Into the woods I P U B L I S H E D

„The truth hurts more when you are in love.”

- Elizabeth

Elizabeth

Once upon a time, there was a little girl whose mother always told her bedtime stories before she went to sleep. Stories about big, black, red-eyed beasts walking at night, destroying villages and killing people just to find their lover. Soulmates.

Lovers who would be bound to them until death separated them apart. Now thinking about that as I drove back home, made me think that all of those stories, not only my mom told me but also the people who were around me, were actually true. Every single story was true.

The stories about beasts, about the Nightclaws, and about Henry. All of them were true.

I still couldn’t believe that I was so stupid to see the facts that were standing in front of my eyes. The bite, my neck, the eyes, and the stories.

My eyes were focused on the road next to me. Even if I tried to think about something else, something happy, my mind still found a way to think about the things I had found out tonight and what I had witnessed.

The man screamed in pain as Henry and Tyler bit the man all over his body. I wondered how people didn’t hear his screams, or maybe, they just didn’t care if somebody was fighting for own life. Both of them stopped biting him when the man stopped screaming.

Their snouts were covered in blood, and from their teeth, drops of the man’s blood were dripping down at the street. The man was lying dead on the wall, his body visible to the stars and God. Tomorrow he would be in every newspaper if they find his body.

My eyes were full of tears as I focused on the lying corpse. I couldn’t believe that everything was true. Every rumor about this family true. I wondered what will happen to me now after this.

Will he tell me?

What will he do to me?

Will he kill me just like he killed that man? I shook my head. I didn’t want to think about that right now.

The only thing I wanted right now was to get home alive.

Tyler’s ears got up as he turned his head to the right, and I immediately moved behind the wall, hoping that he didn’t see me.

After a while of standing there in complete silence, I convinced myself to look if they were still there, but when I looked around the corner, they were already gone. There was not a single trace of them except the dead man.

„Thank you for picking me up, Louis,” Turning around, I saw Louis smiling at me, so I smiled back at him. I didn’t have much of a chance to talk to him lately. After all, he worked for the Nightclaws and wasn’t really at home. That made me question myself if he knew the truth about them, or the only ones who knew were the inner family circle.

„It’s nothing, Elizabeth,” He focused on the road again. „Why didn’t Henry pick you up?”

„He had something to do with Tyler, so I didn’t want to bother them,” I tried to stay as calm as possible. I didn’t want to show him that something wasn’t right. If he knew that I was even there, there was a possibility that he would go tell Henry, and I didn’t want that.

„Did he mentioned what he had to do?” A driver turned his light brighter and Louis swore when the light hit his eyes.

I shook my head. „No,” Looking out of the window again, I stared at the stars above us. „Did he tell you?” I could feel his eyes on me but I didn’t want to turn around, so I stayed focused on the stars above me, trying not to cry in front of him.

„No, he didn’t,” He said with confidence. I could tell that Henry told him to say that. Nodding, I closed my eyes for a second before I heard him saying something.

„Are you okay?” He singled to the right and entering our street, we slowly made our way to our house.

„Yeah,” I moved in my seat. „I’m just exhausted. The books had killed me.”

He nodded. „Lena left you some pancakes, you know how much she craves pancakes lately.” I laughed. „Yeah, thank you for saying that but I’m going straight to bed.”

We parked the car, got out, and I waited for him to unlock the door as he locked his car. With a smile on his face, he slowly walked to the porch, unlocked the door and held the door for me to get in.

Thanking him, I placed my coat on the hanger and made my way to my room. I paused as I saw the painting that Louis painted for Lena. „You really know how to paint.” He stopped in his track, turned to me and smiled. „Thank you.”

Throwing my bag next to my closet, I quickly undressed, put some a shirt on and took a seat at my desk. My fingers were just an inch away from my laptop. An inch away from learning the truth.

I wanted to find out the truth but I was scared. I was so scared of what would I find out.

Somehow I managed to convince myself to open the laptop, and in front of me, a black screen appeared that made me remember the times when Henry’s eyes turned peach black, but I was too stupid to realize the truth.

Taking a deep breath and a lot of confidence, I turned my laptop on, and as I waited that my home screen appears, I thought about every situation where the truth was in front of me but I was to blind in love to see it.

