The Moon Goddess

Chapter Seven

My heart was pounding in my chest. I didn't recognize where I was nor did I remember how I got here. Was this some kind of vision? Had I managed to transport myself here somehow? A lot of questions were circling my mind but for some reason, I knew that none of those explanations were the case. No, someone had brought me here.

My head began to throb inside my head as I began to sit up to look at my surroundings. I winced and placed my hands on my temples as I massaged them firmly to soothe the pain.

I was sitting on a couch, a brick-colored couch. The big room was light-yellow, I was in the living room. I moved to place my feet on the ground and shivered as the cold wooden floor came in contact with my feet. Even though I was wearing socks, I could still feel the coldness of the floor. Not to mention that I probably had a fever and that was why I felt everything so cold around me.

My shoes were next to the wooden frame at the entrance of the living room. I quickly tiptoed my way towards them, not wanting to make too much noise and alert the people who lived here. I had so many questions as to how I had ended up here but right now, all I wanted was to get back home. It was going to get dark out soon and my mother would be terribly worried if I didn't go home soon.

I already knew my mother would be furious once I got home, I was never out this late, especially if I hadn't mentioned any plans to her. I sighed, at this point, I already knew punishment was waiting for me as soon as I stepped through the door of my house.

Without wasting any time, I put on my shoes and headed out of the room. I had never been in this house so I didn't know where the door was but I supposed it was the one right down the hall from where I was standing.

Before I could reach the door, something caught my attention. I tilted my head to the side as my eyes landed on a portrait on a small table in the hallway. unconsciously, I picked up the wooden frame and eyed the people in the picture.

I couldn't recognize any of them. There was a man sitting on a leather chair, his thick blonde mustache made him look strict and unwelcoming but his eyes held a certain understanding that made me think he wasn't actually cold. On his shoulder was the hand of a woman, as I moved my gaze to look at her I saw a thin, strong woman. Her gaze held authority and warmth at the same time. She wasn't someone to be messed with. Her blonde hair was short and curly, just like the small girl that was standing in front of her.

The little girl didn't look to be more than six years old but there was a certain wiseness in her eyes, she looked much more mature than what her age made her out to be. Her blue eyes seemed to pierce inside of your soul as if she were really looking at you and not a photograph of her. I quickly looked away and my eyes landed on a small boy then.

He was short, a bit chubby. He had gotten his darker shade of blonde hair from his father. He wasn't smiling nor did he look mad. Instead, he seemed to be uncomfortable and shy, as if he didn't like to be in the spotlight. I smiled, I could relate to that feeling. He looked to be in his early teenage years.

Finally, my eyes settled on another person. Someone standing next to his father with a confident posture and authority in his eyes. This young man was taller than his mother, but they had the same gaze, and power seemed to radiate from him. I raised an eyebrow as I eyed the man, his sharp cheekbones made him look hostile and mean but there was something about him that felt as if it were calling out to me.

My heart was beating faster now that I had seen him and my breath began to accelerate. I couldn't look away. And I began to wonder if this picture was recent. I began to wonder if this young man lived here and if he had anything to do with why I was here.

Quickly, I shook the thoughts away and put the picture back on the table. You are being ridiculous, Evangeline. He doesn't even know you, why would he have anything to do with this? I scoffed and quickly turned towards the door. It was time to go before my mind could get any more wild ideas.

As soon as my hand touched the doorknob, the hairs on the back of my neck raised and before confusion could reach my mind, I heard a deep growl. I jumped and turned around with wide eyes, suddenly remembering the wolves in the forest.

This growl had sounded just like that.

But the hallway was empty. There was no wolf.

Then the growl appeared once again. The sound was coming from the back of the house.

Curiosity got the best of me and I looked at the wooden door behind me before turning my back on it and heading deeper into the house.

I followed the noise of the growl and then heard whispers coming from a semi-closed room. The door was slightly ajar and I could make out voices from inside. "Are you sure about this?" I heard a woman say tightly, I couldn't see her but I could hear the tension in her words.

Slowly, I knelt and tried to look inside. I couldn't see anyone inside, they were all out of my range of sight.

