Chapter Two: Invitation
"May I help you?" I asked the man, a little annoyed that he called me "little girl." If I was old enough to be married, I shouldn't be mistaken for a child.
He grinned charmingly, "You don't recognize me, do you? Ada?"
My brows furrowed. "Should I? Have we met before?" I asked, inwardly scouring my brain for any memories about this man. The only thing that struck a cord with me were his eyes and his voice, which sounded oddly familiar, but I couldn't place where I had heard it before. It reminded me a lot of the wolf's voice, but that was absurd.
His eyes warmed as his smile reached them. He met my eyes through half closed eye lids. "No, I suppose you wouldn't remember me. I'm here to see your father."
"Of course." I said. "How rude of me, you must be freezing." I stepped to the side and held the door open for him. He didn't move to pass over the threshold. He just stood there, staring at me.
"Are you inviting me in?" He asked.
I eyed him, confused by the man's strangeness. "Um…yes." I answered.
He looked down at the floor, as if there was some sort of barrier between the snow covered ground he stood on and the warmth of the house. "Could you say "I invite you in"? Please? I know that sounds strange, but I …am not from around here. It is customary in my land. If you don't mind, say the words. I need to hear them before I enter your home."
I gave a bewildered look at my father and Bastian. They both looked just as confused as I. Pushing away the strangeness of the request, I turned back to the visitor. "You may come in."
He nodded in approval and with a slight hesitation, he stepped over the threshold. He paused for a breath after the first step, as if waiting for something to happen. When it didn't, he visibly relaxed and walked towards the dinner table.
"Welcome, sir!" Father greeted, showing his best merchant's charm. "For what do we owe this great honor?" He looked around the tall man at me. "Ada, take his cloak."
I hurried over silently. The man, politely bent his knees to allow me to reach the clasp of his cloak, as I reached to remove it from behind. "Thank you, Ada." He said, his hands, briefly grazing mine to brush the heavy fur cloak from his shoulders. I heard Bastian make a disapproving grumble.
"Ada, do you know this man?" Asked father, as I folded the man's cloak over my arm.
"No, sir." I shook my head, a few pale curls escaping my braided bun. "He says we've met before, but it must have been a very long time ago. I can't remember him."
The man looked over his shoulder and frowned at me, though his eyes held a twinkle of humor. "You wound me, dearest. I walked you home from Miss Katrina's just yesterday."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "What are you talking about? I walked home alone yesterday."
A smirk threatened to take over his mouth. "You weren't completely alone, now were you?"
"Get to the point." Bastian snapped. "Why are you here, stranger? Who are you?" I could see irritation on his face. I knew rage wasn't very far behind. Bastian was known for his short fuse.
The stranger became more serious, though that ever present curve of his lips was still there. "My name is Wolfgang Fuerst." He said with a bow. "I am here to ask that Ada be sent to live with me."
I dropped Wolfgang's cloak in my surprise and quickly scrambled to save it from the floor. Two proposals in one night? My nerves could not endure much more of this!
Bastian's face was now thoroughly twisted with anger, every ounce of him showing his distaste. He crossed his arms and glared at my strange, younger suitor. "I'm afraid you've come too late, boy. Ada is already engaged to me. Her dowry has already been set."
"Is that so?" Wolfgang said, a look of indifference on his face. He turned his head and smiled teasingly at me. "You neglected to tell me that." He smirked.
"I don't know you!" I flustered. My face was so red and warm, I feared it would combust into flames.
"No matter." Wolfgang shrugged. "I'm not asking that she marry me."
"What are you suggesting?" Bastian demanded. He stood and held his giant hands in fists at his sides. I wondered if he'd actually hit him. He looked like he might. "Ada is not some whore to be used for your amusement." He growled. "If that's what you want, there's a brothel in the next village over."
I actually felt proud of Bastian for sticking up for me like that, however I wasn't sure if he was saying that out of his protective nature or jealousy.
"That is not what I was asking, either." Said Wolfgang.
Bastian reached out and grabbed Wolfgang by the collar of his coat. "Then what do you want from her?" He demanded.
Wolfgang's lips stretched into a wider smile than I ever thought humanly possible. The teeth that peeked between his lips looked sharper than they should have been, especially his canines. "I want her blood." He said. He laughed at our horrified expressions.
"You won't have her!" Bastian snarled. In one swift motion, he pulled a dagger from his belt and slashed it across the stranger's throat.
