Eleanor P.O.V
(Fifteen-year-old Eleanor)
"WE HAVE TO TAKE HER!" Grandfather's booming voice echoes through the house. His finger is pointed directly at Mom.
"No!" Dad's voice is firm, unwavering. "Leave us alone, Father. I would not let you take Patrika from me."
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" Grandfather roars. "DO YOU FORGET WHO WE ARE? WE HUNT THESE CREATURES, NOT LOVE THEM!"
"Please, Father," Dad says, his voice calm but deadly. "We have been out of your world for ten years. Let us live in peace."
Grandfather's face twists with rage. "It's a disgrace," he spits. "The son of the Head of the Hunters, falling in love with his prey? I should have put an end to this the moment you defied me." His eyes narrow on Mom, filled with hatred. "She does not deserve to live."
Mom lets out a choked sob, clutching Dad's arm.
"Get out of my house," Dad says, his voice low and commanding. "You disowned me years ago. You have no claim here."
Grandfather's hand moved to his coat and pulled out a gun. He pointed it directly at Dad.
My breath catches in my throat. I step back instinctively, my foot hitting a small vase behind me. It topples to the ground, shattering loudly.
Every head in the room turns toward me.
"Ah," Grandfather says, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "The last member of this pathetic family finally joins us. Come here, child."
I shake my head violently, tears streaming down my face. My legs feel like jelly as I back toward the stairs.
"Leave her out of this!" Dad shouts, his voice filled with desperation. "This is between you and me!"
"This is about your wife and daughter," Grandfather says coldly. "They can not be allowed to live."
Two of the armed men behind him rush forward, grabbing Dad and forcing him to the ground. He thrashes and yells, but they overpower him, pinning his arms and handcuffing him.
"William!" Mom screams, trying to run to him, but another man grabs her, holding her back.
"NO!" Mom cries, struggling against her captor.
A woman clamped a collar around mom's neck, and the effect was immediate. Mom collapses to her knees, clutching at the collar as a strangled scream escapes her lips. Her skin turns red, as if the collar is burning her, and tears stream down her face.
"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Dad roars, his voice cracking with anger. "TAKE IT OFF HER!"
But no one listens.
I watch in horror, frozen to the spot. My mind was screaming at me to run, to hide, to do something, but my body refused to move.
"Bring the kid here," Grandfather orders.
One of his men grabs me before I could take another step. I scream and struggle, kicking at him with all my strength. He drags me forward and forces me to stand in front of Grandfather.
Jonathan gripped my chin roughly. His violet eyes bore into mine, filled with cold hatred. "If you do not want to end up like your mother, you will learn your place."
He shoves my face away, and I stumble back, choking on a sob.
"Let her go, Father!" Dad yells, his voice raw with pain.
Grandfather ignores him, signaling to his men. A sack is thrown over my head, and my hands are wrenched behind my back and cuffed.
I twist and scream, thrashing wildly, but all in vain . Someone hoisted me over their shoulder and carried me outside. The cold night air bites at my skin as I was thrown into the backseat of a car.
A moment later, I hear Dad's voice beside me.
"Eleanor? Eleanor, are you there?"
"Dad?" I sob. "I'm scared."
"I know, sweetheart," he whispered. "But stay calm. I will get us out of this. I promise."
Mom was thrown into the car next, landing heavily beside me. She did not move.
The car door slammed shut, and the engine roared to life. As the car speeds away, I press my face against the sack, trying to see through the thin fabric. The last glimpse of our house disappears into the darkness.
At Faculty
The car jolted to a sudden halt after what felt like an eternity. My body ached from being pressed into the hard seat, and the sack covering my head was suffocating. I could barely breathe, and the darkness inside the fabric only amplified my fear.
The car door creaked open, and I felt rough hands grab my arms. "Move," someone barked, yanking me out of the car. I stumbled, the cold night air hitting my skin like needles. My feet, bare and numb, scraped against what felt like gravel. The chill of the ground seeped into my bones, making me shiver uncontrollably. Footsteps crunching on the ground around me.
I was dragged forward, my captors pulling me by my arms. My father had a strain in his voice as he called out, "Let my daughter go! Do whatever you want with me, but leave her alone!"
No one responded. Instead, they continued to drag us forward. The sound of a robotic voice suddenly cut through the air.
"FINGERPRINTS MATCH. YOU MAY GO IN."
We were dragged down what felt like a long hallway. The air grew colder, and the faint sound of machinery buzzed in the background. I struggled against the hands holding me. My legs trembled, threatening to give out beneath me.
Suddenly, they stopped, and I heard the sound of a door opening. The coldness intensified as they pulled me inside. The room was frigid, and my skin prickled as the icy air touched it. I was shoved into a chair, making me winced as the cold metal pressed against my back and legs.
