Loving the enemy

Chapter 2

I have never been a fan of the dark.

I feel like I should be getting all poetic and writing down how beautiful and mysterious it is, but to be blatantly honest, I hate it.

Nighttime just happens to be when my demons come out and play. When I am lying wide awake, hearing Ables breathing in the room across from mine. That is when my horrors come to life and play behind my eyes. Whenever they close, I see that silver wolf.

It's red teeth.

The way it turned its head and looked me straight in the eyes before turning and continuing to eat my parents.

I am aware that not all werewolves hunt people. I am not a blind fool who thinks that just because one hurt me, all of them will. I am a realist. I know not all of them are friendly though, and I don't want to approach them to find out.

I slowly get to my feet, accepting the fact that sleep isn't an option. I climb out of my window to avoid waking Able and easily scale down the tree. I have had years of practise. My feet crunch onto the leaves and I start to walk. My eyes are perfectly adjusted to the darkness, but I don't even need to see to know where I am going. I could get to it backwards with my eyes closed. I push through low hanging branches and step over that particular log that I used to always trip on. When I finally step into the clearing calmness takes over my body and I sigh.

The lake has always been beautiful to me, specifically at night. It is the one thing I actually enjoy about the dark. The sand on the bank is pristine, pale and untouched. The water is always sparkling and beautiful small fish glide through it. I walk towards the lake, stripping out of my night clothes and going down to my underwear. I ease myself into the water, feeling it lap around my legs as I slowly get deeper. Soon it is up to my neck. The water is warm on my cold skin. I take a breath and fully submersed myself in the water. It's as if I am teleported into another dimension. A silent, calming one. This is the best feeling. Maybe this is what innocence feels like. I definitely feel a strong sense of belonging here. Maybe in another life I was a mermaid.

I feel the water disturb slightly and my eyes open. I see the figure of somebody else slowly enter the lake. I can tell instantly not Able, he never leaves the house, let alone at nighttime. My heart pounds against the inside of my chest. My crossbow is over on the shore by my clothes, leaving me completely unarmed.

Oh my god.

I am so careless.

The person seems to not have noticed me yet, and they are alone. My chest tightens, reminding me I need to breathe. I slowly float to the surface, lifting my head above the water and taking in a deep breath. My eyes adjust and I look into the eyes of an attractive, messy haired boy. His eyes widen in shock at the sight of me. We stare at each other in silence for a moment, summing each other up. He is only wearing his underwear, which leaves him completely topless. I can't tell if he is a werewolf straight away. You can't make assumptions when they are in human form, but no human would randomly walk into a forest at midnight and go swimming. Especially a forest where various murders keep occurring.

"I don't normally see other people here." I say, breaking the silence.

"Neither. I come here when I can't sleep. What are you doing here?" His voice sounds like that of an angels, shocking me a little bit at first.

"The same reason, couldn't sleep." His eyes flick down my body and back to my face.

"Weird. Maybe it was fate we were meant to meet." I raise an eyebrow in suspicion. He swims closer towards me closing the distance between us.

"What are you doing?" I ask cautiously, slowly backing away.

"Don't you feel that?" He asks, genuine concern flooding his face. "It's exactly like everyone says it feels like."

"I have no idea what you are talking about. I'm sorry." he smiles at me.

"Do I need to spell it out for you?" He pauses as if waiting for me to answer, when I just give him a blank look of confusion he laughs.

"You are my mate."

•••••

My eyes widen and I swim backwards.

"No. No that's not possible." He tilts his head at me.

"Why not? I can feel it. I'm sure you can too"

"I can't, I'm not one of you." He suddenly pauses, swimming in one spot.

"What? What do you mean?"

"I'm not a werewolf." His eyes widen in shock.

"Vampire?" He asks, sounding almost afraid of the answer.

"No." He raises an eyebrow.

"A pixie? I'd say human but they don't know about us." I look down at the ripples coming from the movements of my arms.

"I'm different than most humans." We stay in silence for a moment, taking in the depth of the situation.

"Why would you be chosen as my soul mate then?" He asks in confusion, breaking the silence.

"I am not. You are mistaken." I turn and swim to the shore, stepping out of the water and pulling on my shirt. He trails after me, standing on the shore behind me.

"This just doesn't make any sense. This hasn't ever happened in the history books." I pull on my pants, sling my arrow quiver over my shoulder and turn to face him.

"You have to be imagining it. There is no other explanation." I pick up my crossbow and turn around and start to walk away. He yells out to me, making me stop in my tracks.

"At least tell me your name." He pauses. "Please." I turn around, holding my bow obviously in my hands.

"Look at this." I hold up my weapon. "Recognise it? The human in the woods killing things like you with a crossbow." His face falls in realisation.

"We thought it was a male alpha from another pack. We had no idea-"

"No idea that what?" I demand cutting him off. "That a human could pull something like that off? A female?" I shake my head in disgust. "You are lucky I don't put an arrow through your skull."

"You won't though." He says, his words dripping with confidence.

"Excuse me?"

"You won't hurt me because you know deep down you have feelings for me." I shake my head in disbelief.

"You are unbelievable."

"Then do it." he gestures to his body. "Shot me." I scoff at him.

"I don't have time for this." I turn around and storm away, his words follow after me.

"Same time tomorrow night then?"

"In your dreams!" I shout back to him, while I head back towards home.