Chapter 10 Nancy; 🩷
Eva slowly opened her eyes, her body ice cold yet strangely... relaxed. The heat that had threatened to burst her heart yesterday was gone. The first thing she noticed was the seal on her chest. It had become much more defined than its blurred state from last night. The purple veins now appeared sharper, deeper, as if they were living beneath her skin. As if they were taking root.
Then Kael's roguish smile appeared before her eyes. His wet lips and that scent...
"It was a dream," she whispered to herself. "It must have all been a dream. There's no other explanation. Yes, I'm losing my mind."
But then... she remembered more details. She hadn't walked here. Kael had carried her. Over his shoulder, like a sack of potatoes. And that slap! God, she could die of embarrassment right now...
She dangled her feet over the edge of the bed and froze in that instant.
On the edge of the sheets, clearly visible... were blood stains.
She covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide as saucers.
"Damn it, damn it!" she muttered in panic. "I stabbed him! I plunged a dagger into the man! Great, Eva, just great! Now he's definitely going to kill me. Or... won't he?" she murmured.
Her heart was racing wildly. She quickly jumped to her feet, her hair disheveled, her breath caught.
When she left the bedroom and entered the living room...
The scene changed instantly.
On the table, in a pure white vase, fresh gerbera flowers stood. And on the kitchen counter... that wonderfully fragrant coffee again. Fresh, hot, waiting for her.
An involuntary smile appeared on her face. She'd had relationships before, but no one had ever made such gestures for her.
Then she immediately shook herself.
"Stop, stop, stop!" she muttered. "Don't be ridiculous, Eva! You can't fall in love with a monster! That only happens in fairy tales! Besides, you don't even know what he is! Maybe... maybe you'll be sacrificed as food in some ritual!"
But she was certain of one thing now.
Last night, before her very eyes, she had watched him transform from wolf to human in an instant, like changing clothes. And what she felt in her body—that wild pounding, burning her skin, draining her energy in a moment, as if her heart would burst from her chest...
All of it was real. Was Eva going to die while the Alpha gathered his power?
She could no longer deny it.
"Okay," she said aloud, as if trying to convince herself. "So this prophecy is real. Then... I need to find out what's happening to me," she muttered. For the first time, there was fear in her eyes.
She moved quickly into action.
She gathered all the journals, parchments, and old notes left by her mother and grandmother. She stuffed everything into a large leather bag. She pulled her hair into a messy bun, ash-blonde strands scattered everywhere.
She grabbed a slice of toast from the cupboard, hastily spread jam on it, and took a bite. She gulped down a few sips of her coffee. Amidst all this chaos, this coffee was calming her. God, how was this man—theoretically an animal—making coffee this good? Then she hurriedly pulled on her boots and burst out the door.
The moment she opened the door...
She saw Joe's luxurious black jeep in front of her.
Again...
"Shit," she muttered and took another angry bite of her toast. With her mouth full, she began grumbling. "Didn't I tell you not to come back? What are you doing here?"
But the voice that came surprised her.
It was thin, feminine, playful.
"I thought you only kicked out my brother. I didn't know you'd kicked me out too," she said.
When Eva turned her head...
Before her stood a young woman with short black hair, tall and slender. She had sharp features like Joe's. Her body was muscular but more graceful, more dangerous. Her eyes held the same silver gleam. Arms crossed over her chest, leaning against the jeep, grinning like a cat.
Eva rolled her eyes.
"Great. Has the whole family fixated on me? I understood why the townspeople hate me, but does your family have some special problem with me? At least the townspeople don't show up at my door!" she shouted.
The girl laughed. "Are you going to Elly's?" she asked.
Eva, with a momentary blank look, answered, "Yes." Then her eyes widened and she quickly turned toward her. "Wait... are you following me?"
The girl approached her. Her walk was fluid, predatory. She lifted her nose in the air and sniffed Eva.
"You have a very delicious scent, I don't need to follow you. I can smell it from miles away," she murmured, her eyes sparkling. Then she sniffed again with pleasure. "Mmm, the Alpha's mark... And fresh. Did you complete it last night? Did you complete that virgin ritual too?" she said, laughing.
Eva took a frightened step or two backward. What was this woman babbling about?
"Are you... are you one of them too?" Her voice trembled.
The woman murmured with a smile that showed she was enjoying this game, "One of whom?"
Eva flinched but gathered her courage and answered. "Those... werewolves?"
The girl started giggling. "Werewolf? God, what an old-fashioned term. But yes, technically," she said.
Then she extended her hand. "I'm Nancy," she said. "Joe's sister. I wanted to meet you."
Eva looked at her hesitantly. Then with a forced expression, she extended her hand to be polite.
Nancy's hand was very warm and strong.
"Would you like to come inside?" Eva asked, her voice still cautious.
Nancy grinned. "What's this? A test?"
"What?" Eva muttered with a surprised expression.
"I can't enter," Nancy said simply. "Even if I'm invited in, witch magic will repel me. Your family was smart, they protected the house."
Eva looked at her in shock. "Witch? Are you talking about me?"
"Yes. You're a witch, Eva. Or at least... you will be. It's in your blood. It just needs to awaken. And from your scent, I'd say your Alpha has started that process," she said.
Eva shook her head with an expression that said she couldn't accept this. "No, no. I'm a nurse. A scientist. I'm not staying in this town permanently either. There's no such thing as magic."
Nancy laughed. "Then what's that seal on your chest? A scientific experiment?"
Eva couldn't answer. Because she didn't know what had started it either.
Nancy walked toward her car and opened the door. "Get in the car. I need to talk to you. I'll drop you off at Elly's," she said.
Eva hesitated. "Why are you helping?" she asked.
Nancy turned to her. There was a strange expression in her eyes. Perhaps sympathy, perhaps curiosity.
"Because," she said slowly, "my brother is obsessed with you. And so is the Alpha. There's going to be a storm in this town, Eva. And I... want to protect the right side."
Eva swallowed.
Then she slung her bag over her shoulder and got into Nancy's jeep.