Love Among Shadows

by Smokey Moment

  She tried to control the urge to cry out loud, as fear set in. The officer removed his handcuffs. He stood uncomfortably close to her. She could feel his breath. He placed the right sided cuff on then closed it tight. Valentina jumped. Her situation now more real. She was going somewhere and she doubted it was to jail. Something told her he wanted something else.

  The tall embankment near Valentina’s car was steep. She thought about trying to run up it, but she doubted she could make it. “Please officer. Somethings wrong with your computer. This is some type of misunderstanding. I don’t do anything. Ever! I follow the law. I follow the rules. Please,” she begged.

  “Enough! This will all be over soon enough. Do as I say and you won’t get hurt,” he said. Her reality was now in hyper-drive. “What?” she blurted. She wondered what he meant. It was a weird thing to say now that she was in handcuffs. How could she not, “do” as he said. Valentina was numb. His intentions were now revealed.

  The officer stepped back. He saw a car coming. It was Valentina’ opportunity. “If you yell or run, I will hurt them. Then you. Do you understand?” he whispered in her ear. Soon the car slowed and the officer waved them past. The car sped up and turned the bend in the road, driving out of sight. Valentina’s mind raced. She didn’t want to get anyone involved. She looked around. She could risk her own life but not the life of an innocent bystander.

  Please somebody! Help me! Where are the other patrol cars, she thought. The officer turner her around and smirked. His power over her had her upset and angry. “You might as well shoot me now,” she said, as she stared at the lens of his dark shades. “Shoot you. No… I don’t shoot unarmed defenseless people,” he said. Valentina was shocked at his gall. He didn’t seem to be in a rush. He didn’t appear afraid of being seen. Of being caught. He was cocky. And Valentina was prepared to die fighting.

  Rocks tumbled down the steep hillside. The officer looked up. His mouth opened. Valentina furrowed her brow then turned to see what he was looking at. A massive grey wolf stood at the top. It was huge. Its fur a beautiful blend of light and dark grey colors. It stood menacingly. “Get in the car,” the officer instructed. Valentina was paralyzed with fear.

  “Get inside,” he said, as he stepped back. Valentina tried to wiggle her hands free. She just needed one to open the door. “I can’t get loose. Help me,” she said, her voice trembling. The officer continued to take steps away. “Help me! Take these off,” Valentina yelled. Suddenly the wolf ran down the steep slope. “Ahh,” she shrieked, as she felt helpless to what she was sure would be an attack by the immense animal.

  The officer took off running. Valentina backed up to her car, closed her eyes and prayed. She could feel the animal run past. His paws hit the ground with intensity. He had gotten close. She opened her eyes and wiggled then pulled her wrist. She bit her lip as the pain of her joints intensified. The animal ran past her car, in pursuit of the officer.

  “What the hell was that. He was huge. Please…I have to get these off,” she cried, as she pulled hard. She could feel her left wrist coming through the cuff. Soon her hand slid through. Valentina jumped in her car. She turned the ignition and turned her car around. She took a pen and wrote the patrol car’s license down then pulled off quickly, afraid of the wolf or the officer returning. She wiped her eyes, as she realized how close she had come to death. Wolves travelled in packs. There were plenty of wolves living deep in the forests surrounding the small towns around the city. But sightings were rare. Valentina had lived in Eagle River all her adult life. She had heard of them but had never seen one in the flesh. And no one ever mentioned they were big as bears.

  “I can’t take anymore. I can’t,” Valentina said, as she continued to wipe tears from her eyes. The emotional scars from her previous attacks were still there. The most violent one only happening two years prior. Being raped and violently bitten on her private area was traumatic and she still was not over it when she was attacked again in the back seat of her car. She blamed herself for moving around at night. She had changed her lifestyle because of it. But it didn’t seem enough. The city which was once safer and not prone to such random acts was becoming a dangerous place to stay.

  Darkness was approaching. She was now driving ten miles over the speed limit hoping to put as much distance as she could between her and the sheriff. She thought of his intentions. Whether his plan was to have his way with her and kill her. “Where’s my phone?” she said, searching her purse and the area around her. She felt around on the passenger seat, trying to keep her eyes on the two-lane highway. “Come on. Where is it!”

