Chapter 1 Untitled Chapter
Sloane
I could hear the cries of my baby brother even over the thundering storm that raged on behind the windows. Storms I liked, the crashes of thunder always seemed to be in sync with the pain that constantly throbbed in my head recently and somehow that made it better.
The high pitched wail that was coming from downstairs though? That lanced through my brain like a needle.
Groaning, I rolled to my side and watched the lightning light up the sky outside the cracked window for a second. In the distance I could see the tree curving up with its dead branches and closed my eyes
I hated that tree.
Ever since I was a child I had hated it. Ever since the night my parents had left me with a babysitter and instead of going to bed like I had been told, I had looked out of our window and saw-
I sighed. I couldn’t even be sure what I had seen. A wolf. A giant shaggy beast standing under that tree and staring straight up at me with its head cocked to the side and its yellow gold eyes gleaming.
I’d been scared and ducked back down under the window sill with my heart pounding so loud that I had thought I was going to pass out.
And I must have done exactly that because when I had woken up I had been in my bed and my mother was stroking my hair and trying to wake me up.
She said it was nothing but a nightmare. And after a while I had started to believe her.
But that wolf had haunted my nightmares ever since. Sometimes in my dreams he spoke to me. In a voice I shouldn’t be able to understand.
Other times he just approached slowly with his eyes glinting and his fangs dripping as he growled.
Those were the nights I had woken up drenched in sweat.
“Sloane?” My fathers voice called from downstairs of our tiny home. He sounded tired , exhausted even but that was just the way of it these days.
Ever since my mother had lost her life giving birth to my baby brother, things had been- tough. He did what he could but I found myself in charge of most of the household chores , as well as looking after my baby brother and the job -
“Sloane.” He called again. This time his voice was angrier and much much louder. The kind of voice that was meant to wake me up. “Will you come and help me. I am-“
His words were slurred and that just made me groan even more. He was drunk. Something that was happening more and more. It made me so mad. We didn’t have the money for good food or milk for the baby but he always seemed to have money for booze.
It didn’t make sense to me but then nothing about my life now did.
“I’m coming.” I called back and stifled a yawn with the back of my hand. Tonight was meant to be his night. So I could sleep. Only that wasn’t going to happen now.
Pulling my mothers old shawl around my shoulders I paused to look out of the window again. Shivering as the wind whistled through the holes.
The storm outside was really showing its teeth. Rain pelting the house, the wind howling, thunder boomed and the lightning lit up the world around me like-
My breath caught in my throat and I choked on it. It lit up the tree. Making it stand out in stark contrast to the dark world around it. And under it-
Under it was a shadow that was so much darker than anything else. Like a pit in the shape of - in the shape of a giant wolf.
A wolf with glowing yellow eyes that were looking straight at me unblinking.
Now I knew I was sleep deprived, I had been for months but I also knew that I wasn’t imagining it. The wolf was really there. In our territory. On our lands. In one place we were meant to be safe from their tyranny.
It wasn’t my imagination.
It had never been my imagination.
Heart thundering and breath caught in my throat I stepped closer to the window. Pressing my fingers against the glass which was just as wet on the inside as it was on the outside, I stared back down at it.
Fear hammered through my veins.
It wasn’t my imagination. There really was a wolf.
I knew I should tell someone, possibly my father who would raise the guards to hunt it. But I also knew my father was probably too drunk to do that.
And who would believe me anyway? The wolves lived beyond the wall we had built centuries ago to keep those murderous barbarian out. They didn’t come here. Not ever.
Pressing my nose to the glass my breath clouded the glass, and had to use the back of my hand to wipe it away. He was still there after I did it. A huge black shadow amongst the other shadows.
A black pit of hell with glowing yellow eyes.
“Why are you-“ I began to say even though I knew it was stupid. The wolves were animals that sometimes became men. But they didn’t have human emotions. Everyone knew that. Even if he could hear me, he wouldn’t be able to understand me.
“Sloane.” My fathers voice was so much closer and I turned in shock to find him in the doorway. My screaming brother held awkwardly in his arms.
How strange that I had barely heard his cries when I had been staring out the window. There had been nothing but my pounding heart and those glowing golden eyes.
“I’m sorry.” Rushing forward I took the baby from his arms, instantly the cries faded. “I was-“
“What are you looking at? What was so important that you didn’t come when I called. Dillon is so fussy tonight and I need to sleep.”
Bouncing the baby on my hip I forced myself to smile. Dillon was fussy because he was being pelted with ale fumes straight to the face and my father needed to sleep because he had drunk too much ale. It was a vicious cycle but it was one I was used to now.
“Nothing papa.” I lied. “You can use the bed now. I will take Dillon downstairs and settle him.” I glanced back out of the window before I could help myself. “I have to be up in a few hours anyway.”
He stepped to the window, swaying slightly and gazed downwards. His whole body tensed. “Go downstairs Sloane and deal with your brother.”
“He’s still there isn’t he?” I couldn’t help but whisper.
My father whirled on me. His face was angry for no reason at all. “There is nothing there Sloan. There is never anything there. It’s just your childish imagination but you're almost twenty one. It’s time to put those things behind you and start doing your duty.”
I wanted to scoff. Do my duty? I had been doing my duty since my mothers death and bringing in cash for him to drink away long before that. I had put childish things behind me since I was fifteen years old. Not that I was going to say that to him. I loved my father, and he had been through a lot. I had to give him a break.
So what if I was exhausted? So what if I had to be at my job before day break. He had lost his wife. He had it much worse than me.
Sighing heavily I closed my eyes for a second. “I know papa, get some sleep.” Jostling the baby I reached up and kissed his cheek. His beer addled breath was pungent but I did it anyway.
“I mean it Sloane. No more talk of wolves. The others will think you are crazy or worse. They will think you are cursed.” He shuddered theatrically.
“Of course.” I shook my head, “We wouldn’t want them to think I am cursed would we?” I meant it sarcastically but he looked completely serious.
“No we wouldn’t.” He snapped. “If the townspeople think you have been chosen then they will put you beyond the wall. No more seeing wolves.”
“Yes papa.” Dutifully I moved out of the room and down the rickety stairs. I didn’t know what he was talking about but I wasn’t going to mention seeing anything to anyone: I never had.
The fact that I was being stalked by a shadowy wolf creature was my secret.