Chapter 12: Those Unmistakable Eyes

“My God, girl, you are a bottomless pit,” Leena said as she caught me in the tavern kitchen sampling the potato soup that had gone cold long after the dinner hour.

“Every time I walk in here you have something in your mouth.”

“I’m a pregnant woman. I have to keep up my energy.”

“Tavern girls aren’t supposed to get too big, so be careful with the sweets and potatoes,” she warned.

I looked down at the meeting of my leather vest and pants I’d become accustomed to since working the tavern, smoothing a hand over my stomach.

“I’m not fat yet.”

She walked behind me and patted my bottom.

“It’s all back here, darling.”

I craned my neck to see and she laughed.

“Maybe it’s okay to find work elsewhere,” I shrugged, taking a final spoonful of cold soup and following her back to the bar.

“Why? There is free food and drink that comes with this job.”

“True, as well as rude and smelly, drunken men and questionable women…” I let my eyes travel over the patrons that were with us from the previous night going into the early morning hours.

I thought it was daring to wear pants and vests, but those women wore more makeup than clothing, little more than undergarments and big hair with a smile.

Some sat on laps. Others sashayed between tables. I couldn’t imagine doing such a thing, not with the men that frequented our tavern. Not after the experience I’d had with Erich.

I momentarily allowed myself to think about him and wondered where it was he’d come from and where it was he’d gone after I left him. I couldn’t help thinking over and over that like the wolves that came to Hamstead, he simply vanished.

“Last round,” Leena called out as I yawned and began wiping down tables.

A groan went through the scattering of patrons but the last orders were placed and I looked forward to the short ride back to our boarding house and the bed that was much less comfortable than I was used to.

Unexpectedly, the door to the tavern opened and a massive figure of a man hooded and cloaked in black strolled through taking a seat at the bar. I shook my head. Leena made quick work of telling him there was only time for one drink.

He grunted, pointing to what he wanted as he dropped his coin on the bar. I continued to clean as other patrons vacated the premises. Leena took the money and poured the solitary drink. Placing her hands on her hips as she waited for him to bottoms up and be on his way.

I worked my way to the far side of the bar as she stood her ground.

He tilted the glass to her and did so, placing it back in the bar gently before standing to leave. I tried to avoid eye contact but the strange sensation that he was looking at me forced my eyes in his direction. There was only a glint of gold that peeked from beneath his hood, but the coloring was an unmistakable match to the eyes in my memories.

He turned away quickly, leaving me to second guess my first conclusion. I hurried to the door, tripping on my own feet along the way and then walked out onto the street to see if I could catch him before he was completely gone. But the streets were barren of all except those I recognized as regulars at the bar. I looked in all directions, straining against the darkness to see any indication of movement but there was none.

Leena didn’t wait for me to come back in as she exited the bar a few moments behind me and locked up.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, taking in my attempt to see further than my ability.

“I thought I recognized that man,” I said. “Did he say anything to you?”

“No, just grunted for his beer, drank it and left.”

“Oh,” I said, trying to shrug off what must have been a mistake. “Come on, I’ll walk you home.”

“We live in the same house,” she said, putting an arm around me. “You sure you’re okay? You’re shaking like a leaf. Who did you think that man was? Not your father.”

“Oh God no. He’d have revealed himself to me for sure.”

But so would Erich, I thought to myself. Why wouldn’t he?

“Come on, let’s up it through the church alley.” Leena suggested pulling me in that direction before I could protest. I hated going through the alley, even if it did cut the walking time down by five minutes. Even lit up beneath the full moon, the expansive graveyard always gave me chills. I hurried along next to Leena trying to calm my nerves and overactive imagination.

The rustling of leaves on. The ground stopped us both in our tracks. Figures in front of us walking in our direction became clear in the distance. I grabbed her hand, intent on running back the way we came only to be stopped short by a gathering of wolves prowling towards us.

“It can’t be…” Leena gasped as she pulled me close to her side.

We backed up slowly. But looking behind us, I noticed the steady progression of the figures in the distance coming closer.

“If we get out of this, no more shortcuts,” I suggested.

We stood our ground, there was no point in running. Leena and I stood back to back ready to face the fight head on. The wolves continued to advance towards me until the leader and I were nearly eye-to-eye. I took in their golden glow and my fists dropped to my sides.

“What is going on?” Leena whispered in my ear.

“I don’t know.”

I reached a hand out to touch his nose. He closed his eyes and leaned into my hand as I stroked his jaw.

“What are you doing?” Leena shrieked, jerking my hand back.

In the next instance, his head snapped to attention. He bared his teeth at me and a growl emanated from him low and deathly frightening. I backed away but he let out a fierce howl that shocked my nerves and sent me tumbling backwards and onto the ground.

I heard Leena’s screams and struggles as I lay frozen in place on the ground with the wolf stepping over my body, sharp fangs glistening in the moonlight, coming ever closer to my throat.