Chapter 1
Alina raked her hand through her brown hair growling inwardly. You’re an idiot Al. She chastised herself staring at the blank screen of her laptop. She had been staring at the screen for three days and nothing had come to her. Who the hell would decide that writing could be an actual job!
“Here you go Al.” Josh the friendly bar tender sat a beer in front of her and she found herself smiling up at him.
“Thanks Josh.”
“Writers block?” He beamed back.
“You have to be an actual writer to have writers block.” Alina sighed in frustration and took a mouthful of the bitter liquid Josh had brought to her table.
She liked Josh, he was young and had a carefree attitude about him also she couldn’t be that fussy he was the only person around here that actually spoke to her. Why she had thought moving to this tiny tucked away village she had no idea, she was a hundred miles away from anyone she had known she was isolated. She scoffed inwardly that had been the exact point get away from everything. Get away from him.
Her heart restricted when she thought about Michael. He had broken her heart, it had taken her so long to trust him and she had given him herself, well as much as she could give. It took one sentence to have her world come crashing down around her.
“I love you Al, I’m just not in love with you.”
“What?” his words had echoed painfully through her mind as she stated at him.
“I’ve known it for some time, you’re great, you’re like one of the lads.” He took a deep breath before he continued. “But I don’t want one of the lads I want a woman who isn’t afraid to pretty herself up and just be well a girl.”
Alina shook her head physically trying to banish the hurt that still haunted her.
“I get off shift in like half hour, you mind if a join you?” He asked.
“Sure.” She returned his smile and with a nod he disappeared back behind the bar. With a sigh she shut down her laptop and popped it in the bag, she took it up to the bar where Josh to it from her and took it out to the back as she returned to her seat. The owner of the bar had said she could leave her laptop behind the bar so I didn’t have to walk the street with it.
She made herself comfy in the small booth and sipped at the drink Josh had brought over to her. She turned her gaze across the room, the little bar was pretty packed for mid-week. There was a group of kids, well they were probably about 20 or 21 so still young, they were laughing and talking animatedly to one another, there were couples dotted about the bar the intimacy they displayed causing Alina’s heart to break.
“Al?” Alina broke from her trance of envy and forced a smile on her face as Josh joined her. Had it been half an hour already?
“One for you and one for me.” He placed another drink in front of her and sat in the booth opposite. He was a good kid, he always seemed to make time for her though she wasn’t really sure why surely, he had friends his own age?
“Shouldn’t you be over there with the teeny boppers?” She nodded in the direction of the young group.
“Teeny boppers, you know I am nearly twenty four, right?” He countered. “Besides I prefer old women’s company.” He winked at her.
“Cheek.” She rolled her eyes at him but took no real offence to what he was saying.
“Josh! You’re needed.” A tall well-built man was suddenly at their booth. Alina had never seen this male before, he was handsome she decided as she eyed him. He had sandy hair and some rough stubble; his brown eyes were fixed on Josh as if he didn’t even see her which irked her somewhat.
“Andrus this is Al, Al this is Andrus.” Josh almost growled.
“Pleasure.” Andrus looked at her for a second giving her a quick nod before returning his attention to Josh. “We must go.” Josh didn’t look pleased but he stood anyway throwing an apologetic look Alina’s way.
“It’s fine I’m gonna rink this and go anyway.” She reassured him and then with a nod of his head he left with Andrus. It was a strange encounter Alina smiled to herself, but this town wasn’t exactly ‘normal’ there was something about the way some of the men behaved and the way others around them seem to almost cower in their presence. Apparently, she had moved to the 1800’s and men ruled all.
An hour later and Alina had a choice to make, did she take the short cut through the wooded area or take the super long route home. A breeze picked up sending shivers down her spine, short cut it is then. Shoving her hands in to her pockets she marched forward, she had walked this route many times and as dark as it was, she found a kind of calmness in herself as she walked through the forest pathway.
She was halfway through her little short cut when the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, suddenly she did not feel alone. Ignoring her apprehension, she continued to walk forward but stopped when a low growl sounded from behind her.
Slowly she turned around facing the direction the sound had come from. “What the fuck.” She managed to breathe out as her eyes took in the large form in front of her. It was a wolf, well she assumed it was except this animal was huge. It didn’t look real and for a moment Alina wondered whether her drink had been spiked and she was just hallucinating, but the hulking great beast growled again the sound reverberating through her.
The beast’s eyes looked angry they were almost black as they gazed upon her. It stepped forward with a large paw and Alina found herself taking a step back, its fur shone brightly in the moonlight a golden brown and for a second she admired the beast. Alina could feel a scream bubbling in her throat but nothing came out instead she took another tentative step backward her eyes trained on the monster who was descending upon her.
Another growl sounded but not from the animal in front of her, no apparently, he had a friend another large beast the coat the colour of mercury. He had the same black eyes, the same blood thirsty look.
“Good…..wolfies…..”