„Where did you get that?” „I was saving a girl from dying.”

I clicked on google, staring at the search tab, and thinking what should I wrote on it.

„I was so scared when I found about him, what he was...There were are a lot of rumors about them, about the beasts at night." Ella’s voice appeared in my head, making me remember our little conversation. „You already know but you are too scared to confess yourself.”

I wasn’t scared anymore. I typed ‘beasts of Shadowrose village’ and I immediately got a bunch of news articles. I clicked on the first thing that I saw on the screen. A few seconds later, ‘Beasts of the night’ appeared on the screen.

The following month there were a lot of sights of black hounds wandering all over the city. This is the first sight from them since 1980. People believe that the hounds have something to do with the founding families, the Nightclaws, and the Odinsons.

Those families have been spotted with those black hounds on many occasions and after that, when someone would see them, they would die on the following day. The families deny anything to do with it, saying that people are just making things up and that hounds, as we call them, weren’t here since the late 19 st.

The oldest son, Henry Nigtclaw reached out to clear the rumors about his family. „People need to stop making things up. I don’t know where do you get those things but our families don’t have anything to do with it. When our families came here, they didn’t bring any hounds or dogs with them. If you really believe in such things than you clearly need to rethink about your believing.”

Next, to the text, there was a picture of Henry, and next to him was Monica, holding his hand.

“She is just sad that Henry chose you and not her." My eyes widened as I remembered what Nicklaus told me.

When he first told me, I thought he was just trying to make me jealous but now I realize that it was the truth. Shaking my head, I opened another search tab, typed black hounds and waited for it to load.

I couldn’t stop thinking about them even If I tried to stop, I thought how every time she was rude to me but now I knew why. She loved him and he...I don’t know if he loved her back. Maybe he did or maybe he didn’t. I didn’t know that yet.

I scrolled down the page, there were a lot of websites about them but they were all saying Hellhounds. Clicking on a random website, a long article popped up. Everything was dark, full of pictures of black beasts. Hellhounds.

Hellhound is a supernatural dog in the Nordic folklore. The legends say that they serve the devil himself. They piercing red eyes can see a person even in the dark, they can also smell every living or dead thing from a mile away.

During their history, they’ve got many names but the most uncommon one is the Bearer of Death. The Bearer of Death is a term used in describing the Hellhound. Hellhounds have been said to be as black as coal and smell of burning brimstone or sulfur. They tend to leave behind a burned area wherever they go. Their eyes are deep, bright, and almost glowing red. They have razor-sharp teeth, super strength, and speed, and are commonly associated with graveyards and the underworld.

Hellhounds are called The Bearers of Death because they were supposedly created by ancient Nordic demons to serve as heralds of death. To their beating. To strike deals with people, and when the contract is over, they would collect their souls for hell.

According to the legend, seeing one leads to a person’s death. Sometimes it is said that you can die by one look, while other times it requires three sightings for the curse to take effect and kill their victim. These factors make the Hellhound a feared symbol of death and worthy of the name “Bearer of Death”. The Hellhound has been seen several times throughout history, and it’s not specific to one place. They like to stay in the mountain area where they love to hide.

I leaned on my chair, my mouth hanging open as I read a bunch of other articles online. I didn’t know how long I have been reading them but when I glanced over the clock, clearly exhausted, I saw that it was already past 2 a.m.

Every article that I had read so far mentions almost the same things that I already knew. I also knew that I was going to die someday.

I saw them. I saw Henry and Tyler as their hounds, and according to the articles, I was going to die.

That means he was going to kill me. At least I would die from knowing the truth. I clicked on the last link that was on the screen, and when it opened, the page of my library opened and beneath it, there were a few books listed.

Scandinavian mythology, History of the Shadowrose village are listed among them. I glance over to book of the History of the Shadowrose village on my desk. I already know what was written in it, and when I asked Henry about it, he simply denied it.

I shook my head. How could I have been so stupid to believe him?

Writing down the name of the first book on a piece of paper, I place the paper into my bag so I didn’t forget to take it.

I sat on my bead, massaging my neck, my hand landing on my scar. The scar that Henry gave me. I wondered what did it meant because it wasn’t mentioned in any articles I had read. Maybe there was something in the book. I guess I will have have to find out later.

