Familiar Stranger

Chapter 5

They say that love conquers all, no matter what the feat is, if you really love someone, you will do anything and everything for that person. You would move mountains, swim across oceans, walk a thousand miles. Anything for that person you love. Eva didn’t believe she loved Isaac, after all she had only really begun to know him for a week, but already she felt so close to him, so attached and he seemed to feel the same way to her. How he was always looking out for her when it came to Derek, standing up to him when he seemed out of line. She noticed the little things he did, how he blushed when he caught her looking at him, studying those handsome features of his. How when she caught him doing the same, he would turn his head for a moment before looking back at her with that sweet shy smile of his. How he made sure she was alright every night before either of them went to bed. Just nights before they had managed to get away with some seemingly alone time, sitting out on the very top of their building. They had talked for hours, about nothing, and everything all at the same time. She had told him things she hadn’t told anyone before, because she felt as if she could trust him with her life. He had done the same. 

Her life wasn’t the one in jeopardy at that very moment, though, it was his, and as scared as she had felt in the presence of those two guys who had appeared before them, she wasn’t going to leave him as she had. She was going to go back and destroy those who were hurting the boy she adored, because it was already obvious to her that she would be lost completely and entirely with him. 

Without even realizing what she was doing Eva came bolting back into the clearing, she could see the beast of a creature fighting with Derek, but she didn’t see Isaac, not until her eyes graced over the slumped form of him battered horribly and bleeding against a nearby tree. He wasn’t conscious, she could tell that, and this sight of him fueled her actions even more. 

No, Eva had not turned yet, she had the agility, the strength, the resilience of a wolf, but she hadn’t been able to tap into that beastly side of her yet, until that very moment. She had been warned, not to let the beast take over not until they knew she was ready, not until after the full moon passed and she could have more control over it. This was a life or death situation, though, and as she locked eyes on the beast that had wounded Isaac as he was, she couldn’t stop what was about to happen. 

In the blink of an eye she was a snarling beast, not entirely resembling a wolf, but the characteristics were there, the long fangs, glowing eyes, one jade green, and the other imperial blue, fur sprouted along her body and her hands sprouted sharp and dangerous claws. Eva was still in there, somewhere, but for the time being she closed the humane part of her off, letting the beast take over. 

Snarling she pounced upon the beast that had Derek by the neck, stunning him long enough to allow Derek to be released, there was a gnashing of teeth, ripping of flesh from bone. A sickening crunch rang out in the air as Eva was thrown away from the large beast and into a tree, a howl of a whine escaped her, but it was only for a moment before she was on her feet again and after the thing once more. 

This time, she connected fangs to fleshy throat and she bit down, hard. A gurgling roar escaped the wolf a moment later before it began twitching beneath her as she had pinned it to the ground. Derek had backed off, watching as the body began to split. Eva’s jaw relaxed and she released the neck of the werewolf that was now turning back to the separate people she had seen earlier. 

She was covered in blood, chest heaving and ready to pounce again as she watched the twins lay bloody and battered upon the ground before her. Neither moved, but both were still breathing. Their wounds already healing. 

“Eva,” It was so quiet, a whisper seeming to be floating in the wind before it reached her and began to slowly twirl around her head before consuming her entirely. She knew that voice, knew it well, because it was the only voice she longed to hear, even in the short time they ever spent apart. That was all it took to bring her back from the beast, the fur was gone, claws had vanished, and teeth had returned to normal, the last to slowly shift were her eyes, the colors slowly swirling together once again in each eye. 

“Isaac!” She cried out before running to his side, he was beginning to push himself up off from where he had laid beside the tree, sitting beside it, he winced and clenched his stomach where she had seen the worst of the injuries, but even now she could tell they were healing as well. 

She fell down to sit beside him the moment she reached him and reached a hand out to caress his face. Both of them were covered in blood, battered, yet healing, but neither seemed to care. 

“I told you to run.” Isaac said as his eyes lifted to lock upon hers. Eva couldn’t help but smile, relieved that he was ok. She had saved him. 

“I did, but I came back for you.” She admitted, not caring that Derek was nearby, not quite listening, but inspecting the two bodies that lie unconcious in front of the house he used to live in. 

“You always come back for me.” Isaac replied, and as cheesy as this interaction was, to both of them it was important. Isaac had been abandoned and abused enough in his life, Eva knew that much because he had shared that with her. Even if he hadn’t she still would have come back for him. No matter the threat. 

“And I always will.” She admitted before she trailed her dainty fingers down the line of his jaw before her hand dropped to find his. She slipped her hand into his much larger one before standing and pulling him up with her. Already he was healed, at least a pretty decent amount of the way. 

“If you two are done with your little romance movie moment, we should probably get out of here before their friends show up.” He motioned to the two, still motionless, twins laying upon the ground before he turned to face Isaac and Eva. 

They didn’t need to be told twice, their near death experiences were enough to get them moving, because if that thing was any indicator of the others in his pack, they weren’t prepared to take them on. So the three of them scattered, leaving the Hale house, the forest, and everything in it behind heading back to the apartment where another surprise awaited them.