The Twins • Book One • Rewritten

Chapter 4- His Scent Still Lingers

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

A week later
August 19th 2016

Nia's POV

I sit on my bed and stare out the window at the forest, feeling the pull to Saber as strong as ever. I have barely left this room for the whole week that we've been here.

My parents built a cabin in the forest when I was very little in a clearing a few hours from the village, and this is where they took me. We come here at one point every summer, so there's food and clothes here, all of the necessities.

It's a big wooden cabin, with a porch at the front and a kitchen, living room, dining room, bathroom and a small office downstairs. Upstairs, there's 4 bedrooms and a bathroom connected to each one. One bedroom is for me, one for my parents, then two guest bedrooms.

Saber's family always comes here with us. It's weird not having them here. When we were little, Saber and I would share a room. But as we grew older, his younger sisters would stay in my room, while he and Clint would be in one of the guest bedrooms. His parents always stay in the other one.

His scent still lingers.

My room is quite plain, with little decoration. It contains a double bed, dresser, wardrobe, a vanity, a small bookshelf and a bedside table. All of the furniture is made of dark oak wood, and my bedspread is light green.

Like his eyes...

I sigh longingly as I watch the sunrise through the only window in my room. It's not big enough for me to get out of, and my door is always locked at night while my parents sleep. There is no window in the adjoined bathroom, and that door is locked too.

I've barely been able to sleep this past week, I've just been restless. Every midnight I roar, hoping Saber will hear and respond. I never hear a roar back. I don't think he can hear me, but I still try. I need to find a way out of here. I miss the village, and my home. I miss seeing everyone in the village.

I want to see if the houses that were on fire are repaired yet. I know the baby was saved, only suffering from moderate smoke inhalation.

Suddenly, in the forest, I see a pair of glowing red eyes. I tense up, having an idea of what is shrouded in the darkness of the forest. I see two other pairs of red eyes pop up near the first pair, and fear fills me. Then, three beasts slink out of the coverage of the forest, stepping into the beams of moonlight shining into the clearing and confirming my suspicions.

It's Dark Hounds.

Dark Hounds are monstrous dogs created somehow by one of the past Dark Earth Queens, and they follow her orders. They are vicious, efficient killing machines. The Dark Hounds have extremely powerful senses that allow them to track the weakest scent, hear sounds up to half a mile away and see very far, even in the dark. There's a rumor that they actually see better in the dark, but I don't know if it's true. I wouldn't be surprised if it is.

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 a bit bigger than a fully grown male tiger, glowing, blood red eyes and enormous legs that seem disjointed and unnatural. The Dark Hounds also have giant, pitch black claws and a long tail lined with small spikes.

They are very strong and quite fast, but slow to dodge in fights. It's hard to pierce their skin anyway. Their fur is tough like leather armor, and it makes it difficult to get through and cause damage.