. “Figured.”
“You work here too, or?”
“My dad owned it before he died. Probably the best place to check if you're curious about Duskwood. This bookstore has been passed from generations to generations, so, yeah you know the drill.”
“Nice.” I replied not exactly interested in her ancestral information.
“I know you're here because of the sign outside. We've never hired strangers, but you don't seem like a stranger.”
“Thanks, I think?”
She smiled and handed me the keys.
“Closing time is 6pm. We do not stay out late in Duskwood.” She said going back to the book she was reading.
*What's that?” I asked out of curiosity of the image I just saw.
She hesitated before turning the book so I could see it properly. The page she was reading had an illustration of a wolf with golden eyes.
Something about it made my stomach twist.
“Do you believe in legends, Lia? She asked softly.
I scoffed. “What kind of legend?
She didn't answer. Instead she leaned in slightly. “Duskwood isn't like other towns.” She said, carefully.
“I figured that out already.” I said folding my arms.
She continued. “The Nolan’s family run things here. People don't cross them.”
I frowned. “Like some kind of Mafia?”
She shook her head. “No, it's more than that. They're different.
“Why's everyone acting like they're some kind of gods?” I asked. It looked like everything Quinn said was leading me into more confusion.
“Edgar’s family has a pack.”
“A pack of what?”
“Werewolves.”
“Excuse me?” I said. Werewolves and vampire stories weren't a myth? Was this the reason mom never allowed me to play in the woods?
She shook her head. “Nothing. Just be careful, alright? And don't come out of your room at any time of the night.
I stared at her but she refused to say more.
At night, I couldn't sleep, so I sat on the bed wrapped in a blanket as the wind whispered through the trees.
I wasn't imagining things. Something was definitely happening in this town, something big, something strange.
Then in the distance, I heard it.
A low, guttural growl.
My breathing became hitched.
I turned towards the woods.
Golden eyes stared back at me from the darkness.
I froze.
Then just as suddenly as they appeared, they vanished.
A rustling sound. A snap of a twig. Something or someone was walking away.
My mom's warning kept playing In my head.
“Never go into the woods.”
My heart was racing.
I wasn't just being watched.
I was being hunted.