by Raquel Paiva
Lúcia bowed her head when she heard about her father. Her gaze suddenly darkened.
“I didn't want him to leave that night. I had a horrible feeling. It was as if I knew I would never see him again.”
“I'm so sorry.” he sincerely said. “Have any bodies been found?”
She shrugged and shook her head in desolation.
“In truth, nobody went looking for them. Or rather, those who did never came back.” she sighed and continued: “Well, now if you will excuse me I'll take the dishes down and see if Adélia is awake. It would be prudent of you to go back to bed and keep warm.”
He obeyed her. In fact, Lúcia wanted to go check the broken branches more closely. She put the dishes in the kitchen and rushed into the yard. Something with enormous strength must have been there. The branches were too thick to have been broken by a man, she had no doubt. Even her father, who was a tall and powerful man, would never have managed to break them with his bare hands. They had also not been broken with the help of tools. Something had been there the night before. Something that was interested in her.
VIII
Luvinus had been violently punished by Shorath the night he was saved from the flames that put an end to the lives of Beatriz and their father. Dragged mercilessly through the bushes outside, he couldn’t stop screaming and howling for his sister. Jagged branches tore off his fur. He even left tufts in a heap of brambles. He heard Shorath snort fiercely and suddenly thrust him against a rock. Luvinus’ head smashed against the rock and his skull ached. When he straightened up and faced his leader, he understood why Shorath was the alpha. With blood-red eyes showing all the anger and contempt he was feeling for his omega, with bristly hair and bared teeth, Shorath would make the bravest man in the world tremble with fear. The other pack members withdrew, subservient, finding it best to leave those two alone. Shorath walked towards Luvinus who, against his will, recoiled his body against the rock. The alpha unleashed his fury on the omega. He viciously bit him on his arms and chest, making the blood flow. He bit Luvinus on the throat until he almost choked him, then threw him against the ground again. This time Luvinus didn’t even try to defend himself. An alpha was an alpha and he was still too disturbed by the recent events to react. Shorath finally brought a paw to Luvinus’s throat and blew out, sharply:
“Never ever again will you do something so stupid, you imbecile! I will never again risk my fur for you just because you cannot accept that you are NOT a man anymore.”
Luvinus broke out in a desperate whining. A whining caused neither by fear nor by the pain inflicted by the alpha's punishing teeth and claws. But he would never forget the image of his sister Beatriz on fire. And that was too much for him to bear.
“You should have left me to burn with her. I do not deserve to live while she suffered such a brutal death after a life of misery. And it was all my fault.”
Shorath was not even slightly moved.
“Quiet! What was the idea behind showing yourself like that? How could you think that she would understand?”
Luvinus was sobbing.
"I had hoped..." he cried. “I thought she would feel the call of the blood we shared in our veins. Why didn't you let me save her?”
“You poor wretch, your blood is my blood. Since the day I mixed it with yours. Your sister would never have felt any bond. Had I left you there for another minute you would have burned with her. Fire is one of the few things that can kill us. Have you ever thought that maybe she didn’t want to be saved?”
“How so? What are you talking about?”
“What I am saying is that I too have been observing her suffering. Through you. I know she was completely desperate and found no solution anywhere. When she saw you, she could have chosen not to throw her lantern at you. She knew this was very dangerous. However, she did so. Basically, what happened a little while ago was her own suicide.”
“Nonsense, she was too scared to think.”
Luvinus’ whining grew louder, like a wolf pup that had just lost its mother. He was now more alone than ever. While Beatriz and her parents were alive, he had managed to give his wolf existence a meaning. Helping the family had been his only escape from the life of a man in the shape of a wolf or a wolf in the shape of a man. He had hoped so much that Beatriz would understand him. He believed that the blood they shared in her veins would make her believe that it was her brother Ludovico who was behind that thick and frightening coat of fur. But he had been wrong. His sister's dread had been stronger and had led her straight to death. He had seen it all and had been unable to do anything to save her. He had seen Beatriz be consumed by the merciless flames and had been unable to do anything. What would he do now? What sense would he give his existence now that his family was no more and he himself was dead to the world? Was there anything left for him but to join the pack of his murderous brothers and become a bloodthirsty monster himself? He couldn't accept that he was destined for that. His head and heart were still too human to be able to agree to lead a life of carnage after carnage. He was no longer a man, it was true. But he wasn't entirely beast either. He wasn't even a four-legged wolf that just obeyed instincts. He had to try to find out if there was anything else he was destined for. But who could he ask for help? Shorath and the others? Not only were they of no help to him, they made fun of him too. If they knew anything, they did not reveal it. Were there other werewolves in the world assaulted by the same doubts who would be willing to help him?
Shorath approached him, a little more calmly. He sat down beside his brother and, acting out of character, the alpha put a paw on his shoulder. Luvinus raised his head suddenly, frightened and surprised.
“My dear, there is nothing left for you but to join us. I also had a family and I was separated from it, you have to do the same. You are not human. Start accepting it or you will lose your mind for good.”
