The forest that was once so welcoming and so alive now filled her with dread. With the lower icy temperatures and the very idea of the thing that was hiding in the forest chilled her to the bone. The trees that once sheltered her, allowed her her freedom, relaxing her inner wolf as she took in the canopy of green now stood in front of her, foreboding and perilous. From her position on the balcony she could see the icy choking mist that swirled and sprawled in the forest floor was the first thing that spoke of a strange sort of wrongness she had hoped never to align to Stonehaven's grounds. The trunks of fallen trees at the outer rim of the wood bore icicles longer than her hand, no two of them the same as the sunlight refracted from the ice that was slowly dripping and melting.
Every twig and blade of grass had been touched by the winter as ice crystals dusted them white with a frost that was biting at her form even though she was dressed in her thick coat. No birds were cawing, no snapping of a twig as a deer pranced through the trees and no rabbits thumping their hocks. Even the river that was so audible from her bedroom balcony ran silent as she looked at the image in front of her, her mind forever cursed with the dark memories and emotions from a time she hadn't lived and a period of time she hoped she could forget.
She knew she was anxious. Her eyes unintentionally watered and the biting temperature from the winter air chilled them. She was in that tearless stage when the eyes took on a sheen of water and tension began to build behind them and in her shoulders. She needed to get over it, now really wasn't the time to loose control, not when Nick would come looking for her. There were things set out like a plan coming in her future; things she didn't know about and things she feared would change everything. But were there things she could be doing to make sure her future was not as dark and dismal as her past? She thought about her actions and words, finding them to be inadequate and pathetic. Festering guilt rendered her mind ineffective as she thought back to her family and the strained relationships left broken for far to long with her pack. However, she should give herself credit for whenever they needed her she would drop everything and come to their aid, fighting for them, helping them, smiling and listening as if they were the only thing she was living for.
Many a times had she hoped she were dreaming; her nightmares were usually so vivid, vicious and lucid that she was struggling to understand what was reality and what was her dreams, or memories, or her past life or whatever they were supposed to be. But how had her life become so unmanageable, so gloomy…. So dangerous? Even now she was struggling to find the light at the end of the tunnel. The words of her mother rang through her mind when she was plagued by images of her family. Many a times her mother has said that at the end of the day, all you need is hope and strength. Hope that it will get better and strength to hold on until it does. Right now Riley was seriously struggling to find the hope that she so desperately clung onto when she was a teenager and her strength was waning as the continuous images of her nightmares overwhelmed her and the pain of the situation at hand was becoming unbearable. How could she follow her mother's advice at a time like this? But then again things like this don't happen by accident, this situation was obviously meant to cross her path for a reason, but as the werewolf looked at the forest in front of her she wasn't sure as to what the universe was trying to tell her, or if she was going to make it.
However, she was abruptly pulled from her thoughts when she heard the clicking of shoes against the tiles. Nicky had arrived at last. Obviously his morning grooming had finally come to an end and he was ready to face the day. In her opinion Nick really didn't have to try so hard, to her he was beautiful whatever. But just friends never thought about things like that right? Riley just looked to the banister she was leaning against, her arms folded underneath her as she struggled to keep her dark emotions from her heart; Nick all the while was coming to her side.
"There you are, everyone's been looking for you." Nick expressed, concern etched into his voice as he looked at her, her long ginger trellises hiding her features a little as she continued to play with her fingertips. Nick just mirrored her position, his head angled so he could get a better look at her while Riley just ran a hand through her fringe to return his look. "We're ready to head for town. Are you alright?"
"I'm just worn out. I had a long night and I've got lots on my mind." Riley breathed before looking at her hands again.
"We all have. But hopefully with everyone calling in favors we might start getting things moving."
"Has Karl's contact come through?"
"He's talking with him now. What about your contact in England? Has Jeffery been any help?" Riley just shook her head as she readjusted her footing.
"He's been discharged so my job has finished. I have no way in getting hold of him now as protocols are in place to keep his details private. The only way we're going to be able to talk to him is if we track him down and visit him."
"We'll I'm long overdue a visit to London." Nick smiled as he leant his elbow to the banister, his torso angled so he was able to face her. "I know this is foolish, but I'm worried about you." Nick said gently, resting his hand to her forearm and relaxed somewhat when he felt Riley's hand touching his before she lent it back to the banister and looked at the forest in front of her.
