Secrets; 🛻

Eva trembled as she stared at the monster before her. Its blood-soaked claws, glowing eyes, and bared fangs sent shivers of fear across her skin.

Kael's gaze locked onto her, and for one terrible moment, she saw no familiar recognition in those eyes. Only violence. Only rage.

A deep growl formed between his teeth. His gaze hardened, as if he was ready to attack. Then he moved swiftly.

With terrifying speed, he lunged toward Eva, his massive body leaping at her.

Eva's legs gave out. She fell to her knees, her hands rising defensively.

This is it, she thought, her mind empty with terror. This is how I die.

But Kael didn't attack her.

At the last second, he soared over her, his enormous body gliding through the air above her head.

Eva heard the collision behind her. When she turned her head, she saw two massive creatures fighting. It was the thunder of bodies crashing, the snarls of battling wolves and the snap of locking jaws.

She spun around, her eyes wide as saucers. Fear and concern intermingled.

Kael gripped the black wolf in his jaws and rolled it down the forest path toward the clearing in front of the house.

Eva looked at the wolf being hurled downward. Smaller in size, jet-black fur, silver-gray eyes.

Eva's breath caught. The moment she saw those eyes, she shivered.

She recognized those eyes.

"Joe!" she gasped.

This was the wolf that had protected her from the masked hunters. The wolf she'd seen that day, standing between her and danger.

The black wolf crashed to the ground near the house, landing hard on the pure white snow. It tried to get up, limping, clearly injured.

Eva stumbled to her feet and ran toward him, slipping and falling in her hasty rush. Crawling forward with fear, she approached and stood at his head.

Behind her, Kael emerged from the tree line, his massive form blocking the path. Blood dripped from his jaw, his breath coming heavy and threatening. He advanced with deadly intent.

Eva was aware of the danger. She quickly threw herself in front of Joe's prone form, spreading her arms wide.

"No!" she screamed. "What are you doing? Kael, this is Joe! He won't hurt me! Why are you doing this to him?"

Kael's voice exploded in her mind, raw and furious.

*Get out of my way, Rose's daughter! He is not our friend!*

"I won't move!" Eva shouted. "Who's friend, who's enemy, are you the one to decide?"

Kael continued advancing, his large paws deliberate and threatening with every step. His eyes never left the black wolf behind her. He was focused on his target.

Eva understood he wouldn't back down. Her trembling hands transformed fear into determination. She didn't understand what was happening, but she knew one thing for certain: she wouldn't let Kael kill Joe. No matter what, she knew Joe had protected her before. She couldn't let this happen.

She raised her hand, palm facing outward.

"Stop!" she commanded.

The seal suddenly began to heat and glow. Kael, though unwilling, was stopped as if by some force. But he resisted, taking one more powerful step forward. Just then...

Power erupted from within Eva, wild and uncontainable. Her eyes blazed with violet light, so bright it illuminated the entire clearing. Her ash-blonde hair whipped around her face in a wind emanating from her body.

The energy radiating from Eva struck Kael's massive chest like a barrier, lifting him off his feet and hurling him backward. He landed hard, sliding several meters through the snow.

Eva stood trembling, her hand still extended, shocked by what she had just done.

Kael slowly rose to his feet, shaking off the snow covering his fur. His amber eyes fixed on her, and disappointment was readable in his gaze. Pain. Anger.

His voice came again, a roar echoing in her mind that made her shudder.

''You are always a traitor, Rose's daughter! ALWAYS!''

The words cut deeper than any physical wound. They left a stinging ache inside Eva like a slash.

Then he turned and walked away with powerful, furious strides, disappearing into the forest. Within seconds, he was gone.

Eva stood frozen, her heart shattered. Tears streamed down her face, warm against her cold cheeks.

"Kael..." she whispered in a broken voice. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

But he was gone.

A pained whimper drew her attention to the wolf behind her.

Eva turned, her body having exhausted all its strength. Her hands were trembling. She dropped to her knees beside the black wolf, watching as his form began to change.

Fur receded. Bones reshaped. Within seconds, Joe lay naked in the snow, his body covered with deep wounds and bite marks. Blood spreading from his body painted the white ground red.

"Oh God," Eva choked. "Joe... Why did he do this to you?" she whispered.

She reached out trembling hands, brushing black hair from his face. He was barely conscious, his silver eyes unfocused and filled with pain.

Joe's lips moved, but no sound came out. His eyes closed.

"No, no," Eva said frantically. "Stay with me, Joe. Please stay with me."

She looked at her hands, at the power still humming beneath her skin. She had just used it as a weapon. But Elly had said magic came from the soul, from emotions.

What if she could use it to heal?

Eva placed her hands over Joe's worst wounds, over his chest where his heartbeat was faint. She closed her eyes and thought of healing. Of life. Of the child she'd saved in town. She remembered Joe's laugh, full of life.

"Please," she whispered. "Please let this work."

A violet light bloomed beneath her palms, gentle this time. Warm. It spread through Joe's body, flowing into his wounds.

Eva felt the energy drain from her, but she didn't stop. She poured everything she had into healing Joe, willing him to survive.

*These powers can't have awakened without reason!* she thought desperately. She was clinging to her instincts.

The wounds began to close, skin knitting together, blood flow slowing. Joe's breathing steadied, deepened. His wounds hadn't completely closed, but he was in a condition where he could survive now.

Eva's vision blurred. Her power was rapidly depleting. She swayed, dizzy and weakened.

"Survive," she murmured to Joe. "Please... survive..."

Then her eyes rolled back and she collapsed unconscious beside him, in the blood-stained snow.

The mountain house stood silently in the dawn light, smoke still rising from its chimney. Inside, the fireplace continued to burn, warm and inviting.

But outside, two wounded bodies lay in the snow.

And in the forest, the massive alpha wolf threw back his head and howled. Kael's voice echoed through the mountains.

It was a sound of anguish. Of loss. Of a heart broken after waiting centuries.

Because once again, a Rose's daughter had chosen to protect the enemy.

History, it seemed, was doomed to repeat itself.

Kael raced through the forest and arrived in front of Elly's house. He howled with a deep, resonant voice.

Elly came outside in fear. Kael's eyes looked at her with a burning gaze. In that moment, she understood something had happened.

"Eva!" she whispered...

Shortly after, Elly arrived in her vehicle. She jumped out running and immediately dropped to her knees beside Eva. Her body had grown cold, her lips had turned blue.

"Eva! My dear friend, please! Come back to yourself!" she murmured, shaking her, but there was no response. She quickly lifted her into her arms, staggering slightly in the snow as she carried her inside. She swiftly laid her in front of the fireplace and removed the cold coat from her body. She wrapped her in a blanket and rushed into the kitchen to prepare warm towels. Running back, she wrapped the towels around her body.

Then her eyes turned to Joe, lying outside in his naked form. She couldn't just let him die there. She immediately called Nancy.

"Your brother is here, you need to come right away!" she said.

Then she went outside. She knew Joe couldn't enter this house. She wrapped him in the large blanket she'd brought from inside. She looked at him.

Her fingers involuntarily went to the hair falling across his face. She gently stroked his cheek, and a few drops of moisture slid from her eyes to his freckled cheeks.

It seemed this cursed town held many secrets...