The Silver Lycan Queen

Chapter 4 - A monster

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Novah

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“Wait! Please don’t go... Please,” I shout out, abruptly sitting up on the bed after waking up to the feeling of his presence again, looking at a silhouette that’s now standing rigid on the other side of the sliding door. “Please, don’t leave,” I repeat slowly, getting off the bed and advancing towards him, my heart rate speeding up with every step I take. He continues standing rigid, and I reach for the handle and open the door, but when I look up again, he’s gone.

How did he do that?

The hair at the back of my neck stands as a chill suddenly runs down my spine, and I take slow steps towards the balcony, not even sure why because it’s obvious he’s gone. Why is he doing this to us? Doesn’t he long for us just as we do for him?

After standing there, staring at the distant wall, I finally decide to do the one thing I’ve been thinking about all week: go back to the forest. The thought sends shivers down my spine after what happened last time, but we can’t continue like this. I’ve lost my appetite. I haven’t slept well in days, and my visit to Dr. Bennett was a dead end. The man who brought me to the hospital didn’t leave any details, but Dr. Bennett could provide me with a picture of him since they were busy reviewing the cameras when we arrived.

A nurse was found dead, her head decapitated, in one of the wards last month, and there was no sign of who did it. Two days later, they started noticing blood bags going missing, and they think it might be related to the nurse’s incident.

As I stood there listening to her, I started thinking about the other thing that’s been haunting me since it happened: the hunters. I never told my family about them because I didn’t want to reveal his identity yet, not while it was still a mystery. But now I wonder if I shouldn’t. What if all these strange occurrences are somehow connected? What if something big is about to happen? What if, by keeping quiet, I’m risking the lives of innocents? What if they are back? What if they’re all… back?

I made excuses for my security detail and tracked down the man after leaving the hospital, but he wasn’t much help since he didn’t remember taking me to the hospital. I sigh, putting on my black clothes. I normally ask for Carla’s advice when conflicted like this, but this time we are in the same boat. We are both just as unclear about how to proceed.

•

•

We have now successfully made it to the forest, and Carla thinks we should shift so we are ready should we encounter any trouble. I think she’s right; our senses are heightened when she’s in charge. Yes, I don’t want to risk someone spotting a wolf out here, as that might start a panic, but I’ll never relax again in this forest, especially since it’s 1 a.m. I doubt there would be humans roaming around at this time of night. I let Carla take over, and we walk to the place where we were attacked last time.

•

•

We’ve been roaming around the forest for over an hour, hoping he’d show up, but with no luck. I tell Carla that maybe we should go back. But just then, she pauses. I ask her what is going on, but instead of replying, she takes off, heading south. I ask her again what’s going on, but again, she doesn’t reply and keeps running. I panic, but just as I do, she comes to an abrupt stop in front of what looks like an entrance to a… cave. She slowly approaches the entrance, and just then, his scent hits my nose.

Why? What would it be doing here?

We slowly enter the cave, and if it weren’t for Carla’s eyes, I’d be feeling my way in. It’s very dark. The further we progress, the more obvious it becomes that he’s staying here, and my heart breaks with each step, looking at the condition of the place.

How does one live in a place like this? Why would he be out here?

I spot the pair of boots he wore that day, and there’s a T-shirt lying next to them. Except for the boots and shirt, there’s nothing—no blankets, no supplies—nothing that could explain how he’s able to live here.

I shift back to my human form but trip on something as I take my first step, almost falling. I look down to find what looks like an empty blood bag. “So, he’s the one stealing all the blood? But why? What would a werewolf be doing with blood?” I mutter in shock at everything. But just then, Carla replies, saying something I would consider impossible if every sign I’ve come across so far wasn’t pointing to it. “He’s a vampire,” I mutter to myself, and just then, I feel the familiar chill down my spine, and I know he’s here. I can feel his presence right behind me, making me shiver.

I slowly turn around, expecting to see him, but find no one. “I know you’re here!” I shout out, grabbing the t-shirt from the floor and quickly putting it on, feeling the familiar warmth bubbling from my chest as soon as I touch it.

“Who are you? What are you?” I ask, taking slow steps toward the entrance and I can feel him on the other side, his dark, thick energy causing a slight tremble in my step. I know he won’t hurt me, but my body is still reacting to his aura, and he’s definitely not a wolf. If he were, Carla would feel her counterpart, but now there’s nothing—not even a heartbeat.

There’s a moment of silence, with only my heart drumming in my ears, and I open my mouth to speak again when he suddenly appears in front of me. A gasp escapes my lips due to his speed, and I stand rooted in my spot, fighting the sudden urge to back off as we stare into each other’s eyes, his turning black for a moment before clearing again.

“My name is Novah... Novah Kane. What’s your name?” My voice trembles at the end, and I suddenly feel emotional after taking in his rugged appearance. What could have happened to him? He looks like someone who’s been through a lot. “Can you speak?” I ask again, seeing how he’s just looking at me and not replying.