"Along with everyone else." Riley uttered. "Do you feel like this whole situation is going to resolve itself? Even if we defeat whatever or whoever is responsible?"
"What do you mean?" Nick asked with a frown, moving his hand so he was able to hold hers in his.
"I just feel this sort of darkness is coming, that everything I knew about my life is about to drastically change, that I have no control over what's coming and I fear that I won't be able to protect those I love. I just can't see an end."
"With the help of our pack surely you know we protect each other."
"Didn't do Logan or Peter much use." Riley stated and regretted the words almost immediately. Nick in return was equally surprised. "I'm sorry I didn't mean that, I don't know why I said that."
"You're under a lot of pressure. We just want to help."
"I know. But years of being on your own just makes it difficult. I don't converse easily with people. You know that."
"You don't give yourself credit, you're better than you think."
"I hope, one day, that I can believe what you see." Riley finished, really looking at her companion before the pair was forced from their conversation.
"Nick! Riley! Lets get going!" Antonio screamed, causing the pair of them to smile and finally head down the stairs, Nick constantly looking over at her in hopes of trying to find the words to make her really understand how much he loved and cared about her.
0-0-0
With one look at her face Nick couldn't help but laugh as he took in the misbelief and doubt that was evidently shining on her expression. He knew what she was thinking. How could a book that had proven to be so helpful come from a place like this? To be honest she was probably right. Bear Valley's library didn't really look like much.
The blue paintwork that used to brighten the street was peeling away from the woodwork and he could see a few windows were boarded up by large wood panels to try and prevent the damp and coldness etching its way in the building. Nick smiled again when he watched Riley search for her pocket in hopes of still finding her phone there; it seems she suspected teenage rebellion for the smashed glass of the library. Nevertheless, he slammed the door behind him, his father following suit before he walked around the back of the car and to Riley's side, all three of them trying to find a break in the traffic for them to cross.
"Who would have thought Bear Valley would see so much traffic." Antonio expressed as he continued to search for an opening, seeming to press himself against his car a little in hopes of getting away from the drivers.
"That's what happens when the government finds a massacre right under their very nose. Most of these people are probably journalists, private detectives or medical personnel." Riley breathed as she too looked around Nick at the road.
"Bet the locals are loving all the added business." Nick chimed as he wrapped his hand around Riley's wrist, pulling her out of the road a little more. She was too close to the oncoming traffic for his liking. He failed to notice the small tug of a smile that washed to her lips.
"Ha!" Antonio smiled "Doubt it! People from Bear Valley dislike strangers. Look, there's an opening." He finished before taking a few bold confident steps between cars. Nick and Riley just balked at him, jogging to catch up with him as he literally walked out in front of a car, granted he would probably do more damage to the car due to his size but as Nick rested his hand to the bottom of Riley's back, the Doctor knew that he was only thinking of her.
However, Riley's opinion didn't get much better when they moved into the building. The icy cold air from outside was still biting at her figure as she moved into the room, but the smell of dusty ancient books overwhelmed her and she couldn't help but balk. Her nose was used to a lot of disgusting smells but the sheer aroma of old, dusty and decomposing books really got to her. Again, the smile that wafted to Nick's lips was not lost on her and she couldn't stop the glare from washing to her features.
Where ever her eyes fell she could see a thick layer of dust, spider webs were loosely woven across untouched isles of books while other insects frantically pulled at the silk webs of their predator high up in the corners of the room. Busted lamps hung from the cracked ceiling, their braided wires looping each of them together as certain bulbs flickered barely able to light the room. The only reason she could see at all was due to the light beams penetrating the crevices that were not blocked by the makeshift windows that were the wooden blockades.
Nevertheless, the young werewolf came to a stop when she noticed Nick striding over to the large welcome desk that was manned by an elderly lady, a few books strewn to the surface of her desk while others were piled high in a trolley.
"Hello." Nick said, a large rather charming smile on his lips as he rested his hands to the edge of the desk and leant forwards a little. Riley and Antonio shared a confused expression when they saw the surprise and then sudden affection washing into the older ladies eyes when she finally realized who she was looking at.
