18

When I woke up a horrible pain pierced my chest, I felt as if I had weight. I winced, I was in a clinic room. Dad was sitting next to me, he has his eyes closed. It looks like he is tired. What happened? Suddenly the memories invaded me and I was filled with panic.

“Lucas” I said, dad woke up and came to me “Where is Lucas?”

“Shh calm down, Lucas is fine, try to relax.”

“No, I saw it… the wolf attacked him.”

"Daughter, we know that. Tell me exactly what you saw.”

I made memory.

“There was a lot of chaos, people were shouting and complaining. Then I looked for Lucas, Lottie was hiding and Lucas wanted to defend us. But then the wolf threw me with a lot of force and attacked Lucas, after that I don't remember anything else.”

“We received many calls for help and we went to the fair, when I found you you were with Kessler Walton, he took care of you. The wolves were gone.”

I felt something in my chest when dad said that.

"Kessler... the neighbor?" I wanted to know, pretending I didn't know him.

“Yes, Lucas was on the floor, he was hurt, yes, but he only got scratches. The most serious were you, you hit yourself hard, Eva, it's a miracle your lungs didn't collapse and you died... a true miracle” dad took me by the hand. “It's partly thanks to that boy, he gave you first aid. It is seen that he knows a lot about medicine.”

"I'll have to thank you later," I murmured.

"He's outside, he hasn't left you for a moment," he says.

I swallowed hard and nodded, dad left and then Kessler came in, he looked at me with his black eyes, this time there was neither anger nor seduction nor annoyance, only concern. Kessler came over and sat next to me.

"Eva... if something had happened to you..." he murmured.

"Dad told me what you did, thanks," I replied, sitting up a bit on the bed. My chest still hurt when I moved. That wolf was huge and he had thrown me with too much force, I remember being in the air until hitting something hard. I feel terrible. But with Kessler here my ills lessened a bit and that's strange because he's too early to feel things for him, to feel this good being by his side.

“It was nothing, I just couldn't allow something more serious to happen to you. I'm sorry I wasn't there much sooner, I thought Jon…would take care of you.”

“Jon… I don't know what happened to him.”

"He obviously took off, I told you he's not to be trusted."

I started to believe that Kessler was right, Jon was supposed to be with me looking after me and he just walked off and left me hanging like my life didn't matter.

“My brother is fine?” I wanted to know since dad didn't give me many details.

Sigh.

“What fits.”

I frowned.

“What do you mean by that?” I wanted to know, feeling a bad feeling.

“It's okay, Eva, it's just… there are a lot of things you can't know yet. But your brother needs to feel more supported now, especially by you. The wolf… bit him,” he confessed.

"Yeah, I know, what's wrong? Are he infected?”

“It could be said… but this infection has no cure.”

“Kessler, you talk like it's something very bad. You scare me." I looked down thinking about my brother. Maybe Kessler is just exaggerating.

“I don't want to scare you but I can't deny that many things will change from now on and I don't know if for the better, Eva, keep your eyes and ears open. I know you think and suspect many things, you're right, keep it up.” He smiled “changing the subject, shall I take you home? The doctor said that you just need to rest and be in your room all day and night." He looked at me mischievously.

“Kessler… I don't forget things.”

“I'm break up with Riley,” he said simply. I looked at him stunned.

“What?”

“It's the truth, Eva, it's a long story that one day I'll tell you. Now I just want to be with you. Sure, if you let me.”

I don't know if I was relieved when Kessler told me that, but the fact that he's broken up with his girlfriend, who he was going to marry, says a lot about him. Maybe I should give it a second try to see how it behaves, I lose nothing doing it.

"Okay," I agreed, "let's try."

Kessler came up to me and cupped my face, giving me a kiss on the lips. He was tender, soft, seductive. I felt tickles in my lower abdomen when we were kissing. God, I can't even stop thinking about my first time with him.

"You won't regret it, Eva." He kissed my forehead.

Dad came in a few minutes later, I'm surprised he doesn't say things to Kessler like he didn't come near me etc, he's grateful for saving my life.

"I want to see Lucas," I asked once we left the room.

"We'll go through it," dad tells me, "his room is further on."

When we got there Lottie was with him.

“Lucas” I approached, seeing him scratched by various parts of his body “You look terrible.”

"You don't look good either," he tells me, "I'm fine, Evangeline, I think thanks to you. You stood between me and that beast, otherwise it would have been worse for me.”

“It's the least I could do, if it happened again I wouldn't hesitate to do it.”

"But it won't happen," says dad, "we've put together a group of men at the police station and we're ready to go hunting those wolves. They are a danger to the people.”

I looked at Kessler, he was just staring blankly.

"Okay," Lucas agreed.

Kessler drove me home while Dad and Lucas came over in their patrol car.

"You're quiet," I muttered.

“I think about what your father said,” he says.

"Does it bother you that they go hunting wolves?"

“No, I fear for them rather.”

His comment got me thinking and maybe he was right, those wolves were huge and strong, almost impossible for a human to stop them. Plus I'm sure there were more wolves like that because they always travel in packs. They were not two or three but could be up to ten. When we got home, Kessler stopped.

"I'll come in a bit," he said, "I have some things to do," he smiled, "okay? Trust me, Eva, put the past behind you. I'm not with Riley anymore and even though we'll have a lot of problems because of that, I want to be with you because I finally found you and when you were about to die I thought that I don't want to lose you,” he murmured making my heart clench. "And that's why I want to be with you and fight whatever comes."

I smiled.

"We'll see, Kessler Walton, we'll see."

The river.

"Can't you just say something cheesy too?"

"Hmm no." I opened the door and got out “good luck.”

Kessler winked at me and continued on his way. I entered the house half tired, left my things on the sofa and went up the stairs to my room. It felt like it had been a long time since I last slept here when it had only been a day. The incident had left me very afraid, I closed the window and drew the curtain. I'm afraid of being out there and much more at night.

When dad and Lucas came home I went down to meet them.

“Where are you going?” I asked my father when I see him take his weapon and other things.

“To the forest, we will hunt those animals.”

"Don't go," I asked, "please don't go," I begged, I'm about to cry because my chest hurts, I feel a bad feeling “I'm asking you, dad, don't go.”

“Eva, don't be dramatic,” Lucas says.

“Honey…” Dad murmurs, “…I have to go.”

“Don't leave me alone, I'm very scared and I'm still not in good health. My chest hurts, I want you to stay with me, if you're close I can be calm” I said from the depths of my heart.

Dad sighed and hugged me.

"Okay, I'll stay for the night but mom I'll go."

That was enough for me.

“Thank you.”

Lucas rolled his eyes and went up to his room.

"I'm hungry," I murmured, "should we make pizza?" I separated from him “then we can see the game

“I think it's a good idea.” He pricked my nose.

•

Dad and I made the pizza, we had spent quite a while in the kitchen until it finally came out right. After that Lucas sat on the sofa to wait for us nothing more. We went to sit and eat dinner while watching the game. I felt better having my family here with me, deep down I wanted Kessler to be here too. At about eleven o'clock at night we went to bed, I'm sleepy. I got to my room and locked the door in case Kessler came in at night. But he didn't, half past twelve arrived and nothing. At one o'clock I decided to sleep because I was tired.

•

The next morning I woke up early and took a shower, when I went down to have breakfast my dad was at the door talking to a policeman.

“I'm sorry, Bailey, I know you were friends”

“What is happening Dad?” I wanted to know.

“Daughter…. You shouldn't be here.”

“Those who went hunting wolves last night died. None survived” was what the policeman told me “They were killed by wolves.”