A/N: There is danger a midst. Who could it be? Please read and review!
River made sure to lock every window, every door of her apartment excluding the front door which she kept a keen eye on. If he dare mention that he followed, watched her and probably entered her bedroom, she wouldn't risk being caught off guard. She stayed sitting in the kitchen for a short while just to absorb the idea of him watching her; a part of it unreasonably made her heart flutter.
Still with the scent of Loup-garoux thick in her room, River could not focus. She tried her best to cloud the scent with masking floral scents though no matter her effort, the scent soaked into the threading. She sat at the corner of her bed bent forward as though sick. Her elbows pressed hard to her knees while her hands cupped her face. She was ashamed at first to reason with her inner nature; she tortured her plentifully.
"I can't."
Her forehead began to bead with a cold sweat. Her hands quivered into the familiar clamminess. She could no longer retrace her steps to calm her aching heart, her muscles, and her nature. She beckoned further and further to be released, no longer wanting to be denied that joyous pleasure.
"I'm better than this. You know that I can't. I've been here for a day. What will I do if father finds out that his daughter couldn't last a single day in Bucharest."
He'll consider you a weak hearted. He will not acknowledge that you are strong and capable of handling a small task such as this. But, father doesn't need to know this as long as you give him the information he needs.
River lifted her head finally to take a breath. She had found herself a loop hole; a gradually small opportunity to relieve herself of the cloak and writhe in true freedom. River lay back on her bed in pure exhaustion; fighting back was not an easy task at all as she realized then. She couldn't even remember falling asleep.
A knock came to the door of her apartment. Nothing stirred within. Another knocked followed then a voice came. "Ms. Marx. There is a package for you. I had called you several times to tell you that it was urgent."
Dolores, the landlady, took it upon herself to deliver the package personally to River; the package that River was to be expecting from Rafe. Whatever he had purchased for her lay in the medium box the landlady held. On the box, a note lay smoothed and properly laden with specific instructions that it is to be delivered to River Marx by sunset. The landlady had no trouble figuring out whom the box was for. She'd known of only one person with that strange name, and one of was recently added to her client list.
"Ms. Marx. This has to be delivered to you right now."
Dolores found her obstacle to be rather frustrating. She was told to personally deliver the package if the patron did not retrieve it. Calling to River's apartment became tiresome as it was and standing outside constantly knocking didn't help either. Dolores reached for the key ring on her belt and sought the skeleton key.
When she entered River's apartment, Dolores could not find one speck of light pouring inside. She knocked into the dining room table, nearly losing her footing if not for grasping the chair.
"Ms. Marx, are you in here?" Dolores implied when she looked around the small apartment and crossed to open the window to allow some light to spill inside. She found the bed to be torn, pillows thrown, and feathers scattered amongst the ground. Dolores covered her mouth worriedly concerned for her occupant's well being. Her eyes gradually fell to the carpeted floor, seeping from beneath the bed, appeared to be blood, not too fresh and drying slow.
As Dolores continued to overlook the damage done to her apartment, she covered her mouth tighter when a ghastly smell emanated from the carpet. Blood was not the sweetest smell; that bitter soil from the Human body caused sickness in anyone. Dolores tried not to focus on the stench and crossed to call someone. With her back turned, a thud came from below strong enough to shake the bed. Dolores had caught this and turned.
"Ms. Marx, I warned you not to bring any pets into my complex."
Another rattle came from beneath. Dolores placed her hand over her chest from the loss of breath. Her heart had not raced as quick as it did then. With shaking fingers, she reached for the coverlet then reconsidered the silliness of it all. No reason to panic, the portly woman convinced herself. She would back away slow, and if she would close and lock the door, she could call authorities to investigate.
Dolores tried not to appear desperate to retreat; but that alone may have triggered what lay beneath the bed to further show adamant frustration. She had not come round River's desk fast enough that something struck her. She fell onto the floor, breaking her fall by bracing herself on her hands. Dolores looked back to see what she tripped on and found that her ankle was injured. She could not find words or breath from the sight of her ankle appearing torn. The pain she courteously waited to feel had not come; the opened wound had ghastly become numb. Dolores tried to rise on her feet but there was no feeling that she struggled.
A low, guttural sound came from below the bed and as Dolores turned she could not make out the silhouette curled there. She couldn't focus on the frost blue eyes that had somehow caught the light from the window. Little had she'd known, the creature had come from below to stand in all its glory.
It appeared like shadow itself, cloaked in endless obsidian with eyes delicate in hue. The creature stood inches from Dolores; she could not find her voice, not even the slightest whimper. The eyes fell to her, slitted and familiar. On large paws, the creature stood. Beneath obsidian fur lay promising strength. A long tail swayed slow, signifying an answer to Dolores' feared plea. The creature had come closer, lowering its shoulders, prowling. Laces of drool fell from the exposed, unstained teeth that worried Dolores further.
"I said no pets." She muttered quietly. "No pets."
The creature did not sound its anger as it traditionally did. Instead, it bound forward with only one thing in mind: sustenance. Dolores could no longer exclaim for the creature aimed for her throat to silence her, holding her there in warning. The ivory teeth bore into the soft flesh with ease. Dolores could do nothing but fade into unconsciousness and death.