"Mr Sorrentino, back again are we?" She replied with a smile of her own, her wicked blue eyes gazing over her glasses, a small linked chain falling from the legs of her glasses and rested gently on her knitted cardigan.
"We got your message regarding those books we wanted to loan." He said "And I couldn't pass the opportunity to see my favorite librarian again." He finished with a wink. Riley simply rolled her eyes at Nick's flirtatious words; why did he feel the need to always woo a lady?
"Come now, enough with that talk, I'm old enough to be you're grandmother." She crooned, unaware of how little an age gap there really was, especially now that Nick was nearing forty.
"Yes, time to change the subject don't you think." Antonio stated as he cleared his throat. Only then did the librarian notice both Antonio and Riley moving into the room and Riley shuffled uncomfortably on her feet as her fierce eyes took in her figure. When she seemed to accept her, her eyes then moved to Antonio and then she was very interested.
"Right, of course. Ms. Young this is my Father Antonio Sorrentino and my friend Doctor Riley Thompson." Nick introduced, his hand held out towards Riley to invite her to stand at his side; Riley just slipped into his arm comfortably.
"Friend ay?" She said with a knowing wink, "Well one of the books you asked for has arrived, the other we may need to search for. One of my colleagues was struggling to find it."
"Why's that?" Riley asked, "Do many of your books go missing?"
"No my dear." She voiced with a smile as she moved around the table coming to stand in front of them and Riley had to lift her head to look at her; it seemed this lady was taller than her but then again, that wasn't exactly hard. "But usually when people want stories of King Arthur and his Knights they go for the more usual stories like the Sword in the Stone and also the book that Nick took out last time he was here. Most don't come back for more in depth looks at the folklore for they either don't care or don't want to. You guys happen to be the first."
"Do you think the stories of Ayleth Pendragon could be true?" Riley questioned again as all three of them started to follow the older librarian again.
"I think every story has some sort of element of truth but with myths and legends one must take them with a pinch of salt. It all happened far to long ago now for any of it to be of consequence and if Ayleth was a real person, why is she only mentioned in a few books of Arthurian literature? If she were a real person then surely we would have found some evidence of her by now." Ms Young said with a waggle of her eyebrows as she led the three of them deeper into the chasm that was the derelict library.
0-0-0
There were as many coffee shops in Bear Valley as there were McDonalds, so as Riley started trundling down the long road of Main Street she was struggling to find somewhere that she could grab a couple of coffees to go and pastries. Nick hadn't wanted her to go alone, not after knowing that this whole thing was revolving around her, but Antonio had said that he had wanted Nick with him, for he was a lot taller than the rest of them and they needed younger eyes to search for their missing books.
But now, as Riley walked down the pathway, the pointed glares given to her by the native people was really starting to make her nervous. It wasn't just their eyes that were making her uncomfortable but she couldn't stop the feeling like she was being watched. A few times she had looked over her shoulder to check that no one was following her.
She cocked her head to listen for any conversation that may have been directly about her but standing next to a busy road meant she was struggling to pinpoint any conversation; she also couldn't smell any fresh tracks of invading mutts. Her smell was limited but she could pick up old scent trails left by each individual of her pack, especially Nick's, but then his scent was very difficult to forget.
However, a soft noise caught her attention but she ignored it having no time and no intention of finding out what it was. However, about ten feet later, a large shadow encroached on the left side of her vision and suddenly her heart started hammering in her chest and the hairs of her arm stood on end. Her wolf was anxious and for good reason. Before she knew what was happening a hand grabbed the back of her coat and sent her sailing face first to the gravel. She could see large dumpsters lining the small alleyway while frozen puddles cracked under the weight of navigating humans; all the while she was trying to get a scent from the guy that had just thrown her. He was standing downwind. Damn it.
"Get up." A voice said as a huge shape passed over her, something smelt familiar. The man grabbed her collar again and heaved her to her feet, setting her down her ankle twisted underneath her. Riley ground her teeth together to work through the pain as she took a good look at her attacker again. Dark blonde hair topped a face with bulldog features. It was only then that she noticed the second guy. Had she been Elena she would have come up with some witty one liner or little quip to antagonize them, but as Riley took in the form of the guy in front of her nothing sprang to mind. But she was watching him.
