by Alicia Banks
She managed to finish shifting just in time. The Teil wolf jumped at her, and she lashed back, slashing it with her claws. Bellatrix narrowly avoided being gouged out by its claws and jumped back. The Teil wolf howled, and charged towards Bellatrix, who lunged sideways towards him. They clashed in mid-air, and this time the Teil wolf’s claws managed to slash through Bellatrix’s shoulder.
She howled, falling down. Fortunately, it wasn’t deep, and a second later she was on her feet once again. The two fought. Bellatrix managed to bite its leg, and she clenched her jaw tightly around it. She tried to rip it off, but the wolf was struggling, trying to throw her off. She didn’t know how, but she managed to overpower the wolf long enough to get the leverage and tear its limb off.
The Teil wolf howled, collapsing on the ground. Bellatrix was ruthless. She could see Eric bleeding from the corner of her eye, and panic flooded her body. She lunged at the Teil wolf, and they struggled once again. Bellatrix felt a powerful kick, and she was thrown from the top of the Teil wolf. Even with one leg, it was incredibly powerful.
Bellatrix snarled at it, running towards it at full speed. The Teil wolf lunged towards her, and when she was almost there, she jumped. She twisted in mid-air, something that the monster wasn’t expecting. Her claws slashed through its abdomen, and blood poured out. It collapsed on the floor, howling in agony. Bellatrix lunged, delivering her final blow. She bit its neck, clenching her powerful jaws around it and ripped its head off.
She threw the head on the ground, instantly shifting back. She ran towards Eric, who was lying on the floor, bleeding.
“Eric!” she shouted. “Oh, dear moon spirit, Eric are you alright?”
She examined his body and found that the wolf had only slashed his arm. Even though the wound was deep, it would heal.
“Thank the moon spirit. You will be alright,” Bellatrix said. She felt like she could weep from relief. Eric was just staring at her, his mouth open wide.
“What was that?” he finally whispered. “What are you-.”
“It’s fine. Just forget about it,” Bellatrix said, wondering how she will explain this. “It’s not important.”
“Not important?” Eric whispered, looking dazed. “You- turned into a wolf. It’s not important?”
Bellatrix opened her mouth to reply but didn’t get much of a chance. For a second later, Eric fainted.
∞∞∞
Bellatrix slowly wrapped a bandage around Eric’s arm. She had done the best she could with the limited resources she had. He groaned slowly, and his eyes opened. He looked at her, and Bellatrix gave him a soft smile.
“How are you feeling?” she whispered.
“Hurts.” He groaned. “You can’t convince me that what I saw was a hallucination. Or something I saw because I was injured. I know what I saw."
Bellatrix sighed; she really was hoping to convince him that it had been a pain induced hallucination.
“I am a werewolf,” she said, after a moment’s silence. “I couldn’t tell you about it- because well, the humans aren’t supposed to know.”
“What the fuck,” Eric said. “A werewolf? Really? Is this a prank?”
Bellatrix sighed. “Not really, no. It’s real.”
Eric didn’t reply. He continued to lie there, staring up at the ceiling. He was clearly in shock.
“What was that thing?” Eric finally asked, trying to sit up. Bellatrix helped him up and said, “It’s what we call a Teil wolf. It’s not a natural wolf.”
“Not a natural wolf? What does that mean?” Eric asked, frowning.
“It means that it wasn’t born. It’s created by the forceful conversion of a human into a werewolf,” she explained. “I have never seen one, only heard of them. I can’t believe someone was evil enough to make it.”
Eric stared at the ceiling once again. Bellatrix knew that he was trying to accept what was happening. He was taking this much better than she expected.
“Antoine,” he whispered after over five minutes of silence.
“What?” Bellatrix asked, wondering what Antoine had to do with it.
