Cruel by nature

Chapter 3

Quiet. Everything is quiet, almost too quiet. Where's the sound of the birds chirping? The sound of wind rushing past my tent? And where's the cold? Why am I not cold? I should be freezing, yet I'm feeling like I'm nearly burning up.

I feel a weight on top of me, and move my arm to push it away. The pain that shoots through me wakes me up in an instant, slicing right through my clouded mind.

My eyes shoot wide open, and I'm met by the sight of a roof. Grimacing in pain as I try to move, I look down and realize that I'm in a bed, neatly tucked in under the soft covers.

Furrowing my brows together, I try to grasp onto any piece of memory that can help me figure out where I am, but I find none.

I blacked out. That I remember. I blacked out whilst I was running for my life. But then what? Someone must've found me, but who? A human? The other werewolf?

Drawing in a sharp breath of air, I brace myself for the pain that will most certainly shoot through me as I try to sit up in the bed.

"Don't", a voice suddenly says, catching me off guard. I sink back into the mattress as my eyes dart through the room before settling on a girl standing by the door.

"You shouldn't be moving", she says softly, "the boy did quite a number on you out there."

"W-what? Who a-are you? What boy?" I stutter, my heart racing in fear of the unknown.

The girl gives me a sad smile as she slowly approaches the bed I lay in. "The boy who attacked you", she explains, stopping mid-step as she notices the panic in my eyes. "He hurt you pretty badly. I'm no doctor, but your ribs are really bruised, if not worse, and your shoulder needed a few stitches. The claws cut pretty deep. I did my best, but I still think you should go to a real hospital."

I stare at her, really stare. Trying to figure her out. Her light brown hair is up in a ponytail, and her narrow eyes, which I'm close enough to see are gray, seems to hold no hatred or hostility.

Only worry.

"Who are you?" I ask her, my throat feeling raw.

Once again, she smiles, and I realize that she must be around my age, give or take a year or two. It's hard to tell. Her face shows no signs of aging, but her eyes tell a completely different story. I don't know what she's been through, but I'm guessing that it's none of my business.

"I'm Mila", she replies, taking yet another step towards me with newfound confidence. This time I let her. If she'd wanted to hurt me, she would've done it already.

"What happened?" I ask, knowing that I won't have to explain myself further for her to understand exactly what I mean.

Mila comes to a halt by the foot of the bed. "I heard you scream."

I breathe out, slowly mustering up all the courage I have left to ask the question I'm dreading to know the answer to.

"W-where you the... other... you know?

"Lycanthrope?" she chuckles lightly. Despite her attempt to ease the tension in the air, I feel the color leave my face as she replies.

Lycanthrope.

She didn't exactly answer the question, but her choice of words told me everything I needed to know. No human calls them lycanthropes; that's what they call themselves.

My blood turns to ice in my veins, and I can feel my heart throbbing painfully hard in my chest.

"I-I... I need to go", I mumble as I throw the blanket off of me. I hiss in pain, and feel tears sting my eyes, but I ignore them.