“Why are you staying here?” I ask, reaching out to touch him, but he grabs onto my hand, and I gasp as electric sparks shoot up my arm from the point of contact. He quickly let go, his eyes turning black again.

“Who are you?” he finally asks, and a silent gasp escapes my lips, my toes curling while my heart skips a beat at the sound of his voice.

“I’m Novah… Kane,” Mine comes out softer than intended, my body now covered in goosebumps.

“Who are you to me? Why do I feel like this around you?”

“You—you don’t know?”

“Am I supposed to?”

“Yes, we are both supposed to know we are… mates.”

“Mates?” he asks with a confused look on his face, and I open my mouth to speak, but the blood bags drop to the floor as he falls to his knees, suddenly groaning while clutching his head. I follow him to my knees by reflex, cupping his face, confused.

“What’s happening to you?” I ask as he falls on his side in excruciating pain, which makes my heartbeat speed up, feeling what he’s going through. I place his head on my lap, tears escaping my eyes due to the intensity of his pain and I ask Carla what to do, but she doesn’t know, so I massage his scalp, feeling helpless.

Eventually, his groans become softer, and I can feel him calming down. I don’t let go of him or stop massaging his head, but he suddenly goes limp in my arms, and I check on him to find him unconscious. I carefully lay him on the ground before snuggling next to him, trying to provide any comfort I can.

•

•

I open my eyes before raising my head, taking in my surroundings as the events of last night come flooding back and I sit up, covering my legs with the jacket I woke up covered with. I feel conscious now that it’s morning, and my eye catches something on my right. I turn my head to find my clothes folded neatly next to me, and a slight frown forms on my face. How did they get here? I can feel him behind me, so I turn to look at him, and he stands up as our eyes lock.

“I could smell them,” he explains, probably sensing my confusion. “I’ll step out so you can get dressed,” he adds and walks, but I speak up, causing him to stop.

“You don’t have to. You can look away instead,” I tell him, and he nods before averting his gaze. I quickly get to my feet and start with my pants. I didn’t mind the T-shirt last night because it was dark, but now it’s different. It’s morning, and even this cave sees some light. I inform him when I’m done, and he sits back down, leaning against the wall.

I open my mouth to speak, but he speaks first. “Nolan. You asked what my name is. It’s Nolan, and I don’t know what my last name is,” he says, and I notice his eyes turning black as he says the last part before they quickly return to their natural color.

I walk up to him and join him. I have so many questions; I don’t know where to begin.

“What happened to you last night?”

“I don’t know. I never know exactly what happens. I get these headaches, and whenever I get them, I pass out and wake up hours later.”

“What happened to you, Nolan? Why are you living out here?”

“A month ago, I woke up in the hospital. I didn’t know how I got there or anything about myself except for my name. It was the only thing I could recall, and my body felt... weird.”

“How so?” I softly ask, itching to hold his hand and feeling his intense emotions. However, I don’t want to scare him, so I refrain from doing so.

“I could hear, see, and feel everything. I could hear the heartbeats of the people in the entire hospital. I could hear what they were saying, and I could even hear them breathing. I could smell blood, and the more I smelled it, the more parched I felt.

Suddenly, the door to my room swung open, and a nurse came in. But the closer she got to me, the more I knew what I needed to quench my thirst. I could hear her blood flowing in her veins, and...” he pauses and looks away, a look of shame, regret, and guilt on his face, and I reach for his hand reflexively, causing him to look back at me as sparks erupt from our point of contact. I give him a reassuring smile.

“You drank from her.” I finish his sentence for him, and he nods.

“She tried to fight me off, screaming, but she didn’t stand a chance. It was like something had taken over. The need for her blood was driving me insane, and I could feel my canines itching, encouraging me to do it. It was like my body knew what to do, but my mind didn’t. Before I realized it, I had sunk my teeth into her neck.

The moment the liquid touched my tongue, all my senses awakened, and the more I drank, the more rejuvenated I felt. It felt right and natural, and I couldn’t stop. I drank until her head snapped from her neck, and that’s when I snapped out of it and realized what I had done. I dropped her head to the floor and stepped away from her, the gruesome scene freaking me out.

But I hit something with my back, and when I turned around to look at it, I found a mirror. However, instead of finding a man staring back, I saw a monster... My eyes were inhumane, and my skin was cold and as pale as a sheet. I just knew I needed to get out of there before I killed everyone.

So, without even thinking about it, I jumped out of the window. I was on the fifteenth floor, but I landed on my feet, and it didn’t even hurt. I heard police sirens and ducked into the forest since I was covered in blood. Then it started to rain, and I looked for shelter. That’s when I came across this place, and it’s been my home since.” He pauses, running his hands over his face in frustration.

“I don’t know who or what I am,” he adds, looking at me with nothing but raw pain in his eyes.