I lied down on my bed, closing my eyes, and trying to fall asleep until my phone rang a few seconds later. Grabbing it, I checked who the hell was calling me in the middle of the night. Henry’s name appeared on the screen and my whole body froze.

„He knows,” I whispered, not knowing what to do. If I didn’t answer, he would probably get the answer he wanted. A second later, I answered it. „Hello.”

„Elizabeth?” He sounded tired. „I’m sorry if I woke you up but you didn’t call and I was worried.” My heart skipped a beat. He was worried.

„You didn’t wake me up, I just got into bed,” I paused for a second. „I didn’t know if you were still working with Tyler so I called Louis, he picked me up.” There was a long silence between us that made me wonder what did he thought now. What if he knew I was lying?

„What were you doing up so late? Is everything fine?” Think, Elizabeth.

„I was doing some research for my history exam, and you know me, I have to know everything,” I didn’t know where that lie came from but I hope he bought it.

„I know,” He laughed. „I will pick you up in the morning, we need to talk about something.” The little smile I had on was now faded, and it was now replaced with my trembling lips.

„Yeah, sure,” I somehow managed to say it. He paused again. „Good night, El. Love you.”

A tear slid down my face. „Good night, Henry. I love you too.”

~ - ~

My alarm turned on at 7 a.m. and I immediately turned it off. I stared at the wall in front of me just like I stared at it for the past four hours. I didn’t sleep a thing. I just stared at the wall, thinking about everything, about Henry. I just couldn’t believe that everything they told me about them was true.

I wanted to hate him.

I wanted to be scared of him and his family but I couldn’t. Something was telling me that he would never hurt me.

But he bit you. My consciousness said, and she was right.

He did bit me and I didn’t know why. There was nothing on the Internet that it could explain it, and that left me only with the book in the library. My thoughts were everywhere, and taking a pillow next to me, I slammed it on my head.

Someone knocked on the door as I tried not to cry again. „Can I come in? It’s Lena.”

„Yes,” I took a deep breath. I heard her walking to my bed, sitting down and moving my pillow from my face. „Are you okay?” She placed her hand on my face, slowly moving her thumb all over it.

I nodded. „Yes,” I wanted to tell her everything but what if she already knew the truth, about the Nightclaws. If I told her this then she would just tell Louis or worse, she would think that I was crazy.

„Something is bothering you,” I tried to avoid her eyes. „Is it, Henry? If it is, I’m going to beat up his ass.” I laughed a little. She definitely knew how to cheer me up.

„There is something about him that I can’t explain. Like he isn’t actually human., Standing up, I leaned on the closet, rubbed my eyes and stared at Lena again who was looking really concerned.

„Do you want me to talk to Louis? Maybe he knows something,” I shook my head. „No. I want to do this alone,” I raised my hand up. „Just, don’t tell him that I mentioned this to you.”

She nodded. „I won’t, but what will you do now?”

„He is picking me up and he also said that we need to talk,” I opened my closet, grabbed some jeans and a hoodie out. „Do you know something that I don’t know?” My eyes were focused on her face, searching for an answer or a lie.

She shook her head. „No.” Lie. She was lying and it was written all over her face, but I didn’t want to push it anymore, so I just nodded and carried on with dressing myself.

~ - ~

I sat on the porch, my eyes focused on the forest as I waited for Henry to pick me up. The leafage was long gone, now replaced only with emptiness just like my mood.

I didn’t feel anything in me, there was only emptiness.

I didn’t know if it was a good sign or a bad one because when Henry will0 find out that I knew about him, about his secret, there was a possibility that he would kill me, but then I wouldn’t feel anything, and it would be easier to die.

If I looked at it a few months ago, I wouldn’t have had the same opinion – fear - because at that time I didn’t believe that there was something more than just us humans. But I was a fool to believe in that.

Will he kill me? Does he know?

A bunch of questions circled in my mind to what I still didn’t know the answer.

„Hey,” Someone said and I jumped in my place.

When I turned around, I saw Henry standing behind me. His eyes traveling down my tired face and back to my eyes again. I swear that my heart stopped beating at this moment.

I smiled a little, hoping he would buy it. His eyes turned soft, and as he approached me, his hands snaked around my hips. He pulled me to him, kissed my forehead, the tip of my nose and then my lips. „I scared you, didn’t I?

