CHAPTER 7

— Would you like a bit of apple? — Little Ellen asks this question with her cheeks full of fruit. — It's very sweet,— she emphasizes, taking a bite of the apple slices in her bowl.

— I'm pretty sure it is, little one, — Anne replies sweetly. After all, the child isn't to blame for everything. —But I can't eat apples.

— Don't you like them? — Ellen asks innocently, tilting her head gently. — I promise they taste good.

— I'm sure they must taste very good, though I'm not actually sure what apples taste like, — Anne adds as she wipes Ellen's cheeks. Seeing the little girl reminds her of the rabbit she had when she was just a child. — I'm allergic, so I've never been allowed to eat them."

— What does allergic mean?

— It means that if I eat apples, I could get sick easily.

The voice that responds comes from the cabin door, letting them know they are no longer alone. Lían enters the room with calm steps, taking a seat next to his young niece, and he caresses her hair as she gives him a soft, tender smile.

— Your mom says it's time to go, — he adds as he tousles his niece's hair.

Upon hearing those words, little Ellen forms a cute pout and clings tightly to her uncle's arm, starting to shake her head.

— I don't want to, — she says stubbornly, clinging even more to the older man. — I want to stay with Uncle Lían and Aunt...—  She falls silent for a moment. Ellen pulls her face away from the older man's arm and looks at the older woman. — I don't know Aunt's name. What's your name? — she asks with a twinkle in her eyes.

That question captures Lían's interest. After all, he doesn't know his beautiful companion's name either, and she has made it clear that she has no interest in telling him. After thinking for a moment, Anne gives a gentle smile to the child before speaking again.

— My name is Annette, — she responds with a soft tone. She had promised herself not to give that man the pleasure of telling him her name, but, once again, she reminds herself that the little girl is not to blame for the madness of the adults around her. — Although, if you'd like, you can call me Anne. All my friends call me that.

— Aunt Anne! — the little one exclaims with happiness. Moving away from her uncle, she approaches the older woman and hugs her tightly. — You have a very beautiful name, as beautiful as you.

— You also have a very beautiful name, Ellen.

Hearing her name come from the older woman's lips, Ellen jumps up and down, accompanied by sweet laughter. Happiness is easily seen on her cheerful face. For Anne, it's even more endearing because these laughs and gestures were provoked by something as simple as her saying the child's name.

Before her aunt went out for a "walk" in the forest, she told her her name, but she wasn't sure if the little one had heard it properly since she left the house very quickly. But now that she knows she did, it makes her very happy.

— Ellen! — her mother's call comes from outside the house, accompanied by the sound of footsteps climbing the entrance stairs. — We need to go, — she adds, watching her little one from the doorway. — Your uncle has important matters to discuss with his Luna.

The idea of being left alone in that place with Lían sends a shiver down Anne's spine.

— No, Mommy, her name isn't Luna, — she hastens to say innocently. — Aunt's name is Annette, but she said I can call her Anne.

Upon hearing those words, both Alice and Lían exchange glances for a moment. Nodding gently, Alice walks over to pick up her little daughter and then gives her sister-in-law a soft smile.

— I know it might be a bit hard to understand, — she says as she stares at Anne. — But I want you to know that you're entirely welcome in our family, Annette. You have no idea how happy it makes us that you've come.

Without saying anything more than those words, Alice leaves the cabin with Ellen, the latter smiling as she waves goodbye to her mother, who closes the door behind them. Once alone, silence settles between Lían and Anne, a silence that Anne doesn't break out of fear, and Lían because he doesn't know where to start.

— I..." he finally dares to speak after a moment. — Can I stay in bed while I get used to everything? — Anne's question captures Lían's interest as he understands what she means. — Just give me some time to get used to the idea that I'll have to fulfill other roles with you.

— I won't touch you without your permission, — Lían hurriedly clarifies, his firm tone seeking to leave no room for doubt or misunderstanding in his words. — I won't do anything that you don't allow me to do.

