The Beloved Beast

Part 9-A Monster in the Woods

 The Gibbous moon cast its light over the whole landscape, bathing it in an eerie glow. Tanya woke from her deep sleep to find herself alone in the car. Neil was nowhere to be seen. The door on his side was open as if he had gone somewhere in a hurry, forgetting to shut it. She sat up straight, giving a look at her surroundings. The car was parked on the side of the road which passed through dense forests. The forest extended on both sides of the road as far as the eye could see. The woods reverberated with the calls of the nocturnal animals. The sound brought to mind a feeling of panic as if the creatures had sensed the presence of some predator amongst themselves. Tanya felt a shiver deep within her. Where was Neil? Was he safe or had some peril befallen him?

She was thinking of getting out and going in search of him when minutes had ticked by and there was still no sign of him, but a low growl from her vicinity stopped her feet. She turned towards the open door of the car and what she saw froze the blood in her veins. A huge beast, a black wolf, its eyes glowing and its tongue lolling, stood near the open door, its gaze boring into her. Tanya had never been face to face with such a magnificent yet terrifying creature ever in her life. The wolves she had seen in her childhood at the zoological park had been nothing like this giant creature. It was straight out of some nightmare, she thought, licking her suddenly parched lips, her heart almost stopping at that moment. The creature gave a low growl, the sound emanating from deep within its throat, then circled the car, finally coming to stand beside her open window. Her palms became clammy and she felt sweat trickle down her back while her blood roared deafeningly in her ears. "Neil!" Opening her numb lips she tried to shout but no sound came out except a croak. As the beast came closer, trying to stick its gigantic head inside the open window, Tanya gave up the struggle and fell into a dead faint.

Neil came back to the car to find his wife lying on the seat, her face ashen and her breathing slow. She was still unconscious and her head was hanging at an awkward angle. Laughter bubbled up inside him at the sight. The moonlit night and the lure of the forest had called to him and he had decided to take a run in his wolf form. Parking the car at the grassy curb, he had walked deep into the woods, where he had shifted his shape, his wolf exulting, at last, to be in the wild. Taking a quick run around the periphery of the woods, he had decided to surprise Tanya. The look of sheer terror on her face had made his day. Holding his mirth, he picked up the bottle of water from the car and sprinkled a few droplets on her face. Then, catching hold of her shoulder, he shook her, calling her name.

"Tanya, sweetheart." Tanya felt a voice calling her name, piercing the dense fog of oblivion in her brain. With a herculean effort, she opened her eyes and stared straight into Neil's worried golden gaze. He was bent over her prone form, a bottle of water in his hand. Slowly she sat up, her eyes as round as saucers as she glanced around her. "Wo....wolf....." she croaked. Neil sat down beside her, pulling her into his arms. "There's no wolf here darling. You must be mistaken," he said. "No, I am not. There was a wolf here. A huge black one," she whispered. "Must have been a dream," he smiled at her reassuringly. She sat up straight, clutching at his shirtfront and shaking him, "It was no dream Neil. I swear I saw a wolf," she said vehemently. He held up his hand, "Calm down, sweetheart. I had felt like stretching my legs and had gone for a walk. I encountered no wolves, but if you say there was one, then I believe there may have been. Maybe it had seen a damsel in distress and come to rescue her," he joked. Tanya felt like scratching his face to wipe that smirk off it, but she buried her face in his neck instead. He was here with her, safe and sound and she wished for nothing else. "Don't ever leave me alone like that Neil, promise me...." she mumbled. He placed a kiss on her upturned mouth, then picked up the thermos flask which Ronnie had filled with hot coffee. She noticed that he had taken off the suit jacket and the bow tie, which had been thrown carelessly on the back seat. With the top few buttons of his shirt open and his tanned skin exposed, he took her breath away. "Coffee?" he offered her the paper cup. She took it from him thankfully. The hot beverage steadied her nerves, its warmth spreading through her body from the pit of her stomach. Neil took a couple of sips from his own cup, before starting the engine and driving ahead.

The moon was reflected in the clear pool of water. Sabine sat under the tree on the edge of the pool and saw the image flicker with each ripple on the surface. Her long gray hair shimmered in the moonlight while her slim frame seemed to sway with the rhythm of the pulsating wilderness which stretched around her. For a moment more she gazed intensely into the water, then stood up suddenly, shaken by what she saw. Her eyes turned towards the woods which lay beneath the mountain as if straining to see something or someone. Then she turned back to the crag behind her. The ancient castle lay at the top of the precipice, perched like an eagle in its eyrie. She took the tortuous path up, her breath rasping with each step till she reached the tall gates. The large bloodhound at the gate barked joyously to see her and she patted its head before entering inside. Walking down on the stone passageway she passed through numerous meandering corridors before coming to a stop in front of the ornately carved door. Pushing it open she tiptoed inside, not sure if she would really like to disturb the person bent over the ancient tome resting on her lap as she rocked back and forth on the rocking chair.

"Marina," she called gently. A ray of light fell through the oculus on the face of the woman in the chair as she turned to glance at Sabine. Her frail, shrunken frame caused a pang in Sabine's heart as she contemplated the effect of the news she was going to impart to that woman whom she loved as a sister. "What is it, Sabine? I was catching up on the history of the Coven. This ancient manuscript refers to that notorious period in history, the witch trials. Our ancestors were the ones who survived the hunt. They moved here to build this castle." "I have some news...." "I hope Fergus has not gone back on his promise again. He had given his word that he would deliver the potion by the month's end," "He is coming back." There was no gentle way of breaking the news. "Who....oh....he....Is he alone?" "No. A woman is with him. A human." "I just hope....." Sabine saw the tears make their way down Marina's cheeks, as she left the words unsaid.

"How far is it still? We have been traveling since noon..." Tanya inquired. However comfortable the car was, her back was stiff from the long hours spent sitting. Neil had offered to stop the car and take her out for a walk but she had refused point blank. No way was she going to walk through that jungle that had that monster roaming around. The air outside had become considerably cooler as they neared the mountain ranges. Tanya felt the wind through her hair as the car sped on the dark serpent of a road, winding its way through the wilderness. "Relax sweetheart. We are almost there. Just another hour or so," he assured her, squeezing her hand to comfort her. As always, Tanya felt a jolt of electrifying desire at his touch, her face heating up, as did other parts which she was ashamed to even acknowledge to herself. It was going to be their wedding night. Tanya took a deep breath to control the sensual images which flashed in her mind. Oh, how she loved Neil, and how she would love to belong to him!

The towering turrets of the manor rose against the night sky, washed in the pale moonlight. Tanya felt her breath catch in her throat as she caught the first glimpse of Neil's home. The huge estate, situated in the middle of the small settlement, was surrounded by forests on all sides, and a range of mountains on one. The whole place exuded an old-world charm. It had such an enchanted quality that Tanya wondered if she had stepped into a parallel universe. She turned in excitement, catching hold of Neil's arm. "It's beautiful," she exclaimed, her eyes shining with joy. "It's your home now," he smiled at her. "Our home," she whispered, as she imagined spending her days here with him, their children playing on the vast grounds adjoining the manor house, growing old with him. Closing her eyes for a moment, she sent a small prayer to God, for giving her this man as a husband. At this moment, she felt like the luckiest woman in the world.