The alpha got up and turned his back on Luvinus.
“Shorath.” the omega called. “Is it just us? Aren't there any other werewolves in the world?”
“Yes, there are. But to be honest, I don't care about them at all, I have stayed away from them for a long time. They don’t care about us either.”
It was the first and only time that Luvinus seemed to feel that his alpha also shared the same doubts. He dared ask:
“Where's the werewolf who made you? Who is he?”
But the old Shorath came back, with all the anger and scorn Luvinus was so familiar with. He turned back and spat:
“Stop asking silly questions. I've done too much for you tonight. Embrace your powers instead of spending your life complaining. Do you realize that you are the most powerful creature in the world? You are perfectly invincible and you can do anything you want. You have the world at your feet.”
“What good would that bring me? Why do harm?”
“Power, brother. You have nothing to fear. You are eternal, you will never suffer divine punishment.”
The alpha quickly stomped away, leaving Luvinus with an enormous feeling of emptiness and a soul colder than the rock he was still leaning against.
Pedro Fernandes recovered faster than he had expected. That same day, late in the afternoon, he was able to get up and go with Lúcia to take a short walk through the village. It was not pleasant to watch, as women and children walked uneasily, fear and suspicion dancing macabrely in their eyes. However, he had made the decision to knock on each door and announce that the soldiers coming from Lisbon would arrive next day. They would be the latest to fight the invisible danger that was leaving the citizens of Sintra so terrified. He spoke to them as calmly as he could, patiently enough to answer the countless questions they had for him. Finally, they ended up going to the church to inform Father Antero too.
“May the Lord be praised!” he exclaimed when Pedro informed him of the soldiers' arrival. “I knew our prayers would be answered.”
“I think they'll arrive tomorrow. They will bring more weapons and medical assistance.”
&n
bsp; “What is their plan to capture this demon that is on the loose?”
The messenger shrugged.
“No strategy was communicated to me when I left, Father Antero. I don’t think that Captain Nogueira could have taken any concrete action but he sent me immediately, as soon as he received Governor Bastos' request for help. Naturally, we will need to assess the losses and have a better understanding of what danger is lurking from the woods before we can plan a strategy. I am collecting information to present him with a detailed report as soon as he arrives.”
Father Antero let out a small, sad laugh.
“Let me tell you what this is. It is Satan who has risen from hell to terrify us. It will not be caught easily.”
“Still, we have to try.”
A few words later, Pedro and Lúcia left the church and walked home thoughtfully. Neither of them believed that it was actually the Devil who was causing so much horror. It had to be something more physical than that. However, they were also unable to find a rational answer to justify the attacks. If those were mere beasts, they would not have been able to capture or devour men. Two groups of men who had never returned were the proof that this creature was not merely a hungry animal.
“Miss Lúcia, would you be so kind as to tell me everything you know about these mysterious attacks? Please share every single detail you can remember with me.”
The daughter of the disappeared governor Bastos told him everything she knew, from the attacks on the cattle to the death of the young man who had been on guard in a stable one night and thus had become the first human victim. All the attacks that followed were in the forest and Lúcia had no information about these, except that the men had never returned. They had left in small groups and not a single one had come back to tell what had happened.
“All of this is, in fact, very strange. It would be a good idea to go look for the bodies or what's left of them. Surely it could shed some light on what happened to them.”
Lúcia did not answer. She didn't want to think of her father scattered in pieces throughout the forest. Pedro seemed to guess her thoughts.
“Please forgive my unwise and insensitive words, Miss Lúcia. I know that this is all very painful for you. However, I think that everything that has happened is too violent to be have been carried out by mere wolves or bears. Those animals can be vicious but not like this.”
“In that case, what can it possibly be? Do you believe it is the Devil, like Father Antero?”
“No, I don't believe it. I have seen enough evil in my life to realize that the Devil is just a hypocritical invention we created to blame our own acts for.”
Lúcia stopped walking. Suddenly she thought of that Amélia who had plagued Pedro's fever dreams the night before and suspected that this conversation was somehow related to her.
“But then what can it be?” she asked again.
“I have my suspicions, but for now, if you allow me, I will not reveal them. I have to collect more information.”
They went home. Lúcia enjoyed his company, it made her feel safe and protected. They had dinner early and after washing the dishes, Adélia was ordered to go to bed, as she was still exhausted from the recent disturbing turmoil of events.
“I'm too old for such emotions, missy,” the maid said as she retired for the evening.
Lúcia stayed in the living room reading by the light of two candles in her armchair while Pedro, sitting at the table, scribbled his report. Were it not for the circumstances Adélia would have strongly disapproved of the two being alone, but since her young mistress was having such a hard time, she ended up finding it a good idea that the messenger kept her company. He seemed to be a good, respectful young man, after all. His presence also brought the maid some comfort.
A little before eleven, Pedro finally finished his report.
“I could not have made a more complete report than this.” he said, controlling his willingness to stretch his arms. “I wrote down everything I saw and everything that was reported to me. Tomorrow I will deliver this report to Captain Nogueira as soon as he arrives.”
