All Chapters of Beneath The Howl: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

EIRA VALE The road into town curved like a spine through the hills, cracked and uneven in places, framed by pine and frostbitten brush. Kael walked ahead of me for a while, silent, his long strides eating the distance between bends. There was something unhurried about the way he moved, even though his eyes never seemed to rest—always scanning, listening, watching. Then he stopped. A black truck rumbled up the path moments later, its tires spitting slush, headlights dull in the muted gray light. Two men were in the cab, and when they stepped out, Kael greeted them with a nod that seemed more like an order than a hello. One was stocky with cropped brown hair, the other tall and wiry, maybe a few years younger than me. Both wore dark coats and utility boots, and their presence said military even if their uniforms didn’t. “Eira Vale,” Kael said, turning to me, “this is Owen Hart and Kent Mallory. They’re my Beta's and part of my security entails. They'll take you into town.” I

EIRA VALE The sun had only just begun to lift over the horizon, casting a sleepy gold glow through the wide windows of the infirmary. I sat perched on the stool beside the long metal table, sleeves rolled up, latex gloves snug on her hands. The scent of antiseptic clung to the air, and beside her, Maura sorted the vials she had requested, labeling each one in her tidy, blocky handwriting. “So,” Maura began, her voice lilting with curiosity as she capped a blood sample, “what did you do for fun back home? Before all this?” I blinked, caught off guard. My fingers paused mid-motion over a sealed test tube as I tried to understand her question. I had the urge to ignore the question, the lady probably wanted to use it for gossip. Gosh, why do I always have to be so negative? I scolded myself.What if she's genuinely curious and what's to know me better and I'm having all these thoughts? “For fun?” I echoed, trying to remember the last time I had done anything just for the sake of j