Page 50 of The Vampire Curse

The wind is at our backs as though it was sent by some Otherworldly creature to aid us. The pounding hooves drown out the shouts of the innkeeper.

We enter the forest and I give the horse his head. He runs as if he has been held back for too long by his owner, and this is the first taste of freedom he’s ever had, and he intends to enjoy every minute of it.

Even if I wanted to, I could never return to the place I always thought was my home. In the past month, I have come to realize it never had been.

I've always kept everyone at arm's length, letting necessity guide me. Kathrine is the only one I ever allowed to be close to me... but even then, we still kept secrets from each other.

I still love her, but I have let her go so she can be happy the way she deserves.

As I leave Durford, I don’t look back. I will never look back. My past self is gone, and now I can only go forward toward the unknown to find who I truly am.

Chapter Eighteen

Clara

The horse’slong legs cover twice the ground with each stride and half the effort as the mare. Once we reach the foothills, I slow our pace. The rocky terrain and the incline make me uneasy, and I don’t want him worn down before we arrive in Windbury.

The first time I’d traveled through this part, I had been unconscious—thanks to Alaric compelling me into a demon induced sleep. When I finally woke, I felt as though I were crawling out of death’s grip.

We follow the grooves in the road left by countless carriages that have passed this way before.

I tilt my head back and look through the spaces between branches. At some point in the past hour, a blanket of gray clouds has swallowed the sky, so thick they hide the sun’s position. I squint, looking for any sign of rain burdened patches. It's clear for now, but that could change in a matter of minutes.

When we come across a small stream, I take the opportunity to let the horse drink and stretch my legs—keeping hold of the reins.

I walk alongside him as he grazes, eating with my free hand. It’s not ideal, but I learned my lesson the hard way what could happen.

A twig snaps and there's a flash in my peripheral vision. I hold my breath and listen, scanning the area for any signs that I’m not alone. The sound of distant birds and the trickling stream appear to be our only company.

It’s just a fluffy forest animal. Probably a bunny. These sounds are nothing to worry about.

Even I don’t believe that.

I want to get going again soon because this forest gives me the creeps. I quickly pull myself back into the saddle and guide the horse into a relaxed trot.

A shiver crawls up my spine—the unmistakable sensation of being watched. Lingering in the forest is a bad idea.

I can’t shake the feeling even after several minutes. I turn in the saddle to look behind. There’s no sign of anyone having passed this way within the past week.

As if sensing my nerves, the horse breaks into a run. We ride as if we are being chased for several minutes before slowing to a sustainable pace. An hour passes. Then another. Just when I think we lost whatever was following us, something flickers in my peripheral.

I focus on the trees to my right without turning. A large shape covered in ruddy fur flies past a break in the brush. It disappears in a blink. I continue to wait.

The wolf pops in and out of view, silent and ghost-like, coming closer and drifting further away—only showing itself enough to let me know it’s still with me.

I’m thankful the horse hasn’t noticed. If he spooks, there's no way I can stay in the saddle.

I finally turn my head to watch. The animal meets my eye for a brief second before vanishing.

Warm amber. The color strikes a chord in my memory. Eyes I’ve seen before on the face of a handsome man with a wide smile and freckles sprinkled across his nose.

By some Otherworldly miracle, the wolf isn’t attacking us. At least, not yet. I keep to the road, not daring to try a more direct route.

I adjust my grip on the reins, my fingers ache. The early winter air has chilled me to the bone, and I can barely feel my body, but I push on.

The world darkens gradually. Mournful cries echo in my head and my mind runs wild with the fear that I am out of time.

The howling grows louder, and it’s with a single high-pitched wail that I realize, it’s not in my head.