Eira stared at the cup that lay strewn in a mess of shattered pieces all over the kitchen floor. For a brief moment there, she saw her heart, stomped to the ground, all broken and lifeless, bleeding into the tiles and sinking all the way to the Earth's core.

Perhaps she was being overly dramatic. She didn't know. Yet, a profound sense of betrayal and hurt lingered within her.

With a sigh, she crouched and began mechanically clearing the wreckage she had created. Lately, it seemed she was on a streak of ruining everything – her relationships, her life, and now, her beloved mug.

A sting. A hiss. A crash.

She withdrew her arm swiftly, hugging it to her chest. The fragments tumbled down in a cacophony, resonating through the stillness and briefly interrupting the gloomy atmosphere. The hollow silence that followed was soon lifted by the shrill tune of her phone.

Eira remained motionless despite the protest of her strained legs. She neither wanted nor had the energy to move. Her eyes slowly searched for the device. It glared back at her from atop the counter until it stopped ringing.

Anchored to the floor by the weight of her emotions, she released a heavy exhale before plopping down and leaning against the cupboard behind her. Eira craned her head back, closed her eyes, and pondered over all of her life choices that led her to a secluded cabin in the middle of nowhere.

Pain, dull and insignificant, shot up her arm as it rested atop her bent knees and strangely lulled her to sleep. Hot droplets trickled down her fingers and quietly landed on the tiles. Memories of joyous laughter, tight embraces, and warm skins brushing against each other flooded her mind. Sweet words, genuine smiles, promises of a forever.

Promises he failed to uphold.

Rapid, successive knocks cut through her train of thought and she jerked. Her eyes snapped open and her brows furrowed. Who would even come this way, especially amid the heavy snowfall? The biting cold was unbearable, making it improbable for anyone to navigate through the freezing storm.

Fueled by a growing sense of worry, Eira hurried to the door, her mind racing with the possibilities of someone in need, perhaps stranded or facing a dire situation in the harsh weather.

The knocks intensified, evolving into desperate bangs that reverberated through the cabin and prompted her stumbling legs to move faster. The urgency of the banging and the relentless howl of the wind outside created an eerie symphony that echoed her own inner turmoil as she hesitated. She could neither peek through the window, as the blizzard obscured any view, nor through the peephole, for there was none.

Her hand hovered above the doorknob, torn between the instinct to help and the uncertainty of what lay beyond the entrance. Audrey had promised that no one would bother her during her stay here.

Eira took a step back, contemplating whether to inquire about the identity of the visitor. However, the banging had subsided until it finally stopped, replaced by heavy breaths. Her frown deepened before a loud thud elicited a yelp from her.

Then, an eerie silence settled in, leaving only the echoes of the recent commotion hanging in the air. The stillness was almost more unsettling than the prior clamor, leaving Eira on edge as she grappled with the unknown presence outside her cabin.

Cussing under her breath, Eira flung the door open. Covering her mouth with shaky hands, she gasped. A shirtless man lay on his side, his back to her and his shorts hanging haphazardly on his hips. Barefoot and with disheveled chocolate strands obscuring his face, he lay seemingly unconscious.

"Hey," Eira called, her teeth chattering from the cold. She nudged him with her foot. "You there, hey." No response. She stepped over him and knelt. Another gasp slipped out. "Oh, my God!"

Crimson coated his throat down to his torso where multiple gashes marred his skin. The shoulder atop which he rested appeared severely damaged. If not for the small rise and fall of his chest, she would've assumed him dead.

"Oh, shit, shit, shit." Eira hissed, carefully turning him to his back. Her gaze swiftly swept her surroundings in search of the attacker. There was nothing. She shivered harder. Her eyes tracked a trail of red spots, marking a grim path from the woods to the cabin. Their vividness was gradually swallowed by the unrelenting snowfall.

Without a second thought, Eira sprang up and grabbed his ankles. Her grunts and groans competed with the howling winds in volume as she dragged him inside before dumping his legs and slamming the door shut.

She collapsed in a mess of heavy breaths and stinging palms. Her hand screamed in pain but she paid it no mind, rushing to check the stranger's injuries. After further inspection, Eira concluded it must've been a wild animal attack, or...

"Fuck," she sighed, scrambling to her feet to grab her phone. However, she froze when a hand wrapped around her shin.

"Y-you're not," the man rasped, "Dree."

Overcoming her shock at the electricity that shot up her leg, Eira blinked. "Dree? You know Audrey?"

"Don't call anyone." His breaths rattled in his chest as he wheezed, forcing the words out.

"What? But you need to go to the hospital!"

"No," he groaned, still holding her immobile by his side. "I-I'm fine. I'll be fine."

His skin was warm against hers. Her gaze landed on his fingers, watching his claws shrink and morph into regular nails. Her suspicions finally confirmed, Eira crouched next to him and reluctantly brushed the hair away from his face. "You're a shifter, aren't you?"

The slight crease of his forehead was his response before his arm dropped to the floor. 

Word count: 966.

Total word count: 966.

Note: listen to the video at the top throughout the story.