Rebecca’s story
I could hear Eve’s words, but to believe them was impossible. It was like listening to my grandmother’s bedtime story.
“Look, I know it’s hard for you to believe me, but I swear I’m not lying. Dominic is in danger.” She repeated to me, pressing the words. And just then, a frantic, uncontrollable laughter erupted from the depths of my soul. I didn’t mean to laugh like that, but it was sounding ridiculous.
“Excuse me, but 100 years ago, werewolves, you and Dominic, all of this overwhelmed me,” I justified my laughter then Eve took a step back.
“Jane was only 16 when a wolf the size of the ones that attacked you took her life. She and Dominic were in love, but my husband, Zack Barnett, never agreed. But I admired their devotion, the love they shared apart from our eyes. It was the only way they could express themselves. Neither Dominic nor Jane were werewolves, they were humans. The day Jane died, Zack ordered me killed, too, only I don’t know by what power I escaped. He sent his most trusted man to take my life. He bit me, but I didn’t die. I turned into a werewolf. Zack doesn’t know I’m alive. Or sort of. And the one who attacked Dominic and Jane and then had me eliminated was none other than Tom” Another slap, this time it was stronger.
“Tom? My fiancé Tom?”
“I don’t know any other! Your fiancé was also a werewolf who I still haven’t figured out why he killed Jane.”
“And how did Dominic become... a wolf?”
“Not a wolf, a werewolf. He’s totally different. Anyway, his father William arrived too late on the mountain trail where they had been attacked. Dominic’s mother never wanted her son to be a creature of the night, so she never agreed to his transformation. But his injuries were too dangerous and put his life in jeopardy. His only salvation was immortality, so she begged William to disregard her plea and turn him. Unfortunately for my Jane, it was too late.”
I knew Eve as a strong woman. I didn’t know she’d been through so much. Regardless of the fact that she was a werewolf, she was a grieving mother after the death of her daughter. Tears were streaming down her face, so my soul softened and fear disappeared. I gently moved closer and clasped her hands, kneeling before her.
“I’m sorry, Eve. You’ve suffered a lot and...” but I didn’t get to say all I had to say as a similar lightning bolt tore through my body again, only this time the pain was greater and it knocked me to the ground.
“Becca, are you okay?” Eve winced worriedly, gently stroking my hair and helping me up. That’s when I realized that maybe what I was feeling wasn’t random. Something was going on with Dominic. It seemed like I was going through every pain he was feeling.
“I’m fine, I just felt Dominic again” The next second and without help I stood up. “What should I do?” A wide smile spread across her time-wrinkled face.
“Stand back and don’t panic, please. We’ll get there faster this way,” and as soon as she finished saying that, a howl escaped her chest. Bones cracked, sharp claws appeared on her hands and fangs took the place of teeth. “Get on me and hold on!” How could I have heard her? “It’s telepathy, my darling. You as the Luna can hear us and also the Alpha meant for you. Now hop in and let’s go. Dominic needs you.”
I still had difficulty believing that Dominic could take on this appearance, but how else could I explain what I had just felt and seen? Eve just transformed before my eyes.
I dug my hands into Eve’s soft fur and, just as she said, I held on to her as best I could. Occasionally, I would close my eyes and sink my head into the crook of her neck.
After walking through most of the town, but on the outskirts so as not to be seen, we came to a small, dense, but very dark forest.
And maybe I wasn’t entirely expecting it, but Eve was right. I even saw her eyes filled with mixed horror and anger. “That’s Zack, my husband. I will not take human form. I don’t want him to know it’s me” I understood her decision, but what could I do? Suddenly, I found myself in their midst. Dominic’s eyes went completely dark.
“Rebecca, what are you doing here?” He shouted out in confusion, looking at me and then at Eve.
“Well, well, well, whoever was missing from the party is here!” said the one that seemed to be Zack.
“Rebecca, run!” Dominic shouted again, coming towards me at the same time as the huge werewolf that was becoming menacing and dangerous. If he saw I wasn’t flinching at all and fear had taken me over, he revealed himself to me. “No one hurts my Luna as long as I’m around!”
And he turned as he ran. His hands and feet became powerful paws, his roar that came as if from hell revealed his sharp fangs and the hate with which he glared was even more frightening and menacing.
He leapt straight for Zack’s throat, and Eve joined him in the battle. Together, they charged in force and knocked him to the ground. Roars of horror echoed throughout the forest and the fight between them turned violent. Neither of them allowed Zack to get to me, although sometimes he escaped their grasp, so I felt threatened and vulnerable.
I didn’t even know how long they fought, but together Eve and Dominic put Zack on the run. After things calmed down, they both became human again. Their clothes were still on, torn, and they were full of bruises and scratches that healed as I was looking at them.
Dominic’s face was full of doubts and questions.
“Eve? What are you doing here? And why like this?” he asked, perplexed, probably thinking of their meeting in the hospital a few months ago. Eve had told me about how they met, but Dominic didn’t know her in person. He didn’t know who she really was.
“It’s a long story, son,” she replied, with tears in her eyes.
“Well, I have time to listen to it.” We went back to the set together, where luckily there was no one else. Dominic changed his clothes and offered Eve a dress from the props. We then walked to Dominic’s house.
***
“You are Jane’s mother? But as far as I knew, you weren’t a werewolf...” Dominic really understood nothing anymore and acted like I didn’t exist. I sat secluded in a chair and watched them discover themselves and a past that affected them both.
“There’s a lot you don’t know, Dominic. You should know, though, that I’ve never been against your relationship with my daughter. And that’s why Zack ordered my murder. That’s the reason I remained in my wolf form. I didn’t want him to recognize me.”
“But who? Who wanted to kill you? You know, I found out about Zack’s plans too late. I would have come to save you...”
“You were just a child, Dominic. Just like my Jane. You couldn’t have done anything against him, he would have killed you without blinking.”
The conversation between the two became increasingly heated and intimate. Dominic would suffer when he would find out it was Tom, my fiancé. I wonder how he would feel about me? Actually, I didn’t know why I was so worried when I was the one being lied to here.
“Tom was the one who was ordered to eliminate me, and he was also the one who attacked you two. It wasn’t a wolf, it was a werewolf,” Eve finally told him, and as there was only one Tom, he knew...
“Tom, your fiancé?” Dominic thundered at me, taking threatening steps towards me. But his menacing posture made my blood boil in my veins. How could he talk to me like that? To ask me such a question?
“You have no right to ask me that!” I snarled at him, and their eyes met in astonishment. “Tom was my fiancé, but he’s not here now to defend himself. But what about the fact that you have kept it from me for so long that you knew him? How is that? Or that he was one of yours, so to speak. A monster howling to the full moon? No thank you, but I will not have such a thing!”
I shut him up completely. Thinking about how much I’ve witnessed lately made me sick. I headed for the door, intending to run away from everyone and everything. There was nothing to keep me here.
“Rebecca...” His voice suddenly faded when he saw he was losing me. I didn’t know exactly what the deal was with this strong connection between an Alpha and his Luna, but one thing was certain, I felt nothing. Neither that I was suffocating nor that I wanted to stay.
“Keep away from me and stop trying to find me! Don’t involve me in your life, don’t talk to me, don’t breathe around me. Your Luna doesn’t exist!”