Chapter 1: Wolves
It was a well-known thing for the residents of Brookside Cove not to venture into the woods at night. People generally disappeared, and since the search for the murderer remained ongoing, there was a strict rule not to venture outside of the limits of the town. The murders always seemed to happen on the outskirts of the town, not inside it.
However, the warnings didn't stop Evelyn from collecting plant samples. It was easier to do so at night when people weren't walking on trails or exploring the area. She didn't have to answer questions about what she was doing. Though people seemed interested in botanists, it wasn't a degree many people were taking. Evelyn always had an interest in plants, ever since she could remember. As far as she was concerned, every aspect of nature was beautiful, and the answers to many questions people had could be found within nature, be they properties of plants or otherwise.
A loud howl resounded from behind her, causing her to jump. Wolves? No, that couldn't be it; there weren't wolves in this area. Perhaps it was just someone's dog? Even that wasn't very comforting, especially when a low growl could be heard from the trees behind Evelyn. She slowly turned her head and found a pair of golden eyes staring at her, accompanied by sharp white teeth baring at her. Her heart was pounding in her head. There was nothing she could do; there was no way she knew how to react that wouldn't cause this enormous creature to pounce. Just when she thought it was about to pounce, another wolf stepped before her. Though she knew little about wolves, she was sure this wolf was abnormally large. It let out a low growl, which caused her hair to stand on end.
'She's harmless, move on.' A voice resounded in Evelyn's head; it was firm and commanding. The other wolf seemed to stop snarling as it backed away before running off. The wolf that had just saved her life turned its eyes, staring into her soul. Evelyn had no idea what was about to happen, but she would never find out as an alarm began to ring around her, and in that moment, she shot up, gasping for air as if she had been holding her breath the entire time. Her heart was still pounding in her chest, and the pupils of her emerald green eyes dilated. Her black hair clung to her skin as beads of sweat rolled off her.
"Just a dream." She muttered to herself before reaching over to shut off her alarm. She then got up and went to grab her outfit that she had already pieced together the night before a crimson red top, which shows off just enough skin without being too revealing, a leather jacket, and black ripped jeans. She then went to take a shower. Once done, she dried her hair, her phone playing music in the background.
"Evelyn! Come eat before your breakfast gets cold!" A voice called from downstairs.
"Coming!" Evelyn yelled back. It was nice living near the college; there was no need to worry about Dorms, though the school required one year to spend either in a dorm or with a sorority or fraternity. Making her way downstairs, Evelyn slid onto the stool at the bar in the kitchen, where a plate of hash browns, toast, and eggs sat on display for consumption. "Thanks, Mom."
By now, Evelyn knew that she wasn't her biological mother. No one knew who those were, and the orphanage where she resided before her adoption had no records of that information. It seemed she had just turned up out of the blue, just laying in one of the cribs with the other infants that had been given up.
"You look good, what's the occasion?" Evelyn's mother, Maple, questioned with a smile as she leaned over to kiss her daughter's head. "I've got to get to work, but make sure to clean up before leaving, please." With another smile, Sakura grabbed her purse and jacket and opened the door.
"Thank you, Mom; you have a great day, too, and stay safe, please," Evelyn replied. Maple gave a confident nod in response before shutting the door behind her. After finishing breakfast, Evelyn cleaned up before heading to class.
Entering college grounds was as it always felt; butterflies fluttered in Evelyn's stomach as she made her way to class. She always felt nervous for some reason, especially as of late, when she wanted to avoid confrontations altogether. However, something about this day felt different. Evelyn let in a sharp inhale as the hairs on her skin stood on end, that same feeling of the dream washing over her. She felt eyes on her and slowly turned her head, looking for the source. Eventually, her eyes landed upon a tall woman; she looked tough, walking with an air of confidence alongside two others. While they spoke to her, her eyes remained fixated on Evelyn. Her eyes were golden, like the wolves from her dream. Brown hair was tied up in a ponytail. She appeared very athletic, and once her eyes met Evelyn's, she offered a smile.
Veering off from her friends, the stranger approached Evelyn, who seemed to have frozen in place as if her feet had been glued to the ground. "You okay, new blood? You look like you just saw a ghost."
Evelyn stuttered. This girl was gorgeous, and it took a moment for her to realize that she was talking to her. "I, yeah, I'm fine. I kinda did. You just are familiar for some reason."
"As are you; I'm sure I've seen you around before. Meg Brown." The woman extended her hand, her wolf-like gaze expecting the offer to be returned. Evelyn took a moment before letting her slender hand meet Meg's.
"Evelyn Parker." As their hands gripped one another, a spark shot through Evelyn, her pupils dilated, and as she looked up at Meg, she wondered if she felt the spark too, though there was no indication on her face that said so. "Umm." Meg removed her hand, losing her grip on Evelyn. She smiled, flashing a sharp canine. "Listen, I know we just met, but you've left an impression on me." Her eyes scanned over Evelyn and her outfit. "Alpha Sigma is hosting a party tonight, and I'd like you to come; if not, I get it."
Everyone knew that Alpha Sigma was an exceptionally closed-off uni-sex frat. No one was ever invited into it unless their parents had been part of it, so to be invited to one of their parties was a big deal. But even so, this was not how interactions happened in the real world; was she still dreaming? "I'll be there," Evelyn said with a smile, looking up at Meg through her eyelashes.
"See you then, Evelyn," Meg said, offering another smile before turning to catch up with her two friends who had been standing at a distance, watching... waiting. Even after Meg returned, their predatory gaze lingered on Evelyn momentarily before heading toward their classes.
