Chapter 44
Eva
It was late, but Eva was too anxious to sleep. Leaning against the wall, her knees tucked to her chest, Eva watched as Mathew slept soundly in front of her, his innocent face showing none of the horrors he’d already seen in his short life.
The door of the large cabin opened, a rush of frigid air blowing in before it was cut off, and near-silent footsteps came her way. Looking up, Eva managed a smile as her brother hovered above her.
“You should be asleep,” he whispered.
She shrugged. “I don’t think I’ll be sleeping until this is over.”
Bending down, he shuffled over and sat beside her. “Try not to worry, sis.” Resting her head on his shoulder, Eva closed her eyes, and Zackary slid his hand into hers. “I won’t let anyone hurt you,” he whispered. “Or Matty.”
A tear slipped free, rolling slowly over her cheek. “It’s supposed to be my job to look after you,” she murmured.
Her brother had grown up without her even realizing it. Become strong and resilient while she floundered and struggled to stay upright.
He laughed silently, his vibrating body softly the only evidence. “I grew claws and sharp teeth, Ev. I think I’m more equipped to do the protecting.”
“What do you think Mom would say if she saw us now? Do you think she’d have left with Dad?” It haunted her to think her mom was looking down on her as disappointed and angry as her father was.
“I think she’d have kicked Dad’s ass for being such an idiot. If her death has taught me anything, Eva, it’s that life is never how we picture it will be, and the only way to cope is to find happiness where it is present. And if that’s with John and Matty, then there is nothing wrong with that. Don’t let Dad’s choices make you doubt yourself. You never have before.”
“I’ve never found myself a boyfriend and kid before though, Zac.”
“Who cares? This is our life now, Ev. We might as well make the most of it.”
Opening her mouth to speak, Eva never had the chance to say her next words. The call of a wolf cut through the stillness of night, stalling her heart as her brother froze beside her.
His hand squeezed hers. “Don’t leave this cabin, Eva.”
He was up on his feet and out of her hold a second later. “Wait.” Eva gasped as others began to stand and wake up around her. “What did it mean?”
She already knew. Deep down, the sound had called to a hidden part of her soul she was too afraid to touch. The enemy was here. The war had begun.
Candles were lit, casting a warm glow over the large cabin as they moved the children into the far corner away from the double doors. Mathew was amazingly still asleep, and Eva hoped he slept through whatever nightmare came next.
Eva, on the other hand, struggled to keep still. Her knee bobbed up and down with nerves and fear as she stared at the door her brother had exited, waiting for the moment he returned.
“How are you holding up?” Olivia asked quietly, passing her a mug of coffee as she took a seat to her left.
“Okay, I guess.” It wasn’t like Eva had anything to compare her state of mind to. She’d never been in a situation like this before. She was numb more than anything and under that afraid.
“I’m sur –”
A yell cut Olivia off, followed by a snarl and the pop of gunfire.
Eva shot to her feet, Olivia following her. The adults in the room crept toward the door and the two large arched windows on either side of them.
“What do you see?” someone whispered.
Eva could see nothing, her human eyes useless at cutting through the dark, but her ears picked up sounds. More gunfire and growls, the odd cry of pain which sent her heart rate rocketing.
Her brother was out there, dodging bullets and fighting off the enemy. He was too young, too inexperienced; neither one of them were equipped for this.
“What am I doing here?” Eva whispered, stumbling back. Her father was right; she didn’t belong in this world. What chance did she have against teeth and claws?
“You’re okay,” Olivia murmured, taking her hands. “Just breathe. We’re safe in here.”
Her heart was pounding, pulsing through her ears, muffling Olivia’s words. Thump. Thump. The fighting grew nearer, louder. Tension was thick in the air. Thump. Thump. Eva couldn’t breathe, a vise strangled her lungs, stopping the oxygen as she gasped for breath after desperate breath.
“Eva? Eva?” Thump. Thump. Bodies moved around her, women grabbing children, others lining up as a shield by the door. “Eva!” Her vision was fading, black spots floating before her eyes. THUMP. THUMP.
She’s having a panic attack. Damn it, we’ve no time for this. They’re here. We need to move.
Their voices filtered through her mind as if from another world. Eva’s world was nothing but a haze of fear and desperation for air.
But as a small hand slipped into hers and tugged, the darkness shifted and morphed, revealing a small boy with ruffled dark hair, his eyes showing nothing but trust.
Matty.
Everything rushed at her at once, overwhelming her senses as her chest expanded, flooding her body with oxygen as Anna’s piercing scream of heartbreak fractured the world.
Chapter 45
Anna
Violence.
Blood.
Death.
Pain.
All things that had haunted her every step. Fate had promised war, craved destruction, and now it was here, an arrow flying straight into the heart of them all.
Chaos reigned around her as her mind flooded with images. The enemy was at their door, beating its hatred against their skin, but Anna’s mind had