„A little,” I smiled up to him, my eyes staring at his deep green ones. How could a man like this be a monster at the same time?

„I’m sorry,” Kissing the tip of my nose, he hugged me with all he had and I buried my head in the curve of his shoulder, not wanting to ever leave this place. „I have to ask you something.”

My eyes widened. This was it. He will ask me about yesterday.

„Sure,” Moving away, he took my hand in his. „Do you want to go on a five day trip with me? Today?” I sighed, my eyes focused on him. So that was why he was acting strange when he called, he wanted to ask me that, and me being a paranoid idiot thought he knew.

I smiled. „Yes.”

Cupping my cheeks, he kissed me with one of his dominant kisses. „But I have to take care of something at the library than we can go.”

„Okay. First the library, then the trip,” He lifted his hand up. „Oh, I almost forgot. You are having lunch at my place today. I want to officially introduce you to my family.” I almost got lost out of breath. I had to meet his family. Again.

„Yeah, that will be fine but I need to pack my stuff,” He smirked. „I already got that covered.” At that moment, Louis walked out with two big bags in each hand. I was guessing that they were my bags and they were full of my clothes. Behind him, Lena walked out, she was still wearing her night robe.

„Henry,” Lena walked to Henry, gave him a hug, and turning to me, she smiled at me. „He called us yesterday and told us that he wants you to take on a trip, so I’ve packed you some clothes.” I stared at her speechless. Who was she and what did she do to Lena? She never acted like that when it came to Henry.

„Thank you, I guess,” My eyes went to Louis who just shrugged. He didn’t know what was wrong with her either.

Louis gave Henry my bags. „Keep her safe.” Henry lifted his head up, staring directly Louis in the eyes. „Are you questioning me?” There was something so alpha male in this question like he was trying to prove who was in charge.

Louis shook his head. “No.” Henry nodded, his eyes still focused on Louis. Let’s go.” He smiled at me, but he immediately returned his gaze to Louis and Lena. There was something happening that they didn’t want me to know but either way, I would still found out. Opening the trunk, he placed my bags next to his.

„You are already prepared,” I waved at Louis and Lena and they waved me back.

„Yes,” He opened the door for me and I got in. “If the lunch will not be that great, we can just leave without someone stopping us.” I laughed

~ - ~

„Where were you last night? Henry asked me if Louis picked you up,” Ashley whispered in my ear. We stood between two shelves, as she was placing some books on the shelves, while I, on the other hand, used that as an advantage and searched for the books that I googled yesterday. Glancing from the corner, I didn’t see any sign of Henry and Peter. I guess they were still talking outside.

I placed my finger on my lips than on my ear. I took my phone out, typed what I need to say and gave her the phone.

I went to check something out. I saw Henry and Tyler killing a man.

Her eyes widened, and placing a hand on her mouth, she looked at me in shock.

She typed something on the phone and then gave it back to me.

Yesterday at dinner, I heard Peter talking to someone. He called him alpha. Please don’t tell me that he has something to do with them.

I shrugged. „I don’t know but I need to find this book to find out the truth,”

I placed my phone back into my pocket just in time when Henry and Peter walked in.

„Did you girls had a good chat?” Peter joked and Ashley repeated him with a mocking tone. Peter walked to her, hugged her and kissed her on the forehead. Smiling up at him, she leaned her head on his chest. „Yes, we did.”

I jumped a little when I felt Henry hugging me from behind. His chin was resting on my shoulder and smiling a little, I turned around to him and placed a kiss on his lips.

„You know, we could just skip the family meeting and go on our trip,” He pulled me between the shelves, pushed me a little until I was trapped between him and the shelve behind me.

„No,” I raised a finger at him. „Your mother will kill you, and besides, I want to meet your family. The last time was a little bit awkward.” Nodding, he dipped his head in my neck, leaving kisses from my ear to the crock of my neck.

He wasn’t listening to me. He was taking his chance of going all alpha male by leaving love bites all over my neck. This was how he told people that I was his.

„Did you hear what I had just said?” I laughed but he didn’t listen, he was focused on his mission, a mission to leave love bites all over my neck.

As I tried to push him away, my eyes traveled behind his shoulder to the opposite shelf where the book that I needed was placed. The search was over but now came the difficult part. How would I take a book without Henry seeing me taking it? Think Elizabeth.

