EIGHT

Eden pov

What was the chance that two people who managed to escape hell kept running into more danger? Seriously, fate? Ever since I turned twenty-one, every step I took brought more danger. Like a never ending tale of misery.

And now, I was fearing that the misfortune of my life might stick to Richard. He was a nice old man who didn’t bother anyone, and because of me, he was in danger. 

I had no idea how he was treated by the pack members, but if it weren’t for my insistence to run away, Richard would have a roof over his head. Oh, yeah, and he wouldn’t stand near a forest fire, a detail I shouldn’t forget. 

“Where?” I asked once I got back to my senses. 

Unlike me, although old, Richard was a werewolf and his senses were way better. I bet he could smell the smoke from miles away while I could notice that only if the fire was very close. 

“Close,” he muttered and scrunched up his nose. I watched Richard as he closed his eyes and let out a silent ‘shh’ sound. 

I held my breath while Richard tried to do whatever he was doing until his eyes shot wide open, startling me. Something shifted in him. Whatever he had heard almost haunted the old man. 

“We need to leave this place, Eden. Now,” Richard grabbed my hand and tried to pull me away. 

However, while I didn’t know why I felt like this, I had a feeling that I wasn’t supposed to leave. If Richard overheard something awful, he had to share the information with me. 

Besides, if it turned out that someone was in danger and we ran like cowards without trying to help, I would be just as bad as the pack of tormentors we escaped. While many of them never did anything to me, never said a word, they still stood aside and watched without a word. 

Just standing, watching and never trying to help was just as bad as hurting someone, and I refused to become that same person who never cared. 

“What’s going on, Richard? Tell me what you heard,” I raised my voice as I pulled my hand out of his grip. 

The reaction caught him off guard, but Richard was quick to shake off the initial confusion. 

Slowly, he turned around to face me. “Screams. It is no forest fire, it’s someone burning down buildings and people. We can’t go there, don’t you even think of it, Eden. Whoever is responsible for the fire is there to enjoy the massacre, not to sit in front of the campfire and roast marshmallows.”

His words were an even bigger reason for us to go there and try to help. How Richard didn’t understand that was beyond me. If we could help at least one person it would be a miracle. If he were in a situation like that, he too would wish someone tried to help. 

“No, we need to go there and help. You can stay at a safe distance, but I will go and help them.” I insisted. 

“Eden, you’re planning to go Goddess knows where to look death straight in the eyes?” Richard choked out the words. He seemed a little too emotional, but I had to ignore it if I didn’t want to forget what was important. 

“Children, Richard, there might be children. I would never forgive myself, I just couldn’t. To live a life knowing I could have changed something, get at least one person out of that inferno, yet I didn’t? No, I would rather stay with that forsaken pack and let everyone stomp over me like I mean nothing. You can leave if you want, but I’m going there.” 

It looked like my words finally moved Richard and he understood where I was coming from. 

As I tossed the backpack on, Richard nodded his head in a direction. Although a part of me still questioned his intentions, for all I knew he might have tried to lead me away while I blindly followed him, I still went with it. 

We were strangers, who barely knew each other's names, but I trusted Richard. He wanted to get me away from danger, not act like the villain of the story. 

Walking towards the direction Richard chose, I started picking up on the scent of smoke and the forest felt almost dead in this area which was a sure indication that he was leading me towards the disaster. 

My legs hurt with every step of the way. Now, I realized that not feeling my muscles was better than feeling them - the pain was intense, way worse than what I knew after the night runs with the pack. 

“I would much prefer it if you didn’t want to go there. You are right, I get your point and why you want to help them, but I fear you’re blindly putting your life at risk.” Richard grumbled under his breath. 

Since his voice was barely louder than a whisper, I wasn’t sure if he wanted me to hear what he had to say or if he was talking to himself more than he was to me, so I remained quiet. 

The closer we got, the warmer the air became. Even being this far from the epicenter of the disaster, I knew it would be bad. There were more than a few buildings on fire. 

I had an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I ignored it and didn’t bring it up to Richard. Knowing him, he would take it as a sign to get out of here and seek safe shelter, something I couldn’t do. We were too close to back down now. 

Richard suddenly stopped and spun around to face me. “Eden, are you sure about this? I have a bad feeling.” 

Me too, my new friend, me too, but I didn’t voice it. Letting out a breath, I looked up at his concerned face and met his eyes. The smile that spread across my lips was forced, uncomfortable, but I still had to try. “You can hide here, I’ll go alone.” 

He tried to protest, but I raised a hand to silence him. “You already did so much. I will always be grateful to you for taking a step and helping others, including me, but putting someone’s life in danger was my idea, not yours. I need you to stay here. You know how to survive here, so I’m sure you will be fine without me around. I won’t force you to leave, you can stay and wait until I return.” 

“If you return,” Richard’s shoulders fell as he tore his gaze away from me. I was about to hand him my backpack. Out of us two, he needed food more, but he stopped me. “I’m going. Like it or not, you got me out of the pack and I will follow you wherever you go. You are the only family I have, Eden.” 

The sentiment aimed straight at my heart, I had no words to express everything I felt as this man still stood by my side, even when he thought I was making a mistake. 

Instead of speaking, I nodded my head and we started walking again. Once we noticed flames, we added an extra step and reached the place faster. We both stood aside, watching the destruction, listening to the screams and pleas. 

I didn’t realize I was crying until Richard forced his hand over my eyes and whispered, “shh, little one, you shouldn’t watch.” 

My thoughts and emotions were all over the place until everything stopped. Every thought faded, everything I felt was out of grasp, all because of a voice more terrifying than the view before us. “Burn her! Burn them all!”