I let out a scream, as Wolfgang staggered backwards, grasping at his throat, blood spewing from the deep gash. "What have you done?" I screamed, punching and swatting at Bastian's broad chest. "You murderer! You've killed that man!"
Bastian gripped my shoulders, never tearing his eyes away from Wolfgang, who still stood, somehow. "This is no man. He's merely a beast, masquerading as one." He said, stepping in front of me and brandishing his dagger once more.
Wolfgang's laughter began again and I looked towards him in surprise.
Wolfgang's smile was a twisted leer. The flesh around his slit throat began to pulse and shift, the blood that had pooled on the floor and bathed the walls, seeped back towards him, his body absorbing it, like a cloth. "How very perceptive of you." He began, cackling lowly. "I didn't expect any less from you, hunter."
"Leave! Now, demon!" Bastian barked, his grip tightening on the hilt of his dagger.
"A demon?" He laughed, walking steadily towards us. "I'm afraid you are mistaken. I'm no demon. And there is little that that little knife can do to the likes of me."
He stopped in front of us and Bastian dug his dagger into Wolfgang's chest, with a guttural grunt of effort. I cried out again, expecting Wolfgang to drop dead then and there, but the stabbing left him unaffected. He smiled at Bastian and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "What were you aiming for?" He asked. He swiftly ripped the dagger from his chest and tossed it onto the floor with the loud "clank" of metal on wood.
Bastian began to shake and backed away with me. "You're a ….you're a…." He gasped.
Wolfgang's eyes flared, their gold color intensifying, until they burned like flames. " The only thing standing between this village and complete slaughter." He answered. "Did you really think that all these deaths were the work of wolves? There are other forces at work here and I'm the only one who can really protect this village from them." He shifted his eyes to me. "However, I wish for payment. Give Ada to me and I will see to it that no one else dies by the hands of the forest creatures. Refuse and I'll leave you to your own devices."
"No!" Bastian growled, his hands balling into fists. He took a protective stance in front of me, shielding me from Wolfgang's gaze. "I won't let you take this girl! She is innocent and pure! I won't let you corrupt her! Take me if you want, but leave her alone!"
Wolfgang laughed at that. "My! How gallant of you! However, it's not your blood I want and no one else's will do. But I am not a selfish man. Give me one year." He shoved Bastian away , knocking his huge body easily to the floor. My body frozen in fear, he reached out and took my face in his hand. "I gave you back your life. I think you owe me at least that much. Don't you agree?"
He tilted his head to the side. I met his eyes as the truth crashed over me like a wave on the rocky shore. "Wolf?"
"You finally remember." He whispered.
"Get away from her!" Bastian hissed, scrambling to retake his place between Wolfgang and I.
Wolfgang merely chuckled at him, not at all threatened. "I'll give you three days to make up your mind. I'll return then for your answer." He said, taking his cloak back from me and heading back towards the door. He threw the cloak around his shoulders and opened the door. A whirlwind of snow and wind burst into the house, killing the fire in the hearth. "Oh and hunter…" He began, turning his head to glance back at Bastian. "Don't try anything foolish. You and I both know there's nothing you can do to stop me from obtaining her. You have no weapon that can kill me."
"No, but I know how to send you back to where you belong, creature." Bastian snarled.
Wolfgang slipped back out the door, shutting the door behind him. We all stared at it, none of us moving, all afraid that he would come back.
I fell to my knees, quivering. "I-I don't believe it." I stuttered. "He-that man-he's the wolf! The black wolf!"
Bastian's eyes went wide. Father knelt beside me to comfort me. "Are you sure?" They both asked at once.
"I am." I nodded. "I wasn't sure at first….but now I'm certain. It was him." I looked up at Bastian. "What does this mean? What is he?"
"I've heard stories, but I've never seen one until now." He said, his face strained with worry. A Blutsauger, a bloodsucker." He went over and picked up his dagger. He stared at it as it lay limply in his palm. "Those creatures carry many names and there are many legends surrounding them. In other countries, they are believed to be able to take different forms, such as a bat, a bird…or a wolf. One fact remains the same in most of the legends. They are corpses, that keep themselves tied to this mortal world by drinking the blood or devouring the bodies of the living." He met my eyes with his dark irises. "Ada must not be taken by the Blutsauger. If she is taken, he'll kill her or worse, turn her into one of the very monsters he has become."
Fun Fact: Roughly translated from German, Wolfgang Fuerst means Wolf Path Prince.
I hope you're enjoying the story so far! Please review if you want more!