Henry finally moved away, a big smile placed on his lips, and I guess that he was finished with his mission. I rolled my eyes at him.

„Can we go now?” I asked him, and still with that smile on his face, he nodded, grabed my hand and we walked out from the shelves. Peter and Ashley were laughing at something until Peter stoped when he saw Henry.

Ashley turned around and saw me trying to cover up Henry’s new masterpiece. I gave her ‘Don’t you dare’ look. She choked out, smiled and leaned on the desk.

„We are leaving now,” Henry looked at Peter. „Don’t forget what we had discussed.”

Peter nodded. „Don’t worry. Everything will be finished until your return.” Ashley and I stayed still on our spots as Henry and Peter exchanged some weird sentences that neither of us didn’t understand.

Getting my phone out, I typed something for Ashley. I will need her help with this.

„Here. You can text Kathryn from my phone,” I said as a distraction so that neither Peter or Henry wouldn’t know what was going on between the two of us. Ashley looked at me with a confused look, and after she took my phone, she nodded at my request.

I found the book. It’s in the third row, the third shelf from behind. Take a picture of the pages that I’ve written on the paper and send them to me.

„Thank you,” She gave me my phone back. „Oh, I almost forgot,” I took out the piece of paper where the names were written. „ Here are the names that you need to find for professor Knight.” Passing her the paper, I tried not to look suspicious.

Ashley nodded. „I will.” Henry took my hand again and started pulling me away. „Come. We need to go now.” We said goodbye to Peter and Ashley and walked out of the library.

„Books, huh?” Henry eyed me. „What kind of books are you two talking about?” I gave him my best fake smile. „Ancient history. It will not really interest you.”

“Maybe it will,” He took my hand in his as we walked down the street to his car.

“I don’t think so,” I teased him.

Henry laughed and both made our way down the street until we came across an older woman with two bags in her hands. She was very old and she could bearly move.

“Excuse me, let me help you,” I said to the older woman, reaching for the two heavy bags.

The old woman looked at me, smiled at me a little before she finally thanked me. “Thank you, my dear.”

“Where do you live?” I asked the old woman.

With her shaky fingers, she pointed to the old house just down the street.

“Henry,” I called him, “Could you please open the gate?”

Henry nodded and opened the gate for me to enter while he helped the old woman to walk in.

“Oh, thank you, young man. It’s very kind of you,” She said to him.

“It’s nothing,” He said back.

The old woman opened the house, and an awful smell came out of it. We all entered in, and the old woman showed us the way to her not so clean kitchen where we placed the bags on the table.

“What’s your name, my child?” She asked me.

“Elizabeth,” I answered.

“Oh, Elizabeth. What a beautiful name for a kind girl like you,” She said, making me blush.

She turned to Henry, smiling a little. “You must be really proud to be with a girl like her. She is a real gem.”

Henry smiled. “I know.”

The old woman lost her smile, making a small step towards Henry. “You look really familiar. Did I see you somewhere before?”

Henry lost his smile too, shaking his head a little. “I don’t think so.”

The old woman stepped even closer, placing her palm on his cheek. “Oh, I definitely know you,” Her eyes widen. “You. How dare you walk into my house after everything your family has done to my husband,” Words of hatred came out of her mouth.

“What are you talking about?” I asked the old woman.

The old woman turned to me. “You should run from him as far away you can. All of the Nightclaws are killers. Just like they killed my husband, they will kill you.”

Henry grabbed my hand and pulled me a little. “Let’s go.”

“Who are you?” I asked the old woman.

“My name is Clara Johnson. The wife of Jackson Johnson.”

I gasped. I wanted to ask her more, but Henry took my hand and grabbed me out of the house to the street.

“What the hell was that about?” I asked as soon as we stepped on the streets.

He shook his head. “It’s nothing. Just an old woman talking nonsense.”

“I don’t think it’s nonsense. She really thinks that your family killed her husband.”

“You really believe her over me?”

I crossed my hands. “The truth to be told, I don’t know what to believe anymore.”

Henry gasped, placed his hands around my waist and pulled me closer to him. “I swear to you, we didn’t have anything to do with his death.”

I looked up to him. “Do you promise?”

He nodded. “Promise.”