Wolf’s Bane

“Would you like to tell me some more about what you felt?” Eron said, getting within inches from Diwana, and whispering in her ear, sending chills all over her body.

His intoxicating smell was making it hard for her to focus on anything else but him. She hugged the blankets even tighter and bit her lip, trying to give an answer to him…

“You wouldn’t believe me,” she said, her eyes reflecting all the bad memories that, what she thought was her curse, had given her. “If I told you…”

“Try me,” he said in the same low tone, their cheeks almost touching, as they pretty much hid their current talk so the kids didn’t get to know about what was happening outside the house.

“Well…” she made another attempt, “At times, I feel like my senses perceive more than usual, and most of those times, I feel like someone is watching me… I also feel really vulnerable and scared when that happens.”

Eron’s hands curled into tight fists, but he made a huge effort to keep his tone serene and sweet…

“That makes sense to me. It has happened once or twice to me before, as well,” was his reassuring answer.

She looked up at Eron, her dark brown eyes wide with hope, feeling for the first time in her life that someone understood her, instead of judging her, for her weird and unexplainable feelings.

Is it possible? Diwana, look at him, do you think such a beautiful man can be a… a freak like you? And yet… she thought, looking for mockery or lies, or anything that resembled doubt on his face, but she saw only concern, understanding, and warmth.

“Really?” Diwa asked, still in disbelief at his concern and agreement.

“Of course, I would never lie to you, OK?” he gently reassured her. He was lost in her sent, attracted by a powerful energy towards her, so strong that he could barely resist holding her and planting a kiss on her soft lips. “Please tell me, where did you feel it coming from?” he asked, back to his resolute tone. “I’ll go check out what’s there and make sure there’s nothing that can harm you or the kids near the house. This is your home, it’s supposed to make you feel safe, and I’ll make sure that you are.”

Look at you, are you playing the hero of the movie now? he told himself. Mr. Assassin, it doesn’t suit you… She’ll be greatly disappointed when she gets to know who you really are… Dammit, Eron!

But his thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice…

“There,” she pointed to a very precise point that they could see through the window in the living room, a few steps from where they were still standing. “And thank you,” she shyly smiled. “I really needed to feel safe again…”

Well then, I might not be a hero, but for her… for that smile… fuck the assassin, and fuck the world, he answered himself with a renewed strength that he never thought he could feel this way!

“Go to the kids, alright? And whatever you hear, don’t come out into the yard,” he said with determination.

“But what about you…?”

“Oh, I’ll be okay. I’m just going to check that place where you pointed out, Diwa, don’t worry,” he smoothly said with his characteristic charming smile.

She nodded and walked into the kitchen but not without taking a deep breath to calm herself, feeling his comforting stare on her back. The moment she was with the kids,Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Eron walked out of the house then inhaled deeply, focusing on all the scents that the air the mountain carried, like before. But at the same time, focusing all his abilities, both as werewolf and assassin, on the spot that his landlady had pointed out.

I can’t help but keep wondering… this situation reminds me of Virgil so much… he would know what to do!

+++

“Hey, what is it, brother?” Young Eron said, approaching his older brother on the rooftop terrace located in the east wing of the packhouse. The young tinkerer/ inventor knew that his older sibling had been spending more and more time up there in the past few days.

“Oh, hey Eron…” Virgil looked his way, relaxing the startled expression that he had as his brother had stealthily approached him.

“We just had dinner. Father kept asking about you, and Mother spent the whole dinner trying to calm him down. What happened to you, are you okay?”

Eron was about eight years old then and still very much open with his feelings, which was why his older brother was still very protective of him. However, what he didn’t know then was that Virgil was making huge efforts to hide his secret from him.

“I wasn’t hungry…” was all that Virgil answered, but his little, innocent brother could see through the half-truth his brother told him.

“You haven’t been playing with me that much either, brother… I get bored because of that. Now you only hide here, alone and don’t even care if Father gets angry and punishes you. I remember before you always tried to make father happy…” the younger boy murmured as he looked down, still standing behind his big brother.

Suddenly, Eron thought of a way to cheer V up!

They used to play wrestling. It was actually one of their favorite games. They laughed and rolled on the floor kicking and biting and never doing real harm to each other, always finishing tired but heartily laughing at each other.

I’m sure my brother misses it too… if we play, he’ll feel better from whatever is happening to him, Eron thought, and with that special skill that he kept training so much, he stealthily moved behind his brother without making any noise at all, and then got ready…

Suddenly, he charged at Virgil, his steps muffled by the artificial grass carpet on the corner where he chose to stand. It also helped that he was wearing no shoes then…

But when he was about to tackle Virgil, the older brother suddenly jumped back in an almost acrobatic move that ended up surprising Eron so much that he lost balance and hit the edge, going over it, ready to fall from a full five-story drop…

“WHOOOAAAA!” the youngest yelled, teetering over the edge.