  She could still make it to class although it would be over soon. But her emotions were running high. She shook her head still in disbelief. “I can’t even report him. I have no name. No badge number. I hope the license plate number helps. He’s going to be sorry he messed with me,” she complained, as she wiped another tear. Valentina felt between her legs then behind her. She felt the phone and grabbed it.

  “911. What your emergency?” the operator said. “Um Yes…I want to report a cop. He tried to…” she said before stopping. “Hello! Are you still there,” the operator called out.

  “Yes. Um. A cop pulled me over. And um…Something wasn’t right and I want to report it,” she said. “I’m sorry, but we don’t take those kind of reports. Are you injured ma’am? Have you been hurt?” the operator asked.

  “Well, no! But he was going to hurt me. I’m sure of it,” she stated. “Then you need to go directly to the police station and report him. Do you understand?” the operator said. Valentina hung up abruptly. “Dammit!” she blurted, as she dialed her sister.

  “Hello,” Phoebe answered. “Phoebe!” she cried out. “What! What’s wrong?” her sister replied, her voice filled with fear. She could hear the pain in Valentina’s voice. “A cop tried to kidnap me. He removed his badge and nameplate. He was a sheriff. He pulled me over claiming I had a warrant. He put me in handcuffs, then told me if I cooperated, I would be okay,” she cried.

  “What! Get here now. We are reporting this. Hold on,” Phoebe said, as she shouted to her Alaskan State Trooper husband. Valentina could hear him in the background.

  “What?” he said, his voice echoing from a distance. “Drive here now! Come here!” Phoebe said, her voice trembling. Her husband lay in the next room. He sat up in bed when he heard the commotion. “What’s wrong Phee?” he shouted in the distance. “Tina was assaulted by a cop,” she shouted.

  Griff ran into the living room. His restful sleep disturbed by his wife’s frantic calls and what she had said about his beloved sister in law. “What? What happened? Did she get his name?” he asked. Phoebe shook her head no. “She said he had on a uniform. A sheriff’s uniform,” she relayed. Griff looked intently at his wife. “There aren’t any sheriffs here. He must have been passing through from out of state. Give me the phone,” he said.

  Phoebe passed the phone to Griff. She paced back and forth, as he asked Valentina questions about the stop. She had always warned her sister of travelling around at night as often as she did. And now something terrible had happened. “Tell her to come here now,” Phoebe repeated. “She says she’s tired honey. She’s too shook up to pursue this now. Let her rest. We can take her in the morning,” Griff said, as he continued to try and calm her. Valentina hung up after several minutes. She felt better after speaking with Griff. He reassured her he would do whatever she needed. Valentina relaxed. She was almost home.

  “Hi Mr. Garrett,” Valentina waved, as she pulled weeds from her flower pot. She looked around her yard to see what else needed tending to. Her home was a beautiful stone and wood cabin sitting on half an acre of land. Her closest neighbor was a builder and had constructed the home for his daughters so they could live close by. A plan that backfired as the young ladies grew into women with their own plans and their own families to take care of. Valentina was the lucky buyer, snagging the custom home for a fraction of what is was worth.

  “Whew,”
she said, as she took her shoes off at the door and went into a small bathroom off the short entry hall and washed her hands. She walked through her home trying to keep herself busy with choirs. Her home was neatly decorated. Her taste was clean and simple. Powder blue pillows on chocolate leather sofas set the tone. The hardwood floors were shiny and clean. The glass and dark wood china cabinet she found at a local thrift shop added a nice touch. Coupled with the tables she found online, it made for a complete and blended look. Everything complimented the overall chic look she was looking to achieve. The art on the wall was hers. A personal touch that made her house, her home.

