Chapter 9
The young man rested his huge frame on the kerb. Eyes darting rapidly around his surroundings–swaning from his wristwatch down to the outer world. It was a cold night. Very cold to the point an 100 degree centigrade of water could frost in attosecond. But the forest seemed unperturbed by the frigidity, as it trees performed the slam dance to the rime cooed by nature. Man himself had hoodie covering his head, but that couldn’t stop the unnecessary frost from smearing his face. His hands were save though–and thanks to his pocket that kept them hidden from the mighty coldness.
He checked his wristwatch the umteenth time and 11:30pm beaconed to him. He was now restive.– getting somewhat impatient but utterly nervy and uptight. He didn’t envisage carrying out his mission could be this tedium. His quest was hastate and simple! “Find the stranger!”– So stranger must he find!
But now he was getting blahs–perhaps due to the fact he was lonely. And loneliness only led to one thing; indignancy! Advertently the latter could only be repress by nothing but blood. Now he craved for blood–but where could he find blood to drink when it looked like all the animals in the wood had gone to slumber. The crave was getting quenchless and he needed blood so bad! He was still lurked in the shadows when his eyes peeked the silhouette of two figures shambling heavily towards the entrance of the town. A sneer grace his lips–a wicked sneer that gave him a cute look of a bacchant.
.
Regina and Damien reached the entrance of Laraba town. Regina sighed on sighting the signposts that stood at the entrance of Laraba town. The locution; Where love never ends was soothing to soul and she could feel a tinge of happiness at that. Now they were both befuddled at the next line of of what to do. Of course the sodding night was not helping matters at all.
Damien had quizzed her sister about their sudden emigration out of Locksley town to another, but Regina had replied the questions with inept silence. At some point, she also couldn’t decipher a reasonable reason why she had to live the comfort zone of Locksley in quest of a crisp solace at another time entirely. All she felt was an unwary urge to vacate Locksley for Laraba. Little did it occur to her that she was under compulsion. Now, Damien wasn’t only irascible, he was also tired, drained and feeling worn out and face seemed to carry an atomic bomb.
“I’mm soo-rry Damien believe I never planned this to happen” Regina muttered and waited for her brother’s reply. She expected the response to come in raging brimstone or perhaps in a thundercunt mezzo of his voice. But all she heard was an incredible silence. She thought the young lad was busy collecting the snipe to give in return. Still not suspecting a dime–she fudged on:
“I know you are angry, I know you’re freaking mad at me for bringing us to this slump holes but trust I just need to trust that I’m gonna fix this for us. As a matter of fa…..”
“I guess that won’t be necessary anymore” Regina was still yapping when a gruff voice riposted.
“Who are you and where is my brother” Regina retorted sledging towards the hoodie chap to perform a perfect face scrutinous search.
The chap didn’t seem to hide his face from her knowing fully well the inimical night would justice to that.
“Your brother is fine! I just don’t want him to witness what is about to happen to you” He said. Regina couldn’t deny his voice was appealing to the ear despite the bluntness his voice bore.
“What” now Regina was scared.
“I want to feed on you” the chap said confidently and pierced his gaze on her in attempt to compel her.
Regina only shuddered in fear.
“Yap. Now pretty girl what is your name” He asked.
“Re-regina” she stuttered.
“What!?” Chap’s face ruckled. As he stared at the Regina with a look that peruse her from her head to toe. “You are the stranger?” He asked but didn’t get a clearly vox reply. Instead, Regina was palled and still frightened and it was so obvious her body had to announce that. Chap seeing that knew he had to amend that before it got worse. So he compelled her.
“Now Regina, you will forget I told you I wanted to feed on you. You will see me as a friend and someone you can confide on. Lastly your brother is save” he finished compelling her.
“I will forget you told me you wanted to feed on me. I will see you as a friend and someone I can confide on. My brother is save”Regina reiterated and smiled, feeling relaxed.
The chap noticing Regina had sorbed the compulsion, removed his hood to give her a slim view of his face.
