CHAPTER 5 OF BOOK 2

I opened my eyes to darkness and the sound of Tiberius' calming, deep breaths.

I wasn't tired at all, actually- it felt as if I had been awake for hours, took an icy shower, and drank two cups of coffee. Before nine o'clock.

Gently, I looked down at Tiberius' arm laying over my waist lazily, his fingers randomly twitching and curling before going limp again. Keeping my body still but turning my head to gaze at his face behind mine, I sighed in contempt at his innocent features: His dark pink lips were parted slightly, just enough for me to catch glimpses of his glossy teeth, while the worry lines on his forehead disappeared into smooth, freckled flesh. Even his ears were perfectly curled on the outer ring, for Goddesses sake!

Trying to keep still, I brought my right hand from under me and poked his cheek once, directly under his cheekbone. The corner of his mouth twitched and he took a deep breath and, as I was holding mine, resumed to sleep after relaxing again. Lifting my right hand again, I pressed the pad of my index finger against one of his nostrils, then my thumb against the other, until I was pinching his nose enough so that he couldn't breath out of it. Watching curiously, I waited for him to wake up until his mouth suddenly popped open like it was on a loaded spring, surprising me by starting to sleep like a panting dog. Smiling at his comical move, I let him breath through his nose again then slowly slid out from under his arm and covers, tiptoed over to the bathroom, and closed the door after glancing back at the illuminated wall clock. 2:46 a.m.

Now I seriously need a bath.

After bathing in the deliciously hot water, brushing my teeth, and dressing in black workout leggings and a white tank-top, I left my hair down after rubbing controlling gel into it. I really don't feel like impersonating Sasquatch's mane today.

Turning off the vent and opening the door to see Tiberius still asleep on his side, I turned the light out behind me and snuck out of the bedroom, down the stairs, and into the empty living room, not even a glimpse of sunlight peeking over the tall blanketed Evergreen trees yet.

Not many people know, but I actually loved relaxing alone in the early morning hours, drinking sweet coffee and doing mild yoga to feel the reassuring tingling and burning in my muscles. Making a pot of French Roast at 3:30 and pouring a cup, I went back to the living room and sat back on the couch, staring at the fireplace where only a single coal remained strong buried in the others ashes.

Restarting the fire with fresh logs, I calmly started my stretching while the fire's constant light created a mentality of tranquility, like how Horse lovers are at peace in a barn and withdrawn people are content with being in their room, listening to music and reading alone.

In the middle of the triangle pose, where my legs are opened widely from left to right, I bend left until my upper body is horizontal to the ground, and I extend my arms vertically, pairs of light and quick footsteps coming down the stairs caught my attention. Just as I was straightening up, Tiberius, Haley, and Gail entered the living room, each with their eyes wide and wild.

"Elenore!" Haley and Tiberius whisper-yelled at the same time, Tiberius' being a little louder.

"What?" I asked, lifting the black coffee-cup to my lips and taking a sip. Sighing and putting a hand to her forehead, Haley groaned.

"I forgot she does this-does yoga in the middle of the night like some complete weirdo. She can't just sleep like the rest of us," she smiled at me jokingly. Coming over to my side, Tiberius wrapped both of his arms around my shoulders and brought me to his chest, mumbling "I didn't know you were into that."

Shaking my head, I looked at Haley around his bicep.

"Not many people do, only ones who really know me. Hey, completely random, but do you guys wanna go for a run?"

I crouched behind a low ceder tree with branches stroking the ground, sinking my body into the 6 inch powdery snow, and flattening my ears while exhaling with my nose just under the surface to hide the steam. Brushing the snow onto my back using my tail, I sat still. The only noise was a faint whooshing sound from wind deeper into the forest, blowing snow from the treetops and letting it rain down like powdered sugar.

Calm breathing.

In...out...

In...out...

Think leaf...or just another layer of snow- yeah, become one with the snow.

A single warbling crunch broke the silence, then another, then another. With my right side barely grazing the flaking bark, a fully grown Moose Cow walked into my line of sight about 50 feet away, tromping through the snow without even trying to be silent. That's odd, I thought to myself mindlessly.

A snow white shape moved in the left side of my vision from inbetween a cluster of stumps, the only evidence being that the stumps behind it disappeared for a second before it moved past. Haley kept low to the ground, only her eyes and nose standing out against the intense glare, while stalking the Cow like a professional. As it moved across my vision from left to right, Haley picked up speed to a smooth trot and growled lowly. The Cow stopped, swung it's head to the right while skimming over my hidden body, and studied Haley curiously. I'm going to make this fun little hunting trip a success. My turn.

Jumping from my spot, I ran towards the Cow and planned to stop beside Haley when it suddenly jerked its head towards me, tilted it like a dog hearing a whistle for the first time, and started to clamp its mouth open and closed over and over again like it was chewing bubble gum.

'What..what is it doing?' I asked Nikita as I started to slowed to a stop twenty feet away, eying it hesitantly. Haley backed away as well, but straight behind it's rear while I was to it's right.

'It..I, I don't know. This isn't how a normal Moose acts. She doesn't have a calf, since she's not lactating. Normal bones, size, but..but what's that on her right eyeball?'

Squinting to look closer, it groaned loudly when a midnight Wolf with forest green eyes appeared from behind a nearby pile of lichen covered rocks and came to my side.

'What's wrong with her?' Gail and Haley asked us in a widened mindlink between the four of us, Gail taking his place beside Haley.

'Xander says it looks like rabies, but she's not foaming at the mouth. I don't know what else-'

'Look at her right eye,' I interrupted, and Haley and Gail slowly made their way over to us without startling the beast. As the Cow started to rock back and forth drowsily, her eye appeared to have been cut open across the middle, sharp red veins covering the normally white part and blackish purple lacing its way around her pupil.

'What the hell?' Gail mindlinked, his eyes squinting at the sight.

In a flash, the Cow turned to us and bellowed throatily, showing her flat teeth.

Then she started to run at us.

'RUN!' Haley and I screamed. Scattering-Haley and Gail going left and Tiberius and I going right- we wove in and out of thickets of brush and branches until the Cow left us and took a random turn. Panting from fear and adrenaline with Tiberius infront of me, I let out a steamy chuckle.

'Well..I think we lost her!'

Tiberius shook his head and knocked his forehead against mine.

'You're insane.'

Just as I was about to mindlink the others, a bloodcurdling howl echoed through the trees, chilling my bones more than the cold and snow ever could.

Snowflakes started to sprinkle like tiny diamonds, catching light at every twirl as they fell. Resting snow was kicked up as Tiberius and I flew through the woods towards the howl, over mounds of mystery objects and ducking logs of ice in unison.

The howls continued for thirty more seconds, but suddenly stopped.

'Haley, answer me!' I mindlinked to her. 'Gail? What's happening?'

'Who was that? Are you both okay?' Haley answered back, anxiety weighing down her voice. Slowing down in relief, Tiberius got the same message from Haley but still craned his head around to find the source when he froze.

Walking closer to him and leaning against his shoulder, followed his gaze until I saw what he was looking at.

Nearly fifteen feet away, the Cow was lying on her side, her chest staying completely still.

And directly beside her head was another shape. A Wolf that looked exactly like Isaac and was lying on it's side was surrounded by a halo of bright cherry-red snow, lying exactly as still as the dead cow beside it.