Tyler stumbled back, staring at me with a mix of horror and shock.
"I… I can't do that Elena…"
"Please Tyler, I'm begging you. Promise me. I can't let Klaus get hold of my children and I won't risk him using me to make more. Please. Tyler. I can't ask anyone else, I know they won't do it."
"Because it's crazy."
"My entire life has been turned upside down by vampires, specifically by this vampire because of who I am. I cannot stand the idea of him doing that to anyone else. And I know that doppelgangers are rare but eventually one will come along and the thought of what might happen to her terrifies me. Please Tyler, I will do anything, just promise that you won't let him get hold of us." I reached out and took his hand, placing it on my stomach. I hoped that if there was any wolf in there, any fragment of Klaus, it would sway him and get him to agree.
He considered for a long time, watching me with a conflicted expression. He grimaced and nodded slowly.
"Fine… I promise."
"Thank you." He made a face to show just how displeased he was with the arrangement but didn't speak. We continued gathering sticks, splitting apart to gather more ground. I knelt down to gather more sticks and when I lifted my head, I found myself face to face with a wolf, its gold eyes staring out at me from the darkness.
"Hello…" The wolf growled softly, sniffing at me. I held up my hands trying to show that I meant no harm. The wolf lifted its muzzle and pressed it gently to my belly, sniffing. I stiffened slightly, unsure if this was one of the wolves from the bayou pack. I offered my hand. The wolf licked it lightly and retreated into the darkness. I felt slightly more comfortable now, knowing that the wolf was there. I looked up and saw Tyler watching.
"They're drawn to you. Even I can feel it. There's something special around you Elena. I don't know if its wolf blood inside you or if it's something else but its pulling everyone in. They want to help."
"I wish it was that easy." I looked after the wolf, wishing I could follow it into the trees and never look back.
I finished gathering up sticks and headed back up with Tyler. We returned to the fireside where Bonnie was still sitting. I checked the pot. The mixture had thickened up nicely. I wasn't sure exactly how it was meant to look but it seemed right.
"I think it's done," I said. "I'm going to let it cool, then put it in the jar and leave it in the cabin for Eve." I was surprised that she hadn't made an appearance yet. Maybe Bonnie and Tyler's presence was making her uncomfortable.
I removed the pot and set it aside to cool. Tyler perched near Bonnie, watching me with dark eyes. I shifted uncomfortably.
In the trees I heard a wolf howling. It sang to the sky, a lonesome plaintive cry. After a while, another howl joined the first, the two voices mingling with one another. I felt a strange twinge of longing. I cupped my mouth and howled as best I could. Bonnie looked over and raised an eyebrow. Tyler seemed mildly amused by my attempt.
The wolves fell silent. I bit my lip, disappointed that I'd scared them off. After a moment they resumed, half a dozen more voices joining them in, howling back to me. I laughed softly. Bonnie's eyes widened. I howled at the sky and the chorus of wolves sang back to me. Tyler smiled, cupped his mouth and joined in. I closed my eyes, letting the sound wash over me. It felt right.
Gradually the sound of the wolves faded. I got up and checked the pot. The contents seemed cool enough so I poured it into the jar I'd brought from the house. I went to the cabin, knocked lightly on the door in case Eve was inside, and when I got no response I entered.
I put the jar on the table and scribbled a note explaining what needed to be done with it. I turned to leave and my eyes landed on the bed. It was in disarray, the sheets were hanging off and had been shredded in places. I frowned and approached slowly, circling around the bed.
Lying on the other side, almost completely hidden from sight, was Eve. Her body was spread eagled, half covered in the fallen bedsheets. Her arms were badly scratched and I could see where she had attempted to fend off her attacker from reaching her face and neck. One of her arms had been almost torn from her shoulder, only attached by a few strands of sinew and muscle. Her face was contorted into a horrific scream, there were several gaping bites on her throat and her eyes had been turned into a bloody pulp. Her stomach had been torn open, her organs visible and it looked like strips of her flesh had been eaten. I retched, trying to fight the vomit rising in my throat. A pool of blood surrounded her body with a trail of paw prints leading away from it and disappearing under the bed. They didn't come out the other side.