No one responded verbally but silence fell over the group. "Should we tell father?" another voice asked. This one was masculine, deep, filled with power. A shiver ran down my back and delight filled me. What the hell was wrong with me?

"No, not yet. You know he is in a sensitive condition right now. If we tell him, I fear he will become worried and it would only worsen his health," the woman whispered, sadness evident in her tone. I flinched, she must be very worried about her husband. She must be the woman from the portrait and the other voice that belonged to the man must have been her son. The one that had made my heart race.

I took in a sharp breath and quickly covered my mouth to keep a yelp from leaving my lips. "Fine, don't tell my uncle, but there is a girl out there and she is going to wake up soon. I have to get her home. Her mother must be worried sick." That's when my blood went cold.

I could feel my face drain as I recognized the voice of who had spoken. I had known it my whole life and yet, at this moment, I felt as if I didn't know him. Anything about him.

Suddenly, I lost my footing and tripped. I yelp of surprise left my mouth as I fell into the room, pushing the door and landing on the floor, right in front of the three people in the room. Darn it! I thought inside my mind.

A heavy silence filled the room as everyone looked at me with shock and wariness in their eyes. Slowly, I raised my head and looked at them. I could feel my cheeks begin to heat up in embarrassment. My eyes landed on the person standing nearest to me, Cole.

He quickly moved to help me up but I shook my head and he froze midway. "Don't," I whispered as I got to my feet. I could feel the other strangers eying me closely, and their discomfort and wariness rolled off them in waves.

"Eve, I can explain everything if you let me," Cole said in a small whisper. I looked at him and saw the desperation in his eyes. Not to mention that he had called me Eve, something he rarely did since we had grown up into our teenage years. It was almost enough to persuade me.

I sighed and shook my head. "Right now all I want is to go home. I am tired and I need to be with my mother. As you said, she must be worried sick." The tension in the room increased as everyone eyed each other.

"How much did you hear?" I froze. As soon as I heard his voice, my heart began to race and I was suddenly out of breath. No reasonable explanation made sense in my mind and I decided it was best to pretend his voice... his presence didn't have any effects on me.

I turned to face him with an angry expression and with my arms crossed in front of my chest. He raised an eyebrow and to my horror, he looked amused.

"I heard enough to want to go home. I can't understand why you even brought me here in the first place," I said, the words came out colder than I meant them to.

The three people in the room eyed each other.

Finally, the woman nodded her head, "I think it's for the best, for now."

Her son looked at her with astonishment, not believing what he was hearing. "But mother, she could be hurt for all we know."

The mother looked at her son with a stern expression that made it clear her decision was final. "Exactly, we know nothing. If something happens in the future we'll intervene but for now," the woman turned to face me, "Evangeline wants to go home, and we are not keeping her against her will."

I let out a sigh of relief and smiled slightly at the woman. She returned it with a nod and turned to look at Cole who was shifting uncomfortably under the other man's accusing stare.

"Cole, take her home. Make sure she gets there safely and try to ease her mother's worry." Cole nodded at the order and began walking towards me.

But I still felt mad. I didn't know why but I felt as if he had betrayed me in some way.

"I can get home by myself. There is no need to escort me," I said, my voice determined.

The woman shook her head, "we just want you to get home safely. Don't make this any more difficult, please. It would make us all feel assured." At the last part, she turned to look at her son from the corner of her eye.

I followed her gaze and saw him looking furious as he eyed the space between Cole and me.

Cole quickly turned me towards the door as he nodded at the woman. As soon as his hand touched my shoulder, a deep growl filled the room, followed by a wince.

I stared at Cole with bewilderment, I was sure that wince had come from him. And the growl... there was definitely no animal present in the room.

Suddenly the need to be far from here was almost unbearable and I quickly rushed towards the front door and walked outside without looking back.

Cole followed me closeby but it was like it pained him to do it. At that moment, I wasn't sure I wanted to know the reason why, all I knew was that I had to get home and forget all of the last couples of hours.

Who knew? Maybe all of this turned out to be a dream and I would wake up in the library with a new idea in mind...