ELENA - And the Shadowmoon Clan

I lived my life in darkness, so it was easy to hide within my own clinic. There I was, surrounded by animals, never imagining that my life would turn into something like this. But it was fine; I was living with as much happiness as possible. I was about to close my office when my already highly complicated life changed forever. "Sorry, we’re closing!" – I said to the stranger whose silhouette stood out against the dim lights of the clinic. "It’s an emergency," – a deep, masculine voice replied, throwing me off balance instantly. And then the voice became a strong, dark-skinned body right before my eyes. His black hair was neatly cut, highlighting the tribal tattoos on his muscular arm. In the stranger’s arms was a small wolf, as if that wasn’t irony enough for me. "Oh my God! What happened to him?" – I asked, both worried and curious. "An i***t thought it was a good idea to shoot an arrow at him. He’s stable... but he’s hurt," – he said, looking firmly into my eyes, as if he knew exactly my entire past and perhaps my future. As if he knew better than I did how to heal that wolf. "Put him here on the stretcher, we’ll do something for him." The man was so impatient, pacing back and forth, occasionally stopping to monitor what I was doing. "I know what I’m doing, you can wait in the reception, maybe have a coffee," – I said, showing my impatience as well. "I want to watch over his care. It’s important to me," – he said without uttering another word until my final stitch on the wolf. He added, "He seems to like you; wolves are usually hostile to some humans." – The way he said the word "humans" sent a chill down my spine, the pains of the past still raw in my chest. "I get along well with animals... no matter what kind they are," – I replied with a smile. "Elena MontClaire, right? Sounds like a wolf’s name!" – he said, laughing. Of course, to him it was a lame joke, but it still made me sweat, and my words seemed to slip from my mouth. "Aren’t you going to ask my name?" "Sorry, how could I forget... What’s your name?" – I asked as I settled the small wolf comfortably. "Ronan... Ronan Nightclaw," – he finally said, shaking my hand. A shiver ran down my spine at that moment. I wasn’t sure if it was because his last name matched my past more than necessary, or because of his touch. It was a mixture of infinite pleasure with terrible fear that shook me to my bones. He didn’t look harmless, but at that moment I doubted he was someone from my past trying to kill me. Killers don’t rescue wounded animals and take them to veterinarians—at least, that’s the thought that came to me. **Translation:** "Well... Ronan... He'll need to be kept under observation tonight." "And who will be observing? Weren’t you closing the clinic?" – He asked, staring at me with those bright black eyes. "I can stay here with him, you don’t need to worry, I can handle it," – I said, clearly growing more nervous. The dense air in the room seemed to bind me to Ronan, and it was disturbing. "I’m taking him back to my reserve, thank you for your help," – he said, abruptly. "Reserve? Wait... No! You can’t take him! I’m the professional here, I’m the veterinarian, he needs to be kept under observation, it was a very serious injury." "In that case, I think you’ll have to come with me to ensure his safety." "This is absurd, I don’t even know you..." "You do know me, I’m Ronan, and I brought this wolf to have an arrow wound closed. And I’m taking him with me, he’s not staying here," – This man showed up, and within an hour, he thought it was right to start bossing me around. I was furious, but the curiosity rising within me was something animalistic, something tied to who I was deep down, behind the mask I’d been wearing for years. "Ronan, I don’t even know you; I can’t just follow you somewhere to keep him under observation. And here, he’ll have access to medicine, proper care. I’ll take care of him for free in this case," – I offered once more. "I’ve already said no, and I’m not changing my mind about that. But I’ve offered you your passage to something better, why don’t you just accept?" – He said again, sparking my curiosity. "I won’t have the equipment to work!" – I said, already feeling that every part of my body wanted to go with him. It was strange trying to control myself in front of this man, usually, I did it so well! But with him, I was just weak. "We both know you’ll be able to take care of him, even without all that equipment. So, Elena, are you coming with me or not?" "Damn it!" – I growled, tense. "Of course, I’ll go with you. I can’t let him get worse just because you’re stubborn." "And you’re curious too, so let’s go," I followed him as if I were dancing to a familiar tune. I got into my car and followed him into the dark night, but something was drawing me in more than I could explain at that moment. It was like something so bright that you want to touch it and never let go. As soon as we arrived at the edge of a dense forest, I felt free again, but only until I remembered how all of my ancestors ended. Then I was once again overwhelmed by a terrible fear. My heart froze, and something dormant within me suddenly awakened. I was struck by an intense flashback of the past and fell to my knees in front of Ronan. I felt the wet earth on my knees the moment I fell, and it only strengthened my connection to the darkness.