Page 2 of Howling Eve (Ragoru Origins #2)

Chapter Two

T here was something out there.

Eve Brennon stood beside her window, staring out into the fog and heavy trees surrounding her home. She wasn’t an adventurer to face the unknown. Over her transistor radio, she heard of the discovery of Evelyn Whitlock and had marveled over it at the time, even as she had shivered at what the agreements between their species and the aliens called Ragoru could mean. If she were Evelyn, she might have investigated and driven away whatever was hunting in her secluded woods. But she wasn’t. Not even in the closeness in their names gave her an ounce more courage as she shivered and watched the fog crawl higher around her house with the arrival of night.

It didn’t help that it was coming up on Halloween. Of all the things to survive from the old world, it was one of the few things that hung on with the most determination. No one forgot that it was the time of year when everything crept within the darkness and the worlds of the dead, the spirit, and the living encroached upon each other.

It was the perfect night to be eaten by some wayward monster, if there ever was one.

Eve shivered and drew her blanket around herself. Perhaps she should have moved into town like everyone insisted when her husband died, leaving her a young widow and all alone in the world since her parents had passed away years before in a freak accident. If she had, she would be protected by the town walls right now rather than all alone.

On the other hand, this was her home. She’d grown up here. The fog seldom lifted beyond a gentle mist, but she’d been born and raised there and could navigate her way among her orchards and raised gardens along the foothills without ever becoming lost or disoriented. She found it comforting, whereas her trips to the town market more often than not left her feeling terribly exposed. The power generator provided her with her few comforts and indulgences via satellite uplink. It was a solitary life, but her property was safe and cozy, and it didn’t attract the predators among humans or wildlife that other places seemed to. Eve had never once felt even remotely uneasy in her little home… until now.

A shadow within the murky darkness shifted and moved. Her eyes warily tracked it as it seemed to slide closer from between the trees, her tongue glued to the back of her teeth. Her breath caught as the shadow loomed larger and two pairs of eyes glowed like luminous pinpricks cutting through the dark. And they were peering in her direction, as if something were out there watching her.

Her hands turned sweaty, and she wiped them on her thick, woolen pants as she tried to slow her rapid intakes of breath. It was possible that it could scent her fear from its current distance with the same clarity that it appeared to her watch. With its four glowing eyes and considerable size, there was no doubt in Eve’s mind exactly what it was.

Ragoru.

It stood still for a long moment at the edge of the trees immediately surrounding her house and then slowly moved forward, a vague impression until the fog suddenly shifted and her eyes widened as she caught her first true glimpse of it, its pale, milky gray fur and enormous bulk just barely visible within the gloom, as if the Ragoru were an elemental demon materializing from the heavy vaporous cloud that filled her property.

Its jaw dropped, its mouth opening as it seemed to breathe deeply, and its teeth slid along its fangs, provoking Eve to wince in reaction as she withdrew a step from the glass that separated them. Its head cocked in noticeable response, its ears twisting back as its fur seemed to expand as if its hackles were raised.

It burst from the fog then, streaking forward with such speed and blending into its surroundings to such a degree that she could barely track it. It didn’t matter. She had no interest in standing there in front of the window on display, just begging to be murdered. She stumbled back, spinning around as her heart jumped violently within her chest. What was she standing there for? She needed to hide!

Biting back a fearful cry so that nothing escaped her but a whimper of dismay, Eve flew across the room but didn’t get much farther before the door burst open with a vicious snap of wood, followed by a crash from where it collided against the wall. The snarled bellow that ripped through the room was brutal and deep, as if coming from the spirit of death himself.

All attempts to hold back her scream failed her in that moment, as she shrieked and spun around to face the danger as the monster crashed into her house as the fog billowed in through the door with it. She was certain her heart was going to burst from her chest, and she felt incredibly stupid to stop running when every instinct told her to go, go, go! But somewhere, self-preservation also kicked in, reminding her that it was colossally stupid to try and run from a predator.

Its paws slid a little on the waxed wooden floor with a screech of claws that sent it into the wall, but to her shock, it turned its back on her to bound into the kitchen, its tail a thick flag behind it tipped in a darker shade of gray. It was of a color similar to a strip of fur that ran down its back around the large, curved spine-like plating over its spine. Standing in place, she gaped at the view of its backside as it tore into her kitchen. She couldn’t imagine what it was after until it scooped up her partially cooled pumpkin pie and drove its muzzle into it, snapping at the steaming pits of pumpkin with its long fangs.

She stared at the ruined pie forlornly and with no little shock as it went into the monster’s maw, and words tumbled thoughtlessly from between her lips.

“Hey! Fuck off, that’s mine!” she snapped as she stormed forward and instinctively grabbed her broom from where it rested, leaning against her wall.

The creature paused, its ears turning toward her, and two pairs of eyes lifted to narrow on her in a threat that was a little less intimidating considering that the Ragoru’s muzzle was smeared with pie and its mouth bulging with it.

It gave her a thoughtful look as it lifted its head and swallowed. It cut an amused look toward her broom—which suddenly made her feel silly to be holding it—and proceeded to hold out the decimated remains of the pie in her direction.

“Don’t growl at me, puny human. There is plenty left,” it grumbled in a deep voice as it shifted position, its thick legs spreading wide, revealing a large, furred sheath. The sight of it made her thighs press together nervously with an unwelcome awareness that not only was she alone with a male Ragoru—a species who specifically were in an agreement with the government to mate with human women—but he could also be packing something large enough to practically split her in half. This was not the week of Halloween’s seasonal spooks and thrills she was looking forward to enjoying. Swallowing apprehensively, Eve wrenched her eyes back to his face.

“You know what—on second thought, keep it,” she amended hurriedly. “Just take it with my blessing and be on your way.

He snarled, and something within her shriveled a little at the sight of all of those sharp teeth.

“Oh, I do not think so, little human. I do believe I will be staying right here,” he rumbled as he gave her a sly look. “You are free to leave.”

Wait, what?

“Excuse me, what? This is my home. I’m not going anywhere,” she replied. and she immediately winced when he snapped his teeth in response.

It apparently was not the reaction he was looking for, however, because he settled back further on his haunches and regarded her quizzically for a long moment. He must have come to some decision, however, because in the next moment he resumed consuming the pie, ignoring her entirely. Eve stood there haplessly for a moment or two before setting the broom aside, slowly turning on her heel, and making her way back to the master bedroom, locking her door behind her.

Perhaps his demand was all for the shock effect. If so, he would get bored and leave if he didn’t have an audience. She could only hope. Stripping off her clothes, Eve crawled into her enormous bed and pulled her blanket over her head. At least he was alone and wasn’t with a full triad—that was something, right?

Her silent query to herself wasn’t much comfort. She only hoped that he was gone in the morning, like every other bizarre nightmare.