I backed away slowly, trying to remain calm. I moved towards the door, the wood creaking under my foot. A faint growl came from under the bed. I froze. From the darkness under the bed came the sound of claws raking against the wood. I took a few more steps, then bolted from the cabin. I heard a snarl and something hit the door. I held it closed and looked over to Bonnie and Tyler.
"We have to go. Right now!" I said, my voice quiet but frantic.
"Why? What's wrong?" Bonnie asked.
"Eve, the wolf girl, she's dead. And I'm fairly sure whatever did it is still in that cabin." I said, keeping my voice hushed so as to not provoke the creature that was lurking inside. The others got to their feet and grabbed their stuff. I heard growling from behind the door and a scrabbling on the other side. The wood at the base of the door began to splinter and I heard angry snarling from within.
"Yep, definitely in there…" I bit my lip, holding onto the door. "Sounds very angry."
"Right… hold the door, get ready to run." Tyler said. Bonnie raised her arms, ready to ward off whatever came out. Something thudded against the door and it shook. I pressed my hands against the door, moving my body as far away as I could without it opening.
"Ready?"
"Ready."
"Go."
I pushed off the door and ran. I heard wood snapping and shattering behind me but I dared not look back. I ran without really knowing where I was heading, just trying to gain ground between me and the animal.
My foot caught on something and I fell headlong, tumbling into the dirt. I winced, sitting up. One of my knees was bleeding badly. I wiped it away and stumbled up, looking around. I couldn't see anything except the dark silhouettes of trees around me. I listened, straining my ears for any sounds of my friends. Silence. Even the cicadas, usually an endless background chorus, had fallen quiet. It felt like this corner of the world had been cut off from everything else, leaving me alone in the darkness.
Somewhere nearby, a twig snapped. I peered through the trees and saw a glimpse of something dark moving in the shadows. I pressed myself against a tree, hoping that it wouldn't see me and would just pass by. My breathing was ragged and seemed incredibly loud to my ears.
Everything was still and silent except for my terrified heartbeat. Had it gone? I couldn't stay here, if it had gone passed it might come back and I would have missed my opportunity to get away. I took a deep breath and slowly peeked around the tree. The animal was stood there, its eyes locked on me. A whimper slipped from my lips.
It didn't move. I could barely see it, its fur blending down into the darkness around it. Only its eyes were visible, glowing eerily. I bit my lip and clenched my fists, trying to keep myself from trembling. We were trapped in our standoff, neither wanting to move first. His paw twitched, scratching lightly at the dirt.
I broke first. I threw out my hands, sending the animal flying backwards. I turned and sprinted as fast as I could. I could hear the animal crashing through the undergrowth behind me, the heavy panting as it ran. Something heavy collided with my back, knocking me down. I cried out. I could feel the weight of it on my back, the hot breath on my neck.
Suddenly the weight disappeared and I heard a startled yelp. I rolled onto my back and sat up. Two furious balls of fur were fighting nearby. It was impossible to tell where one ended and the next began, their fur mingling as one with only the occasional flash of fangs or claws.
I tried to get to my feet but my legs refused to cooperate. I guessed I'd hurt it more than I thought when I'd fallen. I crawled back, trying to get as much distance between the two warring creatures.
The larger one, picked up the smaller one in his mouth, jaws clamped around its throat, and hurled it against a tree. The hapless animal yelped and crumped at the base of the trunk. The large wolf advanced on him, fangs bared. I couldn't watch this. I threw myself forward, hooking my arms around his throat. I pulled back, tightening my grasp. The wolf thrashed, snapping at me angrily. It lunged forward abruptly at the other wolf, almost throwing me off. I realised it was more focused on attacking him than me. I grimaced and rammed my arm into its mouth to prevent it from biting. It sank it's fangs into my arm. I screamed in pain but forced myself to keep the limb in place, holding my other arm tight against its throat to prevent it from wriggling free.
I felt a searing burning sensation spreading through my arm unlike anything I'd ever felt before. It tore through my skin, setting me on fire. My arms trembled and the wolf bucked up, throwing me off. It circled round and came to stand over me, glaring down at me. My body was shaking furiously as every atom of my being blistered under the heat and pain of whatever was coursing through my veins.
I could still see, although my vision was distorted and faded, and I locked eyes with the wolf as it looked down at me. Saliva dripped from its fangs and its eyes were filled with pure anger. The pain became too much, overwhelming me and I could feel my body shutting down, succumbing to the toxins in my vein.