The Beasts of Baye Road

Eyes From Hell

The sun called Blanca to take a stroll on the grass. The yard was like a pampered child but Blanca hadn’t realized what a contract Baye Road was to the snowy landscapes of Alaska. It was a warm day Blanca couldn't help remember Matteo's cold eyes on a dark night.

She kept on waiting for a monstrous hairy beast to jump out of the shadows and fling the car into the woods with its fingers. Matteo's clenched jaw and tight body hadn't helped her nerves at all. She wanted to cup his fist on the drive back but she had to hold herself.

There were moments he smelled like moisture, Blanca giggled. Last night he smelled like gallons of sweet perfume. Blanca shut her eyes and willed her mind to take her back a few hours.

'Morning Blanca you seem awfully happy today.' Anneska smiled. Her blonde hair was tied in a messy bun her blue eyes had bags under them that she tried to hide with make up.

'Oh Anneska. Where were you yesterday?' Blanca whispered.

Anneska frowned before pouring a cup of coffee.

'I had work to do. What did you do yesterday? Find out anything?' She sipped.

Blanca bit her lip. Anneska wouldn't like her going out with Matteo but damn her heart for not regretting it. She had nothing to report, she felt a bit like an old tooth brush. Blanca shook her head and Anneska offered her a tight smile.

'I'm leaving again, but I'll be back in the afternoon. You really don't know how to dust do you Blanca?' Anneska dropped her mug in the sink and disappeared.

A couple minutes later the door bell rang. The guardians never rang the bell Blanca thought.

'Who could that be?' She said as she neared the heavy doors.

A man with grey hair that reminded her of the professor in the Chronicles of Narnia movie stood in the other end. His eyes shot to the top of his head when Blanca answered the door.

The man leaned on a bronze cane, he had an old fashioned pipe between his lips like the one from The Little Mermaid. Blanca smiled, he reminded her of her favorite childhood movies.

'What a belle, you are. Would you mind showing me to Matteo Flik's study. He isn't expecting me but he'll want to see me.'

Blanca grinned and lead the man up the stairs to Matteo's study. She didn't think Matteo would be in there. His curly hair draped over his face that was buried in a book as thick as an encyclopedia. It wasn't the book on Wolf Charmers was it? Blanca couldn't tell.

'You have a visitor.' Blanca said.

Matteo looked up to Blanca and someone he didn't expect to see. He rose and hopped his face wasn't red with rage.

'Thank you, Blanca.'

Blanca patted the old man's hand before closing the doors behind them. She wanted to press her ear against the door, but Matteo would know she was snooping.

Matteo narrowed his eyes at Franz, he must have aged ten years since he walked out on the guardians. He staggered to the desk and struggled to pull out the chair and manage his cane and pipe at the same time.

'I didn't think I'd see you here again.' Matteo remained on his feet.

'I never thought I'd leave this place. A monument to my great history and a legacy of over a century of power. How can all that come to an end at the hands of supposed monstrous versions of ourselves.’ Franz got lost in his own mind, his glossy eyes saw images that weren’t there.

Matteo exhaled, he felt like a fortress with a crack at its center. At any moment it would give way and all those hiding inside would be at the mercy of their enemies. Though Matteo knew they were already at the mercy of their enemies. He slowly sat down in the chair.

‘Why did you come?’

Franz blinked back to reality. He picked up his pipe and blew smoke into the air obscuring his face for a second. Big temper just like his Father's at his age, Franz thought. Jurgen turned out to be a good Alpha and maybe his son would too if the pain in his body language was sincere.

'You have a beautiful house keeper. Blanca is it? Meaningful white? As in white wolf?' Franz wouldn't put it passed Anneska to have the saving grace of the town living under the roof of the guardians.

Matteo shook his head. He'd never thought of that, but he knew Blanca wasn't a wolf. 'No, she's human. She's Anneska's niece.'

Franz's eyes rose above his glasses. 'Is it?'

Matteo rubbed his face. 'Listen Franz, why are you here? You turned your backs on us when we needed you the most. When my Father needed you most!’

Franz set his pipe down. 'I thought I had good reasons Matteo… I've heard there's a white wolf in Baye Road.'

'What?! Where?'

'That I don't know. I only know it's a female.'

'I have to find her. Who told you?'

Franz staggered to his feet. 'Uh that young man I can't say. My source fears the Wolf Charmers will try to capture her.'

Matteo stood too, he thought the old man had been living in fear too. 'And you? How have you been in West Baye. I know the beasts attacked there recently.'

Franz nodded, his eyes seemed glossier than they usually were. 'There's nothing I can do about that son.' He turned to the door.

'You can stay Franz. Come back our doors will always be open for you.'

Franz looked at Matteo and believed the pack would be in good hands but Matteo wasn't because there was a snake slithering between his feet. It would bike at any moment and take him down. Franz couldn’t look the boy in his eyes because he would keep his mouth shut.

***

A black cat with white mittens curled on the window over the sink.

'Oh what a cute kitty.' Blanca tried to lift the cat, but jumped back when the car struck her hand and growled.

'Ouch!' Blood oozed out of her hand. Four angry slices lined her hand. The cat stood on its paws and hissed.

