Chapter 2 The Hunting Howl

Evelyn's eyes flew open to a screaming pain in her head, so relentless that it clouded her thoughts. A few moments struggled by, and she fought for her bearings, trying to discern fragments of memory. Where was she? Still, the pain persisted, clouding her ability to concentrate.

Although she felt disoriented, it wasn't the first time she had felt such a sensation. But why did it happen again? Without an answer, anxiety began to creep in.

Her first instinct was to move, but her body felt heavy, almost foreign. Punctuated by the sound of tyres on asphalt, it tore through the fog in her mind. Slowly, she was aware of the world around her.

A dark green light (the one on the dashboard) illuminated the interior of the car. Trees stood outside the windows, shaded and visible in the pale moonlight. The air smelled a bit of damp earth and... something metallic.

"Evelyn?" A familiar voice interrupted her disorientation. He turned his head with an effort. Steve

. His face was pale and tense with worry; his eyes moved from her to the road in front of him. Relief shone in his eyes when he saw her looking at him. "You're awake," he said softly, but tense with worry. "What happened?" Evelyn's voice came hoarse, her throat dry and scratchy.

"You're crazy," Steve said, glancing briefly (before returning his attention) to the road. "I had to get back to the car. Let's go into town." As she spoke, her memories began to come back to her in irregular flashes: the terrifying screams, the glowing red eyes (in the darkness), and the moment she froze, unable to escape.

Her heart beat fast at the memory. He stood up slowly, every muscle in his body protesting the movement. "Wolf," he whispered, his voice trembling. "It was right there"-near the car. Steve's jaw tightened. "I saw it too," he admitted in a deep voice.

"But it didn't attack. - That's right... he was looking at us, I don't know why Evelina was trembling.

The thought that the wolf had spared her didn't comfort her; it was more unsettling because you lowered your arms, trying to escape. The persistent cold had settled in. Just then, he felt a strange warmth emanating from his shoulder. It wasn't painful, but it was impossible to ignore, like a burning sensation under the skin.

His hand instinctively moved to that spot, his fingers moving closer to her shoulder. A tingling sensation ran through his body, and he shivered. Although it surprised him, this strange warmth was strangely comforting. "Evelyn?" "What's wrong?" Steve's voice was high and worried. "I don't know him," he whispered, pulling the fabric of his shirt to get a better look.

What he saw made his blood boil. His birthmark (the intricate wolf-shaped mark he had had his whole life) glowed. A soft, eerie light emanated from the lines of the mark, illuminating his skin in the dark confines of the car.

Steve's eyes widened when he saw it. "What the hell..." She pulled back (moving closer to get a better look).

"It's just a birthmark," Evelyn managed to stutter. "It's always been there, but it's never done this before."

Steve stared at the glowing sign, not quite sure of how to react. "This isn't normal, Evelyn.

None of this is true." She couldn't help it. The glow seemed to pulse in time with her heartbeat, each beat sending a wave of warmth through her body. It was alive, somehow.

A feeling of terror took hold of her as she saw the mark. This was no accident. She wanted to say something. "What's happening to me?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Steve shook his head, his grip on the steering wheel tighter and tighter.

"I don't know," she said in a low, strained tone. "But we still need to get to a safe place." The car was moving swiftly down the deserted road; the trees outside turned darker and darker.

Evelyn felt they were being watched, that something was there just beyond the reach of the headlight beams, waiting for them. Automatically, her eyes went to the window as she peered into the shadows.

A figure stood at the side of the road, its unmistakable silhouette: the wolf.

Its red eyes glowed like twin embers in the darkness, piercing the night and watching her. "Steve," she whispered (her voice trembling).

"Look!" However, the air was heavy with tension (because of this), and it felt cold. if she tried to move, for fear of scaring Steve turned her head in time to see if the wolf might react to her absence.

Her car, disappearing into the shadows as if it had never been there, cursed under its breath and slammed on the brakes, and Evelyn found herself thrown forward against her belt.

In panic. "Yes," Steve replied, his voice tight.

"I stared for a moment, the car's engine idling, trying to understand what they had seen. But before they could speak, the headlights went out. The engine stopped and disappeared into the darkness.

The silence that followed was oppressive, a heavy weight pressing down on my chest. The faint sounds of the night-the chirping of crickets, the rustling of leaves in the wind-faded, replaced by an eerie silence. "Steve?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"I'm here," she said, her voice strong despite the tension around her. She felt his hand find hers in the darkness, holding her warm and comforting. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Evelyn squeezed his hand, but her fear grew and rose like a wave inside her. She felt it - the presence. It was there, around them, coming closer. And then, at first, she heard it faintly and grill. The voice started soft, an unpleasant sound that sent shivers down his spine.

But it grew louder, more persistent, echoing through the trees and poisoning him like a physical force. "Steve," he whispered, his voice trembling.

"He's coming." Steve tightened his grip on her hand. "We have to get out of here," he said in a low, urgent voice. But when he reached the door handle, the screaming stopped.

The sudden silence was deafening, more disturbing than the noise itself. Evelyn's heart was beating rapidly in her chest, with a bright sign. Then the shadows outside the car began to move. Three wolves appeared in the darkness with red eyes.

They moved with terrifying precision, their bodies low to the ground, as they surrounded the car. Evelyn's breathing became short and shallow. "Steve, what should we do?" Steve didn't answer right away. His eyes remained fixed on the wolves, his jaw clenched. Finally, he spoke in a low, strong voice. "Stay here," he said. "What?" Evelyn's voice rose in panic. "I can't..."

"I won't let you do this," she said, interrupting him.

"But I need to distract him. If I can get away, maybe you have a chance to escape."

"Steve, this is crazy," she hissed, grabbing his arm. "They're going to kill me!"

She looked at him with wild eyes. "I won't let you get hurt, Evelyn. No matter what happens, you have to stay alive."

Understand? Before she could protest any further, he opened the door and left. "Hey!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the silent night, "Come get me."

The wolves turned their heads toward him, a noise that made Evelyn's blood boil and distracted the car.

"That's true," he smiled.

"Oh!" One of the wolves rushed toward him, but before the wolf could reach Steve, the light was warm, clear, and powerful in the night, casting long shadows on the trees.

The wolves froze, their howls breaking as they stared at Evelyn with a strange mixture of fear and reverence. Evelyn's body seemed weightless, her vision consumed by the luminous signs. She felt herself receiving an energy from deep within herself, an energy she didn't know she had. "Evelyn!" Steve's voice cut through the fog, causing her to fall to the ground.

The light went out as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Evelyn breathless.

The wolves were gone, their absence almost as unsettling as their presence. Steve rushed to the car, his face pale and his eyes growing dark. "What happened?" Evelyn shook her head (her hands were shaking). "I don't know," she whispered, her voice breaking.

"Anyway, I think... I think so.

Steve looked at him, his expression a mixture of fear and intimidation. "Evelyn, this is not normal; you are not normal."

Tears welled up in his eyes as he watched his hands tremble. "I don't know what's happening to me, Steve. I don't understand any of this." Steve held out his hand (over his shoulder).

"We'll find a solution," he said firmly. "Together."

However, as the faint sound of screams faded (again) into the distance, Evelyn couldn't shake the feeling that her time was (effectively) running out-and that what had happened to her was (only) the beginning.

The shoulders continued, as fear was not an option.