The winter wolves.

I could feel the shaking of my hands, crossed over my chest as I latched onto the small heart pendant on my neck. The dirt caved in around my eight-year-old body. My eyes travelled to the small hole, the size of a straw opening, that allowed fresh air to enter the cave. I couldn’t turn my head or move my body. My breath showed in the freezing air. Not a sound moved through the space, not even the skittering of beetles. It was the first time in my life that I experienced silence. My heart pounded in my chest as my hearing focused on each beat. Thump. Thump. Thump.

A bang made me jump as light filtered in, blinding me. A hand grabbed my ankle. I screamed and used my other foot to kick it away, but he grabbed my other ankle and I was drug out of the cave.

“No, no,” I screamed. A cloud of dirt shot through the air.

I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the light. A hand covered my mouth as I tried to squirm my way out of his grasp.

“Will you settle down already?” My brother, Pieter, whispered.

The soothing tone of his voice calmed me as I fell into his arms, sobbing. He and his twin, Christof, carried me deep into the woods behind our pack. Pieter wiped my tears every few minutes so they wouldn’t freeze in the crisp winter air.

We arrived at the dirt road, barely noticeable with the overgrown brush and snowpack. A beat - up black truck sat in the middle. Nelly sat in the passenger seat with their two children, Kayden and baby Kayne, in the back. Kayne’s car seat pressed against the far side door, and he babbled, holding a toy as he looked out the window.

Christof tried to hand me to Pieter so he could help me into the car, but I held on around his neck. Christof pried them off as Pieter wrestled me into the truck.

Pieter started up the car with a loud roar. The wheels shook on the bumpy road. My nephew, Kayden, looked at me, his eyes wide. He reached his little hand up to my head and brushed off some of the dirt in my hair.

“I’ve found a place for us to stay,” Pieter said, hoping to break the silence.

“All I care about is that we are safe. Drive,” Christof barked as he wriggled himself against the door and Nelly.

The summit of the mountain I grew up on faded into the distance. My heart sank into my stomach as my home disappeared from view. The further we got, the deeper the hole inside of me grew.

“I can’t smell them anymore.” I said.

“Neither can we.”

Nelly reached back and squeezed my leg.

The heaviness of my eyes went from blinks to fully closed as I drifted off to sleep. I woke as the bumps from the dirt road turning into smooth pavement jolted the truck. We parked outside a gas station in a quaint little human town. Nelly was breastfeeding Kayne, while Kayden snored in the seat next to me. Christof leant back in his chair, forcing a smile my way.

“Do you want to go for a walk, little one?”

I nodded. Tears welled up in my eyes.

Christof took my hand and guided me behind the little shop. There was a small field of daisies and clover, overgrown and ungroomed. As I pulled away to pick a flower, Christof yanked me back.

“Easy, Elara, you can’t go an arm’s length from me or Pieter.”

I knew he was serious as he used my real name. I reached down and picked a few daisies from the ground in front of me. Christof stuck one in my messy braid that swung over my left shoulder. Reaching the field’s edge, we turned around. The only sound I remembered was a crow cawing in the distance.

“Pieter is going to find us a place to live. Once we settle, the three of us can have a chat.” He said.

The way his eyes stared at me was as if he understood why I couldn’t speak. Pieter popped his head around the corner of the shop and pointed to his watch as we made our way down to the truck. As he went to scold us for leaving the truck, I handed out the daisies to my family. Pieter stopped himself and ruffled the top of my head.

Nelly placed her flower in her hair.

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

As much as I tried, no words came out of my mouth. She reached over and brushed my hair down the side of my face. Pieter leant down and kissed my forehead.

I looked out the window of the truck, watching the woods turn into fields of wheat and corn. The mountains had turned into rolling hills, and there were a lot more vehicles speeding down the road.

A modest town, featuring just a general store, a pharmacy, and a realtor’s office, welcomed us. Pieter took a massive envelope out of the glove compartment, stepped out and greeted a well-dressed human. They talked for a few moments, and Pieter pulled a wad of cash out of the envelope, giving it to the man.

Another hour passed in the car. A red sun sat low in the sky. We finally pulled up to a massive, really old-style home. It had sharp white pillars and balconies wrapping around the entire house. Rocks spat out from the overgrown driveway as Pieter pressed on the brakes.

“Welcome home.” He said, an air of dismay in his voice.

Nelly got out of the vehicle, taking the two young boys into the house. Pieter and Christof both give her a loving kiss.

I jumped out and walked over to the rusted swing set in the yard. The world seemed to blur around me. As I tried to move my legs, my knees locked. There is only one functional swing, which I sat on, making a loud plunk noise as the hard plastic seat creaked under me. The grass around has grown higher than the seat.

“Elara, did you see it?” He got on his knees in front of me.

My head jolted forward a few times as I tried to speak. The words stopped in my throat. I nod instead.

“Oh my, little sis.” He said, pulling me into a big hug. I sobbed into his shoulder as Christof stroked my back.

“You saw his face? The man who assassinated our parents?”

I nodded again as I moved the swing ever so slightly. The back-and-forth motion was soothing.

“The sca scaa…scar.” As the words fought their way out, I pointed to my cheek. “I…I…I watched him kkkk.” The ball in my throat stopped me.

Christof and Pieter gave each other a knowing look.

“You are safe, little sis.” Pieter placed another kiss on my forehead. “Don’t tell anyone but us what you saw. Not even Nelly. We need to be invisible, pretend we fit into this world. Can you do that? Can you keep this secret and pretend?”

I nodded.

Christof, attempting to break the tension, says, “Why don’t we go inside and you can choose your room.”

The swing made a loud creak as I jumped off and shuffled my way to the door. As I opened it, the house was bare, except for a few old chairs and some empty bookshelves that were dusty.

Nelly had set up a makeshift play area in the corner for Kayden and Kayne, who slept in a sort of travel crib.

I ignored all the first-floor rooms and headed down to the basement. Thick brick, packed tightly, lined the walls, and there were two small windows that shed some light into the room. Pieter reached up and pulled a cord on the lightbulb, illuminating the other half of the room. It was a massive space. The entire length of the house. I walked over to the door and inspected the lock, clicking it open and closed several times.

I pointed to the windows, which Christof checked. They didn’t open, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Pieter threw a small bag of my clothes along with an inflatable air mattress in the corner.

“Are you sure you want to sleep here?” He asked.

I nodded again and attempted to set up the mattress myself. He hurried over to help me. Motioning to the floor, I mimed for one of them to sleep next to me tonight.

“Don’t worry, little one, I’ll be down here tonight, and Pieter tomorrow.” Christof said, rubbing my shoulder.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I tried to form another sentence.

“Is…is…tttthhis the huhuhu man world? Do I ha hav have to be a huuuman?”

They both nodded.

“Yes. No one can know you are a werewolf. No one can know about Amaroq.”

The rest of that evening was a blur. I lost my parents, my pack, and my identity in one swift motion.