The sack was yanked off my head, and I blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the harsh light. When my vision cleared, I found myself in a dimly lit room. The walls were made of glass, creating a transparent enclosure in front of me. Beyond the glass, the room was empty save for a large device covered in dials, switches, and wires.
Beside me was another iron chair, identical to the one I was in. My wrists were still bound by handcuffs, and my arms ached from the strain of being dragged. I heard a commotion to my left and turned my head to see my father being forced into the room. His face was pale but filled with fury as he struggled against his captors. They shoved him into the chair beside me, securing him in place.
"If anything happens to my daughter or my wife," my father growled, his voice trembling with rage, "I will kill you all with my bare hands."
As if on cue, my mother was dragged into the room. She was unconscious, her body limp and drenched in sweat. My heart ached at the sight of her.
"Mom!" I screamed.
"Patrika!" my father shouted, his voice breaking.
One of them pressed his hand against the glass wall, and with a soft hiss, it slid open. They carried her into the enclosure and dumped her on the floor like she was nothing more than trash.
"Leave her alone!" my father yelled.
They attached wires to the collar around my mother's neck, securing them tightly. Then, without a word, they exited the glass room, the wall sliding shut behind them.
My father thrashed in his chair, his muscles straining against the restraints. "Let her go!" he roared. "You monsters, let her go!"
A high-pitched laugh echoed from the doorway, sending chills down my spine. Turning toward the sound, I saw a woman standing there. She was striking, with fiery red hair that fell in loose waves around her shoulders and the same violet eyes as my father. Her features were sharp and perfect, high cheekbones, full lips, and a nose that was both delicate and strong , dressed in leather pants, a leather jacket, and a tight top. Her eyes gleamed with malice as she stepped into the room, her gaze fixed on my mother.
"Oh, William," she said, her voice dripping with mockery. "What has happened to you? How far you have fallen."
"Scarlet," my father spat, his voice filled with venom. "What are you doing here?"
Scarlet stopped in front of my father, bending down to his eye level. He tried to pull away, but she grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at her.
"You left me," she hissed, her voice shaking with rage. "You left me at the altar for that... creature."
"I never loved you, Scarlet," my father said, his voice steady despite the fury in his eyes. "I never wanted to marry you. It was Jonathan who pushed for it. I was kind to you, yes, but love? Never. "
Scarlet's face twisted into a mask of fury. She straightened up, letting out a bitter laugh. "You fool," she spat. "You will regret those words."
She stalked toward the machine and pulled a lever. The device hummed to life, and suddenly, my mother's body convulsed violently. Her eyes snapped open, and a strangled cry escaped her lips.
Scarlet pressed another button, and the sound of my mother's screams filled the room.
"Stop it!" I screamed. "Stop hurting her!"
Scarlet turned toward me, a predatory smile spreading across her face. She walked toward me slowly, her violet eyes locked on mine.
"So," she said, her voice soft and venomous, "you are the little bastard child."
She grabbed me by the throat, her grip tight . I struggled to breathe, clawing at her hands, but she didn't loosen her hold.
"Scarlet, enough!" a commanding voice rang out.
Scarlet released me, and I gasped for air, my vision swimming.I saw Jonathan enter the room. His face was cold, his violet eyes devoid of any warmth.
He walked toward me and crouched down, his gaze piercing. "Do you know why your mother is here?" he asked, his voice low and menacing.
I shook my head, unable to speak.
"Let me show you," he said.
"No!" my father shouted, his voice filled with desperation. "Leave them alone, Jonathan! Please!"
Jonathan ignored him. He walked to the machine and pulled another lever. My mother's body convulsed again, and then, to my horror, she began to change. Her teeth elongated into sharp fangs, her skin grew fur, and her body shifted into that of a massive wolf.
She landed on all fours, her golden eyes filled with pain and guilt as she looked at me.
Jonathan sneered. "Do you see now? She's a monster,a werewolf. They are savage, dangerous creatures that should have been eradicated. And yet, my pathetic excuse of a son fell in love with one."
He entered the glass room, grabbing my mother by the collar. She whimpered as he threw her across the room, her body hitting the wall with a sickening thud.
"Stop!" I screamed. "Leave her alone!"
Jonathan turned to me, his eyes gleaming with malice. "You want me to stop? Fine."
He pulled a knife from his belt and walked toward my mother. Before I could react, he slashed her throat, the blade slicing through her flesh. Blood poured from the wound as she crumpled to the ground, shifting back into her human form.
My father let out a heart-wrenching scream, tears streaming down his face.
Jonathan did not stop. He began stabbing her over and over, his body covered in her blood. When he finally stepped away, her lifeless body lay twisted on the floor, her hazel eyes staring blankly at me.
Jonath
an turned toward us, his face smeared with blood, a chilling smile on his lips. "And that," he said, his voice calm and cold, "is what happens to monsters."