Five

Erin drifted her gaze to the hand around her ankle and grunted, rapidly risking a glance at the approaching wolves-they seemed like a battalion of armies racing into a battlefield and her heartbeat sped even faster than them. She needed to transform into her shroud so she could flee the territory.

The sharp pain in her ankle brought her attention back to the naked man clasping her ankle with all his might.

"Let go of me, bastard!" She snapped, throwing a kick in the air to free herself from his shackle-like hold, but he didn't budge. Instead, he growled, his eyes rapidly turning into two peas of midnight blue, burning with hatred. Hair slowly germinated on his skin, and his fingers turned to claws, sinking into her flesh, causing immense pain to her body-she shrieked, vibrating and taking in shaky breaths

Erin used her free leg to kick him in the face, and once he released her ankle and fell on his back, she spun. With pain crippling her left leg, she transformed into a bat and attempted to fly, but something happened... A large hand grabbed her wing and drew it back to the ground. She lost balance, flapping the free wing with her heart in her throat.

Instantly, he rose to his feet and shoved her under his giant paws, making sure to crush that particular wing. Erin screeched, changing back to her human form with her eyes tightly shut as she screamed, feeling all the air leave her lungs. His heavy foot marched her chest down, and she struggled to push him off her as a tear slid down her cheek.

With an axe raised to the sky, Erin heard his muscles ripple from over his furry body, and her eyes widened in silent shock as her life flashed in front of her-he was going to behead her. She breathed heavily, thoughts spiralling out of control as she searched her head for what to do.

Her vampire form came out, and she aimed for his eyes, spitting blood into them. He released the axe, letting it fall down his back to hit Erin in the thighs. He grabbed his eyes and stumbled away from her body, whimpering like a lost puppy. She jumped to her feet, watching him go blind slowly before she beheaded him, doing to him what he wanted to do to her.

Not having much time to run from the angry wolves looming toward her, she tried to convert into her shroud, but she couldn't. He had wounded her deeply. She is a vampire. She was meant to heal quickly, but she wasn't - she frowned, pivoting on her heels but limping. She groaned, blood streaming out of her ankles every distance she covered.

A shiver ran down her spine as she ran aimlessly into the village, making her way past trees and bushes. The sirens went off, and she could hear the closing of doors and windows. Wolves howled, occasionally mixing it with loud angry growls from a reasonable distance behind her. Erin ran as fast as her little feet could, and they turned sore. She trampled on thorns and they stung badly but she had to keep moving.

The wind threw her hair in messy arrays as she ran fast, her wounded leg slowing her down. Amidst the dark forest, a big wolf jumped on her and grabbed her neck. Erin inhaled sharply, scratching his hand with her nails in a bid to free herself, but his grip tightened, closing in on her windpipes. She wheezed, feeling the welled-up tears burning the brim of her eyes.

He spoke, but her mind was too fuzzy to focus on his words. She couldn't piece them together. Her vision blurred, and she could feel droplets of his saliva on her face. Instantly, he plunged her hard into the ground, and the pain spider-webbed her back. She arched, feeling stabbing pains in her joints as he settled his weight on her.

Her eyes fluttered shut, and her body became numb to his tortures. Suddenly, she heard a thud from a distance, and she felt him lift himself off of her. She peeled her eyes open and saw two beasts fighting themselves. Too weak, she shut her eyes, already accepting her fate. At least, she saved her sister.

Time slowed down, and she could hear nothing but her heartbeat. Unexpectedly, she felt something huge, lifting her off the ground. Her body sank into his arms, and she felt the hair prick against her skin but not too harshly. Adrenaline pumped fear into her blood, and she snapped her eyes open, doing the first thing her brain instructed her to do-she bit him, and he flung her small frame into the hardback of the tree

Erin growled, feeling a sharp pain in her stomach and she applied pressure on it as she propped herself up and tried to stand but her legs wobbled like jelly so she sat with her back against the tree, nursing her throbbing stomach and flashing her fangs in a bid to protect herself.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He held up his hands in surrender with softness in his voice. "I'm here to help, or they'll kill you."

Erin's body vibrated in fear, and her heart ceased to beat for a minute at the familiar lilt in his voice. She swallowed hard, shrugging every other thought that she didn't have to do with her escaping, but for a beast so scary, he had a calming voice. She hissed like a snake, wearing her regalia of defence.

Like a predator, she watched as he morphed into his human form, and she struggled to not glance below his naked waist. Quickly, he picked up a leaf and shielded his groin. She grunted, "What did he need to cover when she had seen enough naked men of different shapes and sizes since the night began?"

He moved forward, and her heart leapt.

She tried to push out her blades, but she couldn't. Her eyes trailed up his nude chest, and their eyes locked on like magnet. Erin froze because that one look snatched her soul, taking her down memory lane. Brief images of his face etched with a sweet smile flashed in her head, and she blinked rapidly, hearing loud echoes of her thumping heart.

Darcy? But I saw you die. Erin thought to herself.