Lúcia put the book down and looked at him. She felt herself blush when she felt Pedro's gaze locked on hers. He brought her peace and protection.
“It will be a great relief for us all when they arrive.” she said. “We've been so terrified.”
“Would you leave if you had the chance, Miss Lúcia? You are here all alone with only an elderly maid for company. You are not safe at all.”
“I know, but I want to stay here. At least until I know for sure what happened to my father. Besides, where should I go? The only family I knew was my father. I do have an uncle but I cannot even remember when I last saw him, I would feel awkward to ask him to live with him.”
Lúcia bowed her head. Pedro got up and squatted close to her, at a respectful distance. It had been a long time since he had been as close to a woman as he was now. Amélia had departed two years ago and since then he had never managed to get close to another woman. Now this helpless young girl was there in front of him after having saved his life with such commitment, as if her own life depended on his. He couldn't help feeling that he had to do all he could to protect her.
“I do hope I am not crossing any boundaries, but I feel I must share with you that both myself and Adélia feel safe with you here, Mr. Fernandes.
He smiled at her and kissed her hand, respectfully.
“I will do everything I can to protect you, my lady. But I'm afraid that whatever is out there is much stronger than me.”
Lúcia nodded her head in agreement.
“Can I confess something to you, Mr. Fernandes?”
“You can call me by my first name.”
“You may think I'm crazy, Pedro, but... I think that what's terrifying our village is something... I don't know, it seems like something supernatural, even though I wouldn’t say it’s the Devil’s doing. These cannot be mere wolves or bears, it is something more powerful and evil.”
Pedro was silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on her.
“I know, I'm crazy...”
“No, Miss Lúcia. As I told you, I do have my suspicions, which I will reveal when I gather evidence of what I think it is. I would need to see the corpses, though, because...”
He stopped himself just in time from mentioning again that the men could be dead and scattered all over the forest. Neither of them suspected that outside Luvinus was listening to everything. He felt Lúcia’s pain more deeply than he ever dared admit. She too was alone like his unfortunate sister. Alone and unable to understand what was going on, with only an old maid for company as well as a man who, despite showing great courage and goodwill, could not protect her alone if, as he feared, Shorath really had the intention of chasing her. Meanwhile, an army of men would arrive from Lisbon and a bloody battle would inevitably begin. Then he had an idea. He should try to talk to Lúcia, just as he had tried to talk to Beatriz many years ago. It was risky, but since she was open to the presence of supernatural forces in the village, it might be worth the try. After all, he might be able to prevent the loss of more lives. He would try to see her as soon as he had the chance. The New Moon was very close now, he would not be tempted to attack her because it was a time of the cycle when werewolves were weaker and more controllable. Lúcia would be safe or so he hoped. He just had to make sure Shorath would not see them or even suspect what he was going to do. The alpha werewolf was already aroused enough.
IX
Lúcia looked through the window by her candle light. She contemplated the forest outside. The forest that had taken her father. She wanted to remain hopeful, but time was passing and the idea of seeing him again seemed increasingly remote. Plus, a few days had passed and the men had not arrived, as promised. Maybe it was just a delay, she kept telling herself, but the villagers were worried again. Pedro was getting better by the day. In a climate of terror and doubt, it was good to know that at least one person was getting stronger. She placed her hand to her
chest. It seemed unlikely and even unwise that, amidst all the pain and fear, she was letting another kind of feeling grow inside her. Pedro inspired confidence in her. There was an unusual courage and intelligence in him. He did not think like a man frightened and dominated by the religious dogmas that most people attributed to the Devil. Pedro was rational and thoughtful. Lúcia found herself smiling and was about to get ready for sleep when she saw a huge figure in the yard, hiding hurriedly through the bushes. She raised the candle to see it better. The figure had gone into hiding, but Lúcia was sure it was still there among the bushes. She put the candle down and walked out of her bedroom. Slowly, so as not to wake Adélia, she crept downstairs. Light was still coming from Pedro's room, but he must have been absorbed in his maps and writings. She didn't want him to go with her. She carefully opened the kitchen door that led to the backyard and walked straight to the bushes. Luvinus’ heart almost jumped out of his chest. She was so beautiful, so young and so innocent. She was wearing an immaculate white night gown. A satin fabric with lace details covered the small breasts that bloomed underneath it. Her hair fluttered with the night breeze. Lúcia was staring at him through the bushes, although she could not see him yet. Luvinus then decided to move forward. First carefully, then fearlessly, he came face to face with that young beauty. A huge wolf that could easily kill that young woman who was little more than a child.
Lúcia did not cry out in fear, even though her eyes slightly widened. The expression on her face was unreadable, it seemed that the sight of that monstrous creature had emptied her being of any emotion. After all, in a way, she was already expecting something strange. Interestingly enough, Luvinus was also not surprised by this extreme display of courage. It was as if she had been waiting for him. It was Lúcia who spoke first.
“Where's my father?” she asked.