  She regretted missing class the previous day. She would have to wait another week to see Legend. “I don’t even know him. Why do I care. He is not the only man in town,” she mumbled, as she stared at her most recent oil painting. An eclectic blend of people, wolves, trees and clouds. She stared at the images. Faces that she recalled from a dream. The eyes of the man seemed to stare back. Something in them vaguely familiar. Valentina narrowed her brow at the image. She felt she weas going insane. Her drawing felt real. The man resembled Legend. The eyes looked into hers. The men and women placed awkwardly and randomly on the sheet. A lone wolf at the center surrounded by trees.

  She remembered the day she painted it. The day a storm ripped through the skies causing the town to be snowed in. The day her sister lost her baby because she was unable to get to the hospital in time. Phoebe had begun to bleed and was stuck at home until an ambulance was able to get to her. It was a day Valentina would never forget. The pain was still felt. The guilt, still ever-present. She had turned her phone off in order to complete the painting and missed the more than a dozen calls Phoebe made, trying to get her.

  Valentina pushed off the wall. The fatigue was getting to her. She walked down the hall towards the bathroom. The day had stolen her energy. She was zoned out, weak and unable to focus. A lot had happened and yet she still couldn’t stop thinking of the man she so desperately wanted to meet. She was planning to take Phoebe’s advice and ask him out for a drink. It would be her first time making the first move. But she was willing since the alternative was endless hours thinking of the mysterious gentleman whose name, she got from a math test.

  “Mmm,” Valentina breathed, as she sank into the warmth of her vanilla scented bath. Candles lit at sat on the edge had her in an immediate heavenly state. The warmth soothed her jarred spirit, melting away the trauma she experienced just an hour prior. Valentina closed her eyes and hummed a tune. The suds from the bubble bath surrounded her. She raised her leg and wiped the suds down, taking in the moment. The buzzing of her phone caught her attention. She looked down and saw Phoebe had called her back. Valentina shook her head no and laid back. She planned to call her sister the next morning.

  Phoebe called her sister several times through the evening. Valentina lay resting peacefully, as her dreams became more vivid.

  She dreamed of a man walking from the shadows. His face obscured from darkness. He chanted her name several times, as she waited for him to emerge from the forest. Soon he got close. His face still not visible. His voice familiar. He whispered in her ear. The words love and forever were repeated over and over. Valentina closed her eyes and prepared for his kiss. Her opened blouse exposed her breast. He ran his fingers over her chest. His touch sent quivers through her body. “I want you,” he said, as she tried to grab for him. Her hands went through him revealing he was not of true form. He was a shadow.

  “Uh,,” Valentina jolted awake again. She caught her breath then smiled. The voice sounded like Legend. She had dreamed of him again. “This is every night now,” she said, as she got up and walked to her bathroom.

  Her phone buzzed. Who is this, she thought, as she picked it up. It was Phoebe. And Valentina was again stressed by her sister’s determination. She sat the phone down. Then vented.

  I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I can’t dwell on the past. I want to forget it. Cops don’t arrest cops. I have no proof. Nothing will come of it. And in the end, I’m just another woman complaining of abuse of power, she said, trying to convince herself of her decision not to report anything. She was sure Phoebe was calling to talk about going to the cops. She hoped Phoebe didn’t convince Griff to report it himself.

  She picked up her phone and cut it off. She needed to relax. Clear her mind. Her ordeal was over. The man was a sheriff and not from around there. She had no name. And with that, she decided to forget the incident. She considered herself lucky. Saved by a wolf who showed no interest in her and seemed determined to exact revenge for her. The wolf that she painted. The large wolf in the drawing on her wall. The one that stood under the man. The man that looked like Legend Wilde. Valentina walked up to the drawing. Her house barely illuminated. But it was enough light to see the man and the wolf. She marveled at the drawing. “It is him. How is that,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

  “Is the ruid dead? The spirits seem restless. I would guess it means she is not dead,” Montaan said to his brother, as they walked through the Naihiani Forest. Archaeus walked, his fingers intertwined behind his back. He had bad news. The ruid was not dead. But he was hopeful that it wouldn’t be long. Legend was skilled. His senses keener than any other. The reason he was assigned to do the deed. “Don’t worry. Legend will find her,” he replied. Montaan sighed loudly. He hoped to be given good news.