And it was when he started forwards that she wheeled around and sprinted for the end of the alley, darting to the left, to the right, weaving through the intricate maze of alleyways to try and loose her attackers. Had he been a mutt she knew that he would have fought no matter the consequences. A pack werewolf, particularly one with her background knew when she needed to run…. And run fast. She wasn't a match for the likes of the guy that had just assaulted her, hell he would probably do more damage than she could. All she had to rely on was her speed, and being so small and agile meant that she was in for a slim chance of escape. If she could she would make it back to the Library, one of the packs best fighters was down there after all, and because she was involved she knew that Nick would put up a pretty good fight, but it was getting to the library that was posing some sort of problem, definitely now that she needed to try and keep herself hidden.
So she sat in the alleyway, listening to the silence of the un-inhabited passage. She had no doubt that Nicholas was sitting within the library walls with his Father, each of them nervously contemplating what may conspire in future days due to their current predicament. But as she frantically listened, how she longed to have her pack brothers at her side. She had only been gone a few minutes and she felt like the wolf within her had fallen into a deep sense of hibernation as her frantic thoughts prevented her from clearing her mind to concentrate on her dire circumstances. She had only popped out for a few minutes; as per usual she was on refreshment duty even when her pack were concerned about her safety. Normally she wouldn't mind but when two large mutts corner you it pretty much takes the fun out of eating a delightful yum-yum.
When she was with her pack, it was normal to catch echoes of a voice raised in anger, joy, frustration or laughter. During Pack meetings she had committed every pounding footstep, every barrel through a doorway, wolves sprawled across sofas and carpets, their presence so loud she could hear it in the walls when they were gone. Now she was alone.
So very alone. She was the one who was separated from her family. Back at Stonehaven or in the small town of Bear Valley her Pack still gathered together, still laughed together, still hunted together; and here she was, squinting into the sunlight as she tried to regain her bearings, taking in the heaps of rubbish, discarded injections or the fogging aroma of ammonia. The young werewolf Doctor had to constantly remind herself of her temporary situation. She should be thinking of it as a way to prove your worth, put down a couple of mutts and rejoice in the attention. The werewolf knew she needed a plan if she was to return to Nicholas and his father, and how she would fight for a return.
There would be, however difficult her life with the pack was. She had not the heart to disclose these worries to Nick, for she knew he had enough to contend with as it was. He did not need to know of her burdens. Each member of her Pack knew of how hard she had struggled to acclimatize to her new life as a pack wolf, but what made it even harder for her to be accepted was due to the circumstances that had forced her first shift. She never knew her father, having been raised by her mother and three sisters she grew into a strong independent woman who seemed to look and act very differently compared to her siblings. Now she knew why. Something was happening to her, something that involved her being a descendant of the great King Arthur Pendragon. It seemed the reincarnation of Arthur's daughter, had something to do with it too, and it was only in the last few days, as she read the ancient history book that Nick had found, that she really started to contemplate what all of these past events could mean.
Maybe that was why she found it so riveting to understand several physical disciplines when it came to protecting herself and why it came so easy to her. That could also be the reason why she pursued a career in medicine and studied hard to complete the four years at University, another four years at Medical school before completing her three-year internship at Bartholomew hospital in London to become a qualified Doctor. Trying to gain an understanding into why she was a werewolf and others were not; she knew that she probably would never know the answer.
After this threat had been dealt with, and she had destroyed the culprit, she would return and she would welcome every boom of shouts and footsteps until she retreated into the peaceful forest of Stonehaven and wonder why she did not revel in their praise. She knew the answer before even having to dwell on it. She liked the hours to herself, listening to the silence or hearing the rustling of the leaves bustling in the wind. She had grown up alone and she knew she was always destined to be alone. It seemed her wishes and her dreams had changed since she had joined her pack. It seemed she had grown to hate the silence.
She had delighted in it once, during those blessedly short years between her mother's death and her unsolicited rise to Pack status. Silence truly meant armistice; it meant her housemates had left again, leaving her the peace and quiet she wanted to allow her time to study the complicated diagrams or confusing methods of various medical practices. It seemed she took those peaceful moments for granted, because along came her Pack, along came Nick and she knew it would never be quiet again.
