Beast, Blood, & Soul

* 4 *

It didn't take me long to move into my apartment. It was bigger than the dorm I had been sharing with three other women while finishing my degree. My presence in the new apartment complex did not go unnoticed.

"Hey, the newbie is here!" A bright and sassy voice sounds behind me, and I turn around to see a woman with black braids to her waist and deep ebony skin smiling warmly at me. Behind her is a tall man with dark blond hair who looks around my apartment.

"Get all moved in?" he asks.

"Yes, I did. I'm (Y/N), and you are?" I offer my hand.

"I'm Brenden, and this is Ceren." he indicates to the woman standing in front of him.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you." I shake their hands. "What do you guys do here?"

"I'm the tour director for the center, and he's our boss logger. He'll be working closely with you." Ceren gives me a long look up and down. "I heard you had an eventful night last night. Come on, let's show you around." She grabs my arm, linking it with hers, and we leave my apartment.

I look back to see Brenden close my apartment door and follow us. Ceren is busy chatting away, telling me about the Center and those who live there. The complex can house up to 20 people but rarely is it ever that full. We leave the apartments and walk down the road where work sheds and other offices are pointed out. We even have an onsite veterinarian hospital. Brenden fills me in on how he and I will work together as we plan and maintain the forest's health.

After a couple of hours, the conversation takes a turn to my night in the woods. "It's unusual, you know," Ceren comments.

"What is?"

"That you saw so many animals on your first overnight. I only saw one. Same with Brenden, right?" She looks back at him.

"Yes, but I got to see the tiger. You only saw the dog." Brenden teases her.

"There's a tiger!" I exclaim in shock. What is a tiger doing in the Pacific Northwest? And how is it living so well with a wolf?

"Yup," Brenden confirms. "Marcus saw the eagle."

"How many special animals do we have in this forest?" I ask.

"We aren't told. Seeing the dog or the rabbit is what most people see on their first night. All we know is that any animal with purple eyes you have to be wary of. Whatever they were rescued from, it left a poison in their system that is deadly to humans. We make sure to wear protective clothing, so if the animals get close, we don't risk getting hurt." Ceren explains.

Brenden leans over to me, "You're more likely to see the animals than the owners." He then winks.

This is getting confusing. Why leave unprotected people out in the forest their first night? Nobody gave me any protective clothing or warned me. "So we have several animals, some not native to the area, all living together in the forest? And we're all exposed to danger our first night, without warning?"

"Yes, but they never get close to people, so you're not really in danger. They are very skittish. It's our job to help protect them and this forest. If the animals like you, you get to stay." Ceren confirms my thinking. Amid all the other questions swimming in my brain, only one stands out.

"Why?"

"That is the million-dollar question," Ceren replies. "I've worked here for 8 years and have never known. But never knowing that answer is the price we pay for getting paid what we do. They make it very worth our while."

I can tell Ceren and Brenden are very pleased about the money. Don't get me wrong, the money is nice, but I'm a scientist. These types of unanswered questions don't jive well with me. What happened to these poor animals, and why is Bangtan Group so determined to protect them? Did Bangtan do something to them? Just who am I working for?

"How long have you worked here, Brenden?"

"Six years. I'm told I run the best crews. We get in and out before the animals notice. I've yet to have a complaint from the Group."

"That is certainly something to be proud of." We have looped around, and I find us back at the apartments.

"Well, we have to head back. I hope you enjoyed your little tour, and I think we'll get along pretty well. I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, Ceren and Brenden leave me at my apartment. Left with much to think about, I absentmindedly eat something for dinner and then sit on my patio, looking at the forest that holds so many questions.

As I sit there, the sun sets and I think hard about my life's decisions and if this job is worth the pay and retirement package. I'm bothered by the fact that I was put in unknowing danger. I appreciate that the Bangtan group looked after me immediately after the wolf and bunny played hide and seek in my jacket, but that doesn't change that I was still in danger without warning. I'm not okay with that.

My temper rises the more I think about it, and just as I'm about to explode in anger, I hear a rustle in the bush beside my patio. In the dark, I can't see what is there. I slowly reach over and flip on the patio light next to the door. The sudden light makes me blink, and when I adjust to the light, I look at the bush and gasp at what I see.

A coyote with lavender eyes.

I keep real still, not wanting to set off the wild animal. My heartbeat beats a mile a minute in fear. How did it get here unseen? It just sits staring at me from between the short branches of the bush. Can I get inside before it can jump at me if I move? No. No... you don't want a wild animal thinking you are prey. No running (Y/N).

As the fear mounts, I look around to see what I have in the way of a weapon if it decides to get me when it sniffs and slowly moves its head out of the bushes. Seeing nothing around me, I put my hand on the chair, ready to pull it from underneath me if I need a shield. But the animal doesn't growl or do anything that seems like it's viewing me as prey or a threat. Its lavender eyes are calm. The same cannot be said for my heart or the bead of sweat breaking out on my skin.

I try to control my breathing as I watch those eyes closely, trying to pay attention to the body language so I can have even a moment's warning before I become coyote food. The coyote steps out of the bush, and I can't help but marvel at how beautiful this animal is. I'm held entranced by its eyes. Before I know it, I feel something tickle my ankle, and I jump in shock.

Looking down, there's the lavender-eyed rabbit, nuzzling my foot. Scared to be hurt by them, I lift my foot only to hear the bunny whine. Before I can do anything else, a paw touches my lifted leg and pushes it back down till my foot is on the patio again, the bunny happily nuzzles me again.

I look up into the most intelligent eyes I've ever seen in an animal. Of course, I don't get this close to wild animals, and I can't help but stare into those gemlike eyes. The coyote continues to keep its paw on my knee and lifts itself to my eye level with both paws on my knees. My breath catches as the canine leans close to me and nudges me with its head.

What in the world is going on?

I close my eyes as I breathe in the warm scent of the coyote as my heartbeat calms down. My breathing slows down as my fear drops a few notches. I guess I'm not going to be dinner tonight.

The coyote lifts his head and then takes a long look at me. Almost like he's checking my body over. I notice that his nose checks out each point where I have light scratches, sniffing me. Does this animal know what happened last night? I look down at the bunny, still giving my feet some loves, and decide these animals must be in cahoots.

I don't know how, but these animals communicate with each other.

As the coyote withdraws from his checkup of my body, I smile and ask, "So doctor, am I healthy?"

The coyote looks at me and, to my shock, nods. The animal looks at the bunny and yips a command that makes the bunny stop loving on my foot, and it hops back into the bush. My jaw drops, and I look back at the coyote as it shakes its head and gives me a serious look.

"You don't want me to mention you were here?" I ask. Not knowing how I knew this.

The majestic animal nods once and then turns into the bush and disappears.

I sit in my chair, stunned at what just happened. These are not normal animals. Whatever is going on here, I have to know.

I'm going to stay. Danger or not, I can't turn my back on the questions in my head.