Blanca scanned the kitchen for a paper towel. It jumped off the window and jumped on the isle. Blanca gasped at the felines audacity after slicing her hand. It wagged its tail and sprawled its fury body on the clean isle.

Matteo walked in on Blanca clutching her stinging hand. He groaned when he saw the black and white cat. He picked up the animal despite its growls and chucked it out of the window and slammed it shut.

'Matteo! It's just a cat.'

Matteo examined her hand. 'If that cat comes back kill it.'

'It's not that bad.' Blanca glanced at her cuts. They were deeper than she thought. Matteo marched out of the kitchen and left Blanca with her bleeding hand.

'I can't believe he threw the cat out of the window.' There wasn't any sign of the feline in the yard.

Matteo strolled into the kitchen with a first aid kit. He hoisted Blanca on the isle and took her hand.

'It's not that bad.'

'Stupid cat.' Matteo spat. 'Why'd you throw it out the window.'

Matteo added disinfectant on a cotton ball and gave Blanca an apologetic look. He brushed the claw marks on her skin. Blanca bit her lip and winced.

'It wasn't a real cat. That was Lexi... my ex girlfriend.'

Heat radiated off Blanca's face. The girl from the woods.

'She can turn into a cat?'

Matteo shrugged. 'Cat people they're a small group of creatures native to Baye Road. Not very powerful, not a threat but I still don't want her here.'

Matteo patched her up and helped her down the isle. He held onto her waist and admired her eyes and rosy cheeks.

'I don't think I'll be able to throw her out like that. I might end up with scars on my face.'

Matteo chuckled and brushed her cheek as if there was something there. Blanca had the softest voice he’d ever come across. She had hair he wanted to ran his fingers through. He blinked his feelings away, unable to say anything else he picked up the first aid kit and strolled out the kitchen. Blanca touched the spot his thumb had caressed and felt it burn.

***

Blanca and Gianna sat on a park bench with a basket of sandwiches.

'I shouldn't have gone out with him Gianna.'

'Why not? If he's handsome and wants to go out with you then what's your problem?'

'I'm lying to him Gianna. I'm there looking for a traitor that puts your life in danger.'

'Don't involve me in your love life.' Gianna raised her hands. 'If you want to sleep with him go ahead I'm not involved.'

‘I’m not going to sleep with him… I’m— I don’t think I can.’ Blanca played with the lettuce on her half eaten sandwich.

‘Come on Blanca. That bet happened nearly three years ago? Are you going to let that bastard run your love life? Or do you want me to go back to Alaska to rip of his and his i***t friends heads.’

Blanca raised her brows. ‘You wouldn’t do that.’

Gianna crossed her arms and grinned. ‘Try me.’

Blanca grumbled. The first boy she had ever been with had only slept with her because his friends dared him to. It was front page news the next day at school. She hadn’t seen their faces in years but their memory had taken permanent residence in her mind.

Blanca lifted her head and the sun blazed slowly out of the sky. She could spare a couple minutes for Gianna.

'Has Anneska come to see you?' Blanca asked.

Gianna shook her head. 'And Kathleen's been acting so weird. She doesn't want me to leave anymore I had to sneak out after she knocked herself out with her spells.'

'Have you been eating?'

Gianna rolled her eyes. 'Leftovers and canned soups.'

Blanca packed up the sandwiches and gave Gianna the basket. 'I'll get it tomorrow and bring you lunch. I wish I could bring you to the Manor. I hope this will be over soon.'

‘Do you have any idea who the traitor is?’

‘I don’t. The more I’m there the more I doubt Matteo’s the traitor.’

Blanca and Gianna said their goodbyes. Time ran faster than Blanca thought it would. She escorted Gianna to the woods. Gianna didn't want Blanca to wander alone in the dark but Blanca stood her ground and by the time she stumbled back in the market area all the stores were boarded shut and the stands packed up.

The clicks of her heels echoed in the streets. Despite the streetlight aid shadows formed in every corner of the area. Red orbs formed behind the lamp posts, behind the trees and up the road, blocking the passage to her refuge.

Blanca's body froze and she stumbled backward. A giant fury monster jumped out of the bush and shook the ground. Blanca finally hit the dirt. She crawled backward. A hair raising roar came from behind her. She turned her head and screamed at the beast from hell towering above her.

Blanca's heart threatened to run out of her chest. Before she knew it four eight foot tall beasts surrounded her. Eyes from hell and forming mouths glared down at her.

Blanca threw her arm in front of her face. A yelp came from the beasts, the ground shook and the monsters jumped into the bush.

Arms encircled Blanca and pulled her off the ground. Cameron's sparkling blue eyes met Blanca's drained face. He dragged her out of the battlefield. All four of the guardians attacked one savage beast. None of them had gone wolf.

Blanca caught flashes of silver. Howls filled the air, a punch and Karl when flying into the bush. The beast struck David and jumped into the wilderness surrounding the Manor.

'Oh my goodness.' Blanca gasped. Cameron left Blanca and ran to help Karl. Matteo darted to Blanca and scooped her up.

'What did I tell you Blanca?' He whispered into her hair. Blanca shut her eyes and held on to Matteo's torso for dear life.

The eyes of monsters were like windows to hell. How could the last moments of someone's life be the stuff of nightmares. It had almost been the last thing she ever saw.