The Doctor could still remember the early days of her budding relationship with Nicholas. She remembered sitting on the couch in Stonehaven's impressive living room, giving him one of her first genuine smiles. She had no doubt that he was rejoicing in seeing it considering back then she had been a shy, timid but confused young woman who was still struggling to acclimatize to a group of people who seemed genuinely interested in getting to know her. It was these early memories she had of him that she cherished because it was these confrontations that had shaped their relationship.
The young woman turned her attention from her thoughts and towards the mouth of the alley, observing two people walking through the maze of passageways, hands clasped together, each of them reveling in their partners company. How she longed to belong to someone, or to love someone completely unconditionally in a way Elena felt for Clayton. She had hoped Nick would have been the one to reciprocate her affection, to try and force herself from her confinement, to help her discover who she really was. But, it seemed her fondness of the Lothario had only caused more problems. She had surrounded herself by the limited number of friends she held, seeking the comfort and the guidance she required to aid her through the stressful months her dead family were supposedly meant to support and comfort her. How could the man fall in love with the woman who was only a girl in his eyes, and a young girl who barely knew who she was. The gentle touches, the personal smile and the private conversations from the last few days had been amazing, but what did Nick really feel? What was it that was going on between the pair of them? And did she have the confidence to ever tell him how she really felt?
She'd been too busy worrying about what her pack were doing and what they thought about her than to try and correct their first impressions of a mysterious young girl who could barely hold her own. Deep down she knew she wasn't and Nick surely must have thought Clayton's impressions of her as incorrect. She knew how to hold her own in a fight and she knew multiple methods to prevent murdering her aggressor. Clay was never afraid of speaking his mind when it came to her lack of blood lust, not able to comprehend her reasons as to why she could be so debilitated when it came to her duty of protecting her pack. She was a Doctor, first and foremost a healer and she could never rid a person their life considering she had took an oaf to protect the sanctity of life.
But why had these mutts suddenly taken an interest in her? She couldn't register the scents of the mutts, but one seemed to be triggering something at the back of her mind. Did they follow her from England to try and ambush her on foreign territory? And why had they suddenly attacked now? Did the werewolf mutts know that the pack had redirected its full strength to the mythical creature that may or may not exist and think they were weak?
She shoved her small body back to the wall when her stalkers bolted passed her. Riley continued to look around the alleyway as she heaved her hair from her face when she recognized the object she was looking for. Lying on the ground, not ten feet from her was a handful of empty beer bottles. She scrambled to cling onto one before lifting the bottle over her head and hurled it down the back alley, recognizing the resonating smashing as Riley watched one of her stalkers turn towards the crash and cautiously headed in that direction.
Riley was careful to keep to the shadows, her eyes never leaving the man as he walked with his back to her; it was a perfect opportunity to get a good look at him. He was tall, maybe two or three inches shorter than Nick, average weight and wearing all black clothing. The werewolf frowned when she watched him slowing to a stop as if to regain his bearings, his nose lifted to the air as he tried to get a scent; but as she watched him Riley could see he had moved into a squatted position, moving his head to the left and right as if looking for something at the corners of the alley. As Riley continued to watch, her sensitive eyes could see the glittering of something with the bright jets of sunlight that was falling to the end of the alleyway. As she took a cautious look, the blood that was coursing through her veins ran cold. He had large, heavy-duty knives clipped to his back while a large firearm was positioned close to his chest as he scouted for her. 'Well done Riley, you're being stalked through Bear Valley by a Mutt who doesn't know how to fight like a wolf.' She begrudgingly thought to herself.
Sticking close to the wall, she skulked towards her stalker, disturbed by the lack of appearance from his companion. She narrowed her eyes as she observed the flickering of a nearby tree shadow and obviously so wrapped up in her tracker that she did not notice the glass bottles at her feet. As she continued deeper into the alley her foot knocked against the glass and the resounded clatter radiated around her. Riley dived behind the dustbins almost immediately in the case he noticed her; fortunately for her he turned around too slowly. His eyes were sparkling in the flickering light, his eyes frantically searching for her; it seemed she was too well hidden that he was unable to identify her hiding form within the obscurities of the alley.