“He isn’t who he pretends to be,” Eric said. “I have proof. I looked up that drunk driver story of his. I couldn’t find a single record that remotely matched the one he described. Then I got a PI- guess what he found? Antoine doesn’t exist. There is no record of him-.”
“You have been spying on him?” Bellatrix whispered, cutting him off. She couldn’t believe it. She had trusted Eric, but he had been spying and investigating Antoine?
“Bellatrix,” Eric said. “I am so sorry. But that man is lying to you.”
“How could you?” she whispered. “I trusted you. I thought you were my friend. My best friend. But here you were, spying on the man I was with. Collecting information to break us up.”
“Bella,” he said. “You are not listening to reason.”
“I know,” she replied, in a calm voice. “I know you have proof. I know you have evidence. I trusted you. I thought you had my best interest at heart. And to think I was going to break up with him. For you. Because he didn’t give me the happiness you did.”
“Bella,” Eric tried to say, but she cut him off.
“You don’t know shit about what Antoine has been through. He is not like that,” she shouted. “He is not like that! I can make my own decisions! You have no right to try and control my life like this!”
Then she ran out the door, leaving Eric alone.
Chapter 10
Eric
Eric couldn’t believe she left just like that. Without hearing him, without giving him a chance to explain. He also couldn’t believe that she was a werewolf. It explained everything, from the lack of her knowledge about basic human things to why she always evaded his questions about her home.
He closed his eyes and saw the terrifying image of the wolf jumping towards him. It was so fresh in his memory. He was sure that he was going to die, and then Bellatrix had showed up. The first time he saw her he almost screamed, asking her to run away. Then, within a blink of an eye, she had shifted.
He remembered the shock that had tore through his body when he saw her jumping up, and then suddenly shift. Her body had started contorting as she got on all fours. Her teeth grew, and her body became covered with a beautiful silver white fur coat. Even in the darkness, he could see how beautiful she was.
Her eyes bright yellow as a wolf, her fur shimmering silver. Her body was strong, muscular yet feminine. The way she had jumped on that monster and torn him apart. The way she clenched her teeth around his neck and ripped his head off. He couldn’t believe any of it. And now she was gone, just like that. Gone because she refused to believe that Antoine was someone evil.
Eric knew though. He knew that Antoine had been lying by the skin of his teeth, and it was about time someone took him down. She was his girl, and no one fucking took her from him. No one.
He got up, despite how badly his arm was hurting. He felt weak from the blood he had lost, but he didn’t care. He was going to push through and keep her safe. At all costs. He was sure that Antoine had something planned, and he wasn’t going to let him hurt Bellatrix. Not while he was alive.
He ran out as quickly as he could. He had no idea where he would find Bellatrix or Antoine, but he was willing to try anything. He tried to call Bellatrix’s phone, but it was turned off. Eric racked his mind for any idea of what to do. He had to protect Bellatrix at all costs.
He remembered that Bellatrix had mentioned a lake that she often went to with Antoine. From what she had said, it apparently meant a lot to him. Eric didn’t believe a word that man said, but it was worth a try. He tried to remember the name of the lake, and it suddenly came to him. He ran out towards the street, googling the address.
He reached the lake exactly twenty minutes later. It was a small secluded spot, and he could see its captivating beauty. A few couples were strolling about, but it was relatively empty. Eric walked around, looking for Antoine. Yet, there seemed
to be no sign of him or Bellatrix.
“Antoine?” Eric said. He felt foolish talking to himself, but his gut told him this was where Antoine was. “I know you are here.”
“I see that you are well.” Eric heard a voice behind him and turned to see Antoine.
“I am,” Eric said. “Despite your attempts.”
“Despite my attempts?” Antoine asked, raising an eyebrow. “Whatever could you mean?”
“You sent that thing after me,” Eric said. “That Teil wolf thingy. You sent it because I have discovered your past. I know you are not who you say you are, and I have evidence. I don’t know what game you are playing with Bellatrix, but I won’t let you lay a finger on her.”