“So Regina, I’m Meshach by name. Nice meeting you”
“Pleasure all mine” Regina said.
“Just a minute” Meshach gestured with his hand and swept away from Regina’s face only to return with Damien–who seemed oblivious of what recently happened to him. Regina hugged her brother and muttered:
“Meshach, Thank you”
“Now I don’t mind risking to get you a shelter for tonight. Just for tonight” he emphasised.
“Sure no problem. Thanks”
Regina and Damien followed Meshach who now seemed to be the first confirmation Regina needed to buttress the the town’s locution. Indeed, according to her, love couldn’t end in Laraba. Especially where kind-hearted beings like Meshach are strewed in the town.
Meshach on his own was happy. While his own happiness hied on the first confirmation he needed to know Thalia; the messenger of Zeddicus, the god of mountain and destiny vaticinated nothing but the truth. Now all they(Lamiae) needed to do was to protect Regina in other to save Ryan’s life.
Thalia; the seer had subtly delivered the prophecy to the two groups. Wherein the prophecy was in folds–with each fold anchored to the other. Ryan’s fate had been twined with Regina’s. Hence the reason they were destined to be together to bear a powerful hybrid. Also, there was this concealed truth about the prophesy which stated that; “As long as Regina lives, Ryan would not die!” That’s because Ryan’s life had been clawed to Regina’s. But Thalia subtly concealed that from Luciana, knowing fully well how she was determined to alter the future, even though he disclosed to her that a stranger had been destined to conceive their greatest enemy of all time, he failed to let her know the whole truth. Nothingness, he had only told Meshach to protect a stranger that would plod into the town because her life held the life of the father to bear the seed to be their last sentinel. He also did justice of giving him the stranger’s name and that had been the reason Meshach unthawed at the mentioned of Regina’s name.
But little did anybody know that Luciana was always a step ahead of everybody. Being an alpha, she always took drastic measures when it concerned protecting her kind. Even the Lamiae were still slackened in discernment. Before the alpha slunk to Alzarius for help on stopping Ryan’s heart beat, she had planted a quite passel of werewolf soldiers to declare manhunt for any stranger that just plodded into town. And it was so unfortunate Meshach didn’t know that.
“So here we are, you can manage this little cabin for the night or probably two, three or even forever” Meshach said lightheartedly. “And feel free to skip the thank-you part because you already welcome”
“Thank you” They both muttered.
“Told you to skip the part” He slurred.
Regina and Damien smiled at Meshach’s chivalrous deportment. And the locution rang a bell again–surely Laraba was where love ends. But Regina had no slighted idea of the ominous note that staling the night.
Meshach left the cabin but not after assuring Regina and her brother that he would come back the next day to check on them. Regina had not settled down when a loud howl upset the serenity of the cabin. Her eyes darted round to grope for the source of the howl, but then she noticed Damien had disappeared.
“Damien” she called.
No response.
“Damien”
No response again unless for the soft thudding sound of her feet on the wooden floor as she walked along the passageway.
“Damien” her voice burthened fear this time. Each frenetic steps she took along the passageway was accompanied by eyes searching frantically around the cabin.
“Damien” she called for the last time but another loud thundering howl replied her. Regina’s heart chugged and almost at brim of bursting out at what she saw. Three black wolfs stood heftily staring at her. The demeanour at which they stared spoke volume of how they were ready to attack.
“RUN!” that was the little terse advise her instinct could mutter.
Regina fled the passageway at the instinct while the wolfs trudged after her breaking the woods of the cabin into splinters. Regina ran very faster, while her heart raced like stallion.
She soon found solace under a tree, gulping enough oxygen to replace the once she used. She was scared and totally dumbstruck as she laid still under tree. She was still on her repose spree when another roaring howl jolted her up. She looked up to find a wolf lumbering towards her
She tried to stand up and run but her limbs were paralyzed. So she opted to crawling. She was still crawling when she noticed she was surrounded by pack of wolfs. The wolfs lumbered towards her with predatorily, howling aggravatedly to announce their victory.
To be continued..