  “What is it?” Archaeus asked, noticing his mood change. “Well…Even more important than the Ruid, is the need to find the source of betrayal. Who is taking up with humans again? This needs to stop,” Montaan replied. Archaeus looked around, as the men made their way slowly down the walk path, away from the village. Several guards following behind the men. They were powerful but they were aged Valkan. There was always the threat of a younger more powerful Valkan taking them out. And so, they moved with protection, and trusted no one. Not even their offspring.

  But at the moment, being taken out by one of their own was the least of their worries. A Valkan male was breaking the ultimate rule. He was being untrue to his roots. It was unnatural. And it could cause the spirits to bring death in large numbers. Montaan wondered who it was. Archaeus didn’t believe it was a problem. It was only one ruid, suggesting someone got careless. Montaan thought of his sons. He had four, and they were ambitious. Only one would become his successor. He wondered if a mini war had already begun. His son Seth had successfully rid the western world of at least five ruids.

  Archaeus suggested to him that it was a coincidence that all the newest ruids were created in North and South America. It was something Montaan hadn’t thought of. It was convenient. It would make him look to Seth as a problem solver and perhaps swing his decision of who would be his successor, Seth’s way. Montaan looked at his brother. He didn’t care who it was. He and his brother were on the same page. If one of their sons was creating ruids, they would pay the same penalty as any other wolf. The spirits would demand it.

  “We will find out who is going against the laws. And they will pay. That goes for Legend as well, Archaeus. I know he is your pride and joy, but if he the one, he must be dealt with,” Montaan noted. Archaeus grit his teeth. It was hard to hear. Legend was his only royal son.

  He looked at Montaan and nodded. “Yes… He is my son. And if he has done this, I will deal with him myself. I will sacrifice him. Give him back to the spirit world. I will not tolerate it. I will not hesitate.”

  L

  egend walked slowly through Cedar Falls. He stared straight ahead, as several of his pack members looked on. Blake stood on his porch. He could see Legend was angry about something. He usually spoke to the women and some of the males who he trusted. But he walked quietly, not looking at anyone or acknowledging their presence as he walked past them. Trinity was among the women standing on the paved road. One of a few roads that led through their small town. And only one major road led out of the forest and towards civilization.

  Trinity looked at her sister. They stare
d at each other. The look of disappointment on both of their faces. They wondered what had him so upset. And Trinity didn’t wait for the answer to somehow reveal itself. She followed behind him, closing in as she picked up the pace. She wanted to talk to him and she didn’t care who was upset by her blatant pursuit of him.

  “Legend! Wait up,” she shouted. He stopped and turned around. His face was stone cold. His eyes were void of emotion or any sense of warmth. “Yes,” he said. Trinity froze up. He was in no mood. But she hoped her feminine guile would soften him. “Are you okay? Do you want to talk?” she asked. “Yes. Where is Darr?” he said.

  Trinity swallowed hard. It wasn’t what she meant. “He went into Girdwood. He said he would be back later tonight. Lou went to Eagle Creek. He should be back soon. He took his sons fishing,” she said. Legend sighed loudly. Trinity thought of a way to get to him. Get inside his heart. He was rough around the edges. Dismissive, in fact. But she didn’t care.

  “Can I speak to you in private. I can see you’re upset about something. Maybe if we talk it out, you can calm yourself. Maybe I can help,” she said. Legend looked around. Some of the pack had retreated back inside their homes. “Not now Trinity. I have a lot on my mind. Maybe one day soon. I’m not saying never. Just not now,” he said, as he tried to let her down gently. Trinity was beautiful. He liked her approach. She was bold. She could hold her own. Qualities he admired. But he was in love with someone. A human. A woman he didn’t know other than the fact that she sat in front of him in a class that he wasn’t supposed to be taking. He had broken more rules than he cared to admit. The punishment would be certain death. It was dangerous. And more importantly, it was involving someone who knew nothing of his life. Of his world. And he had to move in silence. No one could know. Not Trinity. Not the leaders. Not the other pack members. Not even his trusted brother Aesir.