Ophelia

Chapter 16

Part 2
Benjamin's POV:

I stared at the body on the observation table before me. He was once part of our family, a member of the Lebeau Clan. He was young, maybe about one hundred or so. But he didn't look like how he did the last time I saw him. Before, he was muscular and tall, with tanned skin and green eyes. Cameron, was his name. But this body, this shell... it wasn't him. It was pale, the skin so lite it was nearly see through. The muscle was gone, his skin hugged his bones as if he hadn't eaten a meal since 1915. The dark marks began in the center of his chest, where his heart would be. But he had no heart. It wasn't there, someone had removed it, yet he had been animated without it.

Casper had found him dead in the woods and brought him in.

"Benjamin, come quick! There's a beast spotted in the woods circling the territory! It's attacked three of our own already!" Casper burst into the room, panting for breath. I curiously followed him out of the basement. Almost everyone was outside, watching the trees that formed a border around the property, waiting. Suddenly, one of our men was tossed through the wooded curtain. The man screamed, got up and ran back into the crowd.

"What is it?" I asked.

Casper stepped up besides me, "No one knows, it's too fast. They get disarmed and tossed back before they can see." A familiar scent hit my nose, but it was distant and weak. Ophelia. I felt the need to protect grow inside me. If I sensed her presence but wasn't strong, what if she was hurt? I stepped forward, Casper didn't stop me.

I walked across the open field and straight into the brush. I heard a rustle, then a crack. The beast was stalking me, watching my every move. I stayed still until I felt it's breath on the back of my neck. I waited. It did nothing. "Why haven't you attacked me like the others?"

I slowly tried to turn around, it snarled. I stopped briefly but I continued. A large wolf stood above me on it's back legs. It's fur was light gray, but when the sun hit it, it's silvery color was almost white. It towered over me, teeth bared, it's hot breath huffing out across my face.

Then I felt it. Her. Ophelia. I stared into the beast's eyes, there was not a hint of humanity in them. It was different from any wolf I've ever encountered. "Ophelia?" The beast snorted. I had a feeling I wasn't entirely correct. It was like she was there, but deep within the creature before me. "You're not Ophelia. But you know we're connected. That's why you haven't hurt me." She smirked. I knew what it meant; yet. That's why she hasn't hurt me, yet. "Well I need to speak with her. I need to know why you're here, attacking my people on my territory."

She growled and stepped around me. She got on all fours, sniffed the air and pointed her nose at the house like a hound dog on the hunt. She began to growl, smacking her teeth with her tongue. She slowly began to creep forward. I followed her out from behind the trees, my people getting in a defensive stance as she approached. She snarled, but she didn't want them. She was focused on something else.

"Benjamin, what is this?" Casper demanded, his eyes never leaving the wolf. I debated on whether I should tell them or not. I was just going to avoid the question but I was beaten to it.

"Luna!" Elliot came through the trees behind us. The wolf whipped her head to face him, teeth bared. She stood up on her hind legs, making her bigger than us all. She snarled in Elliots direction; he stayed calm but you could feel his fear. His head bowed and hands raised as an act of submission.

Trying not to test her patience, I remained facing her but spoke to Elliot. "You know what's going on here?" The wolf went back to being on all fours, her eyes scanning the crowd in front of our home.

"She's tracking a rabid! Something led her here, it's not safe for anyone! Not just because of the rabid, but she's unstable!" Luna growled, Elliot flinched. "Luna isn't what she seems!"

Suddenly, the wolf lunges forward towards the crowd. Her mouth was wide open and had a wild look in her eyes. She was too fast to stop, assuming she was after a clan member. Instead, the rabid from the basement leaped up from behind the terrified group and towards my mate. Casper began to send the bystanders inside as the wolf and rabid fought. I've never seen one live, and to think it was in my home.

I looked over to Casper, who had stood next to me amidst the chaos. His face blank, shielded of emotion. "I thought you had found him dead?" I spat out, obviously annoyed that our people were put in harms way.

He looked at me. After a second, it looked like a switch was flipped on and his face instantly held worry and distress. "Benjamin, I swear I thought he was dead! I just thought it would be an opportunity to help research the things, if I had known he was still functional I wouldn't have–"

"The only way to kill them indefinitely is... well..." Elliot trailed off uncomfortably, a hint of guilt flashed his eyes.

I knew what it meant. "To destroy them completely."

Elliot nodded. "Exactly."

A loud crack and rip brought us back to the scene, the wolf had torn the rabid to shreds, finishing it off by tearing off his head. The blood was black and tar-like, oozing from the corners of the wolf's mouth and down her fur. She stared at me. Her eyes were entirely black, swirling with a mixture of rage and adrenaline. She threw her head back and howled, a sound ear piercing and ground rattling.

I stepped forward but as soon as I did, she dashed back behind the trees, that patter of her paws against the ground getting farther by the second. Elliot cleared his throat, staring at the broken body before us. Casper once again had a blank glare. "Casper. Go inside and check in with everyone. Make sure no one is injured and if they are take proper action," I commanded. He gave a simple nod and went inside. I turned to Elliot, "Should we follow Ophelia?"

He looked at me, shocked. "You know it's Ophelia?" I nodded. He shook his head. "It's not her."

"What do you mean? I literally felt.... I mean, what other werewolf is in this community?"

"First of all," he sassed, "I know you two are connected. It's not something I found out from my best friend, which I will be having a talk with her later, but I heard from Elizabeth." He narrowed his eyes at me but ended that topic there. "Second of all, I should not be the one to tell you who or what she is. But, I will tell you this; Ophelia is blessed, cursed, whatever you want to call it, with an extra "being". That "being" is Luna."

I nodded, not quite understanding but trying to. "That's why you called her Luna and not Ophelia earlier?"

"Exactly. Luna has her own consciousness, her own set of morals... which are pretty non-existent in my opinion. She's aggressive and dangerous, super destructive, too strong for her own good, has a really bad alpha complex–"

"Okay, I get it, she's not that great. Then why did you let her go off on her own?"

He sighed and began walking towards the rabid's body. "No one can stop Luna when she's in that state, she has to calm herself down. Don't worry, whatever damage is done, Ophelia and I clean up afterwards. But no one can get in her way." He crouched down, pulling a vile out from his pocket.

I watched as he filled it up with the creature's blood, his face turning green with disgust. Once he capped the vile, he shoved it into his pocket and stood up, backing away a couple feet. With a flick of a single finger, the body before him was in flames. Not a normal red and orange flame but and mixture of green and purple. Just as soon as it went up in flames, the fire went out and the body was gone.

Elliot gave a final nod in my direction before he disappeared. I was left alone with the memories of Luna's dark and terrifying eyes and the feeling I had knowing Ophelia was somewhere there.