Eternal Moon
The Order of Eternals

"No. I don't think they're targeting me," she lied. "I just think that these guys are taking girls that are psychically talented." She shrugged before continuing, "I can easily hide my gift. It isn't very noticeable. I just wouldn't want to lead anyone to you if there were any of them watching me. You know?"
Penny scoffed on the other end. "I don't do my talent openly!"

Lilith chuckled softly at that, "Yeah, but you don't not do it in the privacy of your own home, either." she sighed. "I'm just not willing to take the risk, okay?"

Penny groaned. "Okay, all right. But listen, you have to promise me that you will get your ass out here if matters get worse. Okay? There is safety in numbers. Got it?"

Just as Lilith opened her mouth to answer, she saw a wolf run into the safety of her yard. That wasn't not possible! Surely one of those damn things hadn't found a way through the magical barrier she'd worked so hard to put into place.

Flipping the light switch in the kitchen off, she stood in the darkness weighing her options. A clearing throat on the other end of the phone line reminded her that her friend was still there.

"Penny, I promise, okay? Now let me let you go before we run up the phone bill so much we can't talk again this month! I love you, bye!" As she hung up the phone, she watched the wolf shift into human form before her eyes. When he made for the front door of her cottage, she cursed, running into the hall. Grabbing her shotgun, she prepared herself for whatever was about to take place.

  ****

Soon he reached what he'd been seeking, an old abandoned cottage. Enough human scents lingered around the old house that maybe it would throw that thing off of his trail. Glancing around, he looked for some sign of the beast. When he found he was indeed alone, he let go of his hold on the wolf's form and became a man.

Moving quickly, he stepped into the cottage he'd known would be here, thankful he'd not forgotten the way. When he closed the door, he heard a shocked intake of breath. He pivoted toward the sound and found a dark-haired woman with startling blue eyes and a rifle aimed at his head. "So, tell me," she spoke slowly. "Did a thief steal your clothes, or did you shed them to become one of those things outside?"

Darmetheus faced her with wide eyes. Raising his hands in a gesture of surrender, he spoke softly. "You are safe, okay? I am not one of those things."

The girl gave an exasperated laugh with a roll of her eyes. "Yeah . . . and I'm Santa Claus' cousin."

Darmetheus couldn't stop himself. "Merry Christmas," he said in a low voice. His eyes never left hers. He could take the gun from her in mere seconds, but that would only alarm her more. So instead, he stood stock still and tried to reason with her. "Come on, think about it. I was riding my bike through town. Those things jumped me and I ran."

The girl stepped out of the shadows and closer to him, giving him a better view of her stunning looks. She was short. No more than five-foot, two with long black hair and eyes that looked like a clear sky in winter. "Really? Then where are your clothes?"

He would have been completely mesmerized by her looks if he hadn't found himself staring down the barrel of her shotgun. Yeah, idiot! Lie your way out of that one! Darmetheus winced at the thought. "I took them off. A piece here, a piece there, trying to scatter my scent."

Indecision seemed to cloud her crystal blue eyes for a moment before she lowered the gun slightly. "You swear to me, you aren't one of those things?"

He nodded. "Yes. I swear. I was just passing through. I would have gone a different way if I'd known there were rabid dogs out and about."

Shivering at the thought, she whispered, "Those things aren't dogs. They aren't even wolves." Lowering her shotgun, she moved to the closet and pulled out a large t-shirt, and a pair of sweats. "This might fit you, I guess."

He caught the clothes she tossed at him and looked at the bright pink t-shirt with disdain. "Do you have anything a little less . . . feminine?"

Snickering, she rolled her eyes for the second time since they'd met. "Not that would fit you, I don't." She said, looking his masculine frame over. "You're huge!" She sat the gun down in the corner and moved to lock the door. "I'm Lilith. My father bought this cottage when I was little. I moved in when all the crazy things started happening in town."

Darmetheus quirked an eyebrow at her. "But, why wouldn't you just stay in town? Isn't it safer there?"
Lilith shook her head. "No. Those things aren't intimidated by locked doors, or silver . . . or much of anything else, for that matter. They'll come right into your home and steal you from your bed. The only people that don't seem to be too bothered are the ones who don't live in town."

He frowned. "Well, that's weird."