“Teil wolf?” Antoine asked, laughing. “My dear friend, have you perhaps lost all your senses? Everyone knows that monsters and werewolves are not real.”
Eric looked Antoine straight in the eye. “I would like to say that Bella is mine. Only mine. But I know she is not a piece of property that she would belong to someone. She can choose who she wants to be with,” Eric said in a calm voice.
He slowly walked towards Antoine and stood face to face in front of him. “But I will protect her. Even if I know she can protect herself. Even if she doesn’t want me to do it. I will protect her. With my life. I will follow her everywhere if I must. But I will protect her and her happiness. Do you understand?”
“You speak a lot considering that you are a powerless human,” Antoine said, smirking.
“I may be powerless, but I am determined. No one will hurt her, and you, sir, plan on hurting her,” Eric said. “Send as many monsters as you want after me. Do what you wish. As long as I am alive, I will be there for her.”
Antoine laughed. It was a manic, cruel laugh. The kind of laugh that would send shivers down the spine of even the bravest warrior. “You dare threaten me?” he snarled. “You are picking a war, my boy, that you cannot possibly win. Leave this town, and perhaps I will spare your life.”
“That’s where you are wrong,” Eric said. “I don’t care about my life.” He smiled as viciously as he could. “I care about Bella.”
Antoine started to laugh once again, but Eric just turned around and walked away. He knew that he had bitten off more than he could chew. He knew he was deep in a war that he knew nothing about, but it was for Bellatrix. That was all that mattered. That was all that had mattered to him for a while now.
Chapter 11
Bellatrix
Bellatrix stood outside the Eiffel tower, watching the tourists walk by. She had been here for a while, observing couples. She felt a mixture of guilt and anger in her heart, and some other emotions that she found hard to understand.
Guilt, because she had left Eric alone when he was injured. Anger, because he had taken the liberty of spying on Antoine. She felt furious that he felt that he owned her enough that he could just interfere in her life choices like that.
What confused her even more was her wolf. It prowled within her body restlessly, making her even more anxious. She didn’t understand the way her wolf had reacted when Eric was being attacked. It didn’t make any sense. The way her wolf had howled in pain, it was as if a part of her had been hurt.
She sighed, observing another couple who were walking arm in arm. They looked so much in love; their eyes glimmered with happiness. She watched as the girl’s face lit up when she looked at her man. This is what Bellatrix had wanted. To fall in love madly, to feel her heart swell with happiness.
It’s why she had refused the mating ritual, despite the council’s protest. The elders had been furious. Not only was she traveling around the world and living with humans; she had also refused to have her mate found for her. She had never liked the idea of her mate being picked for her. She wanted to meet people, fall in love and choose who she wanted to be with.
The elders had made her meet the wolf couples, trying to prove to her the ritual works. Bellatrix knew it worked. The moon spirit herself chose the person as your mate. She had seen successful relations with her own eyes. Yet, she couldn’t adapt to the idea of having anyone chosen for her. She hoped that whoever the moon spirit had chosen for her would meet her naturally, and they would fall in love naturally. Without some ritual dictating it.
Bellatrix watched as the happy couple kissed, looking in each other’s eyes. A puddle came, and the man picked up the girl so she wouldn’t get her feet dirty. Bellatrix had a sudden flash back when it had rained heavily a few months ago. There were puddles everywhere, and Eric had held her in his arms so she wouldn’t get her new sneakers dirty.
Bellatrix shook her head, shaking the memory off. She looked away and noticed another couple. The man was proposing to his girl on one knee, and people around them were cheering. Bellatrix closed her eyes, imagining Antoine proposing to her one day. Her wolf stirred restlessly at the image, and Bellatrix felt a wave of anxiety.
Why did the idea scare her? The idea of being Antoine’s bride. She was in love with him. He was the perfect man, and he made her so happy. Yet, her heart twisted at the thought of being with him. She was slowly starting to realise something that she hadn’t realised before. The one who really made her happy was Eric. He was the one that she been traveling with for so long, and nearly every memory she had with him, she had been happy.
