The Twins • Book One • Wattys2017

Chapter 4- The Cabin

Author's Note: I hope you like my story! Feel free to ask questions, voice your opinion and point out any mistakes.

Antonia's POV

No. It can't be.
I can't be smelling blood.

"Mom! Dad! I scream out in horror. I run up to the cabin, turn into a human and burst into the house.

"Antonia, is that you?" I hear my mom call out.

"Mom!" I run to where I heard her voice and bring her into a massive hug. "Are you okay? What happened? Why do I smell blood? Where's Dad and the others?"

"Your father and Travis are out in the woods disposing of the bodies of the Dark Hounds that came after us. Kate is upstairs with Tigerlily, Clint and Leona." My mom explains. I breathe a sigh of relief and listen for movement upstairs. I hear Saber exclaim

"Mom!" and 5 sets of footsteps.

"Good, so everyone's okay. Did the Hounds hurt someone?" I ask.

"Your father got bitten, Leona got a scratch, and Travis had one jump on his back and tear into it a bit, but he's okay." I nod in relief.

"Wait... Leona fought with you guys?" My mom calmly answers

"You know that she's really brave and powerful, and she helped me defend the back door while Kate stayed upstairs with Tigerlily and Clint, and Travis and your father fought at the front."

"At least everyone is alright." I hear footsteps coming downstairs and I turn around to see Saber.

"Yeah, everyone's good. I'm proud of Leona for fighting, even though it was kind of dumb for her to." He says with a saddened smile. I walk forward and hug him.

"I know how you feel, and it's okay, everyone is fine." I whisper gently. Saber nods and holds me. We stand there like that for a while, drawing off of each other's strength and support as comfort. I break the embrace off and head outside to search for our fathers.

"Hey, where are you going?" He calls out to me. I turn around to look at him.

"I'm going out to try and find our dads, maybe help if there's anything left to do." Saber nods, and looks somber.

"Alright. I'll stay here in case more of those bloodhounds come back."

"Okay. See you soon." I turn back into the forest and change into my leopard form, since it's more able to move around the forest.

Being a cat is so relaxing and stress free for me. I concentrate on the movement of my powerful muscles, the steady beating of my racing heart pumping blood around my body, the soft forest floor under my paws. The troubles of the day simply drift away, as light as a feather on the wind.

The sunlight shines brightly through the breaks between the vibrant green leaves, which makes the forest look enchanting as the pockets of light give the forest a mystical quality to it. The shadows dance and weave around the light, not daring to touch the poison that takes away their strength.

Sadly, the magic of the forest and being a cat doesn't last forever.

I find my father and Saber's father, Travis, burying the graves of the Dark Hounds, or bloodhounds, as they are also known as. The Dark Hounds were created to be vicious and to have extremely powerful senses that allow them to see even in the lowest light, smell a scent that's a month old and washed away by rain, and hear sounds up to half a mile away from where they are.

They are also very ugly, huge and terrifying beasts, with short, coarse black fur, massive, carnivorous and deadly teeth filling a jaw half the size of a great white's, a body the size of a tiger, blood red eyes that glow and follow you everywhere, and legs that seem disjointed and unnatural. The Dark Hounds also have giant, pitch black claws and a tail lined with spikes. They are truly frightening creatures.