Anne wishes with all her might that she could believe those words, but she can't, not when she's in this unknown place against her will, not when her only reason for not trying to escape at this very moment is the threat hanging over her village. But she doesn't dare to voice this idea, not after knowing that she's not only kidnapped but also, contrary to anything she may have thought or believed before, she now has the certainty that she's under the control of wolf-men.

---

The sun filtering through the trees makes the forest appear even more ethereal. In the distance, she can hear the sound of running water and the songs of birds amid the dense foliage.

"My lady."

That single word becomes a lost echo in the fog that fails to dissipate. Taking small steps forward, she hears footsteps behind her, but when she turns, there is no one there.

"She's here, my lady has returned!"

That voice is no longer a murmur echoed in the mist; now, it's as if the wind is filled with a sea of murmurs proclaiming that someone is back.

"Anne."

She hears her name being called, but when she turns to see who it is, once again, there is nothing, and all she hears is the murmurs growing louder until they become a deafening chorus. Anne is forced to cover her ears in a desperate attempt to block out the voices. But there is no escape. The words resonate in her mind, entwining with her thoughts.

With no other choice, Anne starts running, distancing herself from the deafening whispers chasing her. The forest seems to stretch and distort around her as if she's being dragged to another place, an even more unfamiliar one.

Finally, she emerges in a clearing in the forest. The sunlight that once shone brightly has now turned into a silvery glow from the moon. On the other side of the clearing, in front of her, stands an imposing black wolf with bright eyes, its fur as dark as the night. The wolf appears serene, as if it's waiting for her arrival. But before she can take a step, she notices a third presence.

Next to the wolf, a silver-haired woman moves gracefully to stand in front of the animal. Her attire is something Anne can't quite distinguish at first, but as she does, she recognizes her mother's lace dress. Her feet only manage to take two steps before stopping due to astonishment. Anne sees that woman with her right hand stretched out, caressing the wolf's fur, but as she turns around, Anne recognizes herself.

---

— Mother, — she calls out when she notices her mother's silence after her vision. — Is everything okay?

Like the raven-haired woman, everyone present in the room waits to hear the woman's words, but she only gives the command for them to return to their prayers.

The elder woman falls into deep silence, leaving everyone present, including her daughter, in strong anticipation and doubt. Obeying the command of the high priestess, they all return to their rooms and continue their prayers to Mother Moon. Each priestess present in the room obeys the order and departs.

The young raven-haired woman seems concerned about her mother's unusual behavior but respects the command given by her. So, standing up, she turns to go back to her room. However, her mother's new words stop her.

— The prophecy has begun to come true,— she says solemnly.

— Mother?

— Our Mother is getting closer and closer to us, and everything has started to move and prepare to receive her,  — the elder continues, ignoring the worried tone in her daughter's voice. — But she doesn't come alone; there is also a great darkness approaching with her.

The girl's eyes darken at those words. — Darkness? What do you mean by that?

.

.

.

Anne woke up due to the commotion outside the cabin. When she opened her eyes a bit, she noticed that the sun had already risen again. It took her a bit more time to fully wake up from her sleep, but once she did, she proceeded to settle in bed. It was only at that moment that she realized the earlier commotion was coming from outside the cabin, which made her a little frightened, as she didn't know what was happening.

— We hope for your own good that you won't object to us seeing her.

She could only make out that sentence from the jumble of words. Quickly scanning the room with her gaze, Anne realized she was alone; Lían was nowhere to be found. This only put her on even higher alert. Getting out of bed, she stumbled a bit on the blanket, but she didn't take long to get rid of it and reach the kitchen area. Searching through the things, she wasted no time and grabbed one of the knives, gripping it tightly.

— Annette?

Hearing Lían's voice calling her helped Anne feel safe immediately, a feeling that made her curse under her breath. She wasn't supposed to feel that way upon hearing her kidnapper's voice. Exiting the kitchen area, she used the wide sleeve of her dress to hide the hand that held the knife she had taken to defend herself.

— What were you doing? — Lían's question upon seeing her.

— Me? — she hurriedly replied. — I was looking for something to eat, — she added, trying not to let her nervousness show in her voice. — Is something wrong?"