Even when they had fought, even when they had been lost and worried, even those memories made her happy. She tried to imagine a life without Eric. If she stayed with Antoine and Eric moved on. A wave of sadness washed over her, something she didn’t understand. She had always thought of Eric as a good friend, in fact, she thought of him as her beat friend.
She thought of Eric with another girl. He would move on while she would stay here. He would meet someone else, fall in love, and get married. Bellatrix felt a strong wave of jealousy wash over her. She remembered the moment when she had seen Eric being attacked by that monster. She remembered the panic and worry that had flooded through her. If she hadn’t reached him in time, what would she have done then? What if she had reached him to find his lifeless body on the ground?
Bellatrix shuddered at the thought, tears running down her cheeks. She couldn’t even imagine it. A life without Eric wasn’t worth it. Eric had been with her through thick and thin. He had truly been her best friend. He had taken care of her, supported her, and been there for her. Never once in this past year had he left her side.
Even if he hadn’t done all this for her, Bellatrix had to admit one thing. He made her soul happy. When she was with him, even if she was just sitting with him, he made her happy. Just his presence comforted her. Till she met him, she had been living for the sake of living. Now, she enjoyed living. He made her want to live. He completed her in a way she had never even realised.
Bellatrix slowly started to walk away. She was shocked by the sudden realisation that had hit her. She was in love with Eric. She had been in love all this time, and yet she hadn’t realised it. She had fallen for Antoine, but it had been nothing but an infatuation. She had never loved Antoine, she loved Eric.
She swallowed her tears and started to make her way back home. She was still furious at Eric for interfering, but she couldn’t leave him alone when he was injured. She was in love with him, and she had no idea what to do about it.
Chapter 12
Eric
Eric tried to contact Bellatrix again, but her phone was still turned off. He sighed, deciding that it was best that he went home. There was no way he could find her in this huge city. He just hoped she would come back home, so he could talk to her and explain what was going on. Maybe she would listen this time.
He reached back and opened the door. His sigh of relief was instant when he spotted her standing there. She looked up as he walked, he could see in her eyes that she was in some kind of turmoil.
“Eric,” she said, breathlessly.
“Bella,” Eric said. “Listen, I am sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I realise that I had no right to spy on Antoine and interfere i
n your life.”
“I have decided to end things with Antoine,” Bellatrix said, cutting him off.
“You what?” Eric asked, shocked.
“I don’t love him the way he loves me,” Bellatrix said. “It was wrong and unfair of me to keep him hanging like that just because I was attracted to him. I was infatuated, and deep down inside I knew it. I shouldn’t keep him hanging like that, when he could be with someone who would truly love him.”
“I,” Eric stammered. He was shocked. He had expected a huge argument when he tried to make her see sense. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Yes, well,” Bellatrix said, coming to sit next to him. “I don’t know what to say either. You are not off the hook though. You still spied on him. You still didn’t trust me to make my own choices. I am not a baby, Eric, who needs you to look after her all the time.”
“I know,” Eric replied simply. “I know you are not. I know you don’t need my protection, but I can’t stop. You are my best friend, Bellatrix. As your friend, it is my job to look after you to the best of my abilities. Even if you can do it better than I can. Even then, I will still look after you. I love you, Bellatrix.”
“What?” she whispered, looking up.
“I love you,” Eric said. He realised that he should have said it long ago. He had been so determined to say it at a perfect moment, that he hadn’t realised that all that mattered was that he said it. It didn’t matter if it was in a fancy ball, with roses and music. What mattered was that he said it.
∞∞∞
Bellatrix couldn’t believe what he had just said. He loved her? She had no idea that he felt for her this way. She looked into his eyes and felt